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Grade:  7th grade

 

Primary Concepts:

  • rhythm
  • composition
  • playing instruments
  • keeping a steady beat

 

Objective:  The student will create a complete rhythm chart using the given worksheet and perform his or her composition by choosing instrumentalists and conducting with a steady beat.

           

Curriculum Link: 

National Standards

  • #2 Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
  • #4 Composing and arranging music within specific guidelines
  • #5 Reading and notating music
  • #6 Listening to, analyzing, and describing music

Academic Content Standards

  • #2 Creative Expression and Communication, Benchmark A1-3, grade 7
  • #2 Creative Expression and Communication, Benchmark B1-3, grade 7

 

Prerequisite Knowledge:  The students will be familiar with the 4/4 time signature, quarter and eighth notes, and notation.  They will also have already played rhythm instruments in previous lessons.

 

Materials: 

§         rhythm instruments

§         complete rhythm chart to use as an example

§         blank rhythm charts

§         chalk and chalkboard

§         piano

 

Procedure:

(5 minutes)  Hand out the example rhythm chart to each student and explain how to read it – the beats are listed at the top and an “X” under a beat means to play on that beat of the measure.  Ask three volunteers to play the chart as a group following the teacher’s beat.

 

(5 minutes)  Review 4/4 time and discuss strong beats vs. weak beats in relation to the rhythm chart that was just played.

 

(10 minutes)  Pass out the blank charts and have each student compose his or her own rhythm chart in 4/4.  Allow students to choose the instruments they would like to use (minimum 3) and compose rhythms using quarter notes and eighth notes.  As each student finishes, he or she should silently count the rhythms for each part until the entire class is done.

 

(10 minutes)  Choose several students to perform their compositions for the class.  Each volunteer should choose instrumentalists and use the baton to keep a steady beat for the performers.  Ask the listeners to analyze what they heard (strong vs. weak beats, steady tempo, etc.).

 

(10 minutes)  As a class, create a rhythm part for an existing song.  Have the group choose a well-known song and notate rhythm parts (on a staff, not as a rhythm chart) for three instruments.   Discuss how the notation of these parts relates to a rhythm chart.  Choose a conductor and play the melody on the piano while three instrumentalists play the rhythm parts.

 

Assessment:  Informal assessment of individuals based on the performance of their compositions, and informal embedded assessment of the entire class during the group composition activity.

 

Instrument

1     2     3     4

1     2     3     4

1     2     3     4

1     2     3     4

Hand Drum

        X           X

        X           X

        X     X    X

        X           X

Triangle

               X           X

               X           X

                              X

               X           X

Tambourine

       X     X

       X     X

       X     X

       X     X

Example Rhythm Chart

 

 

 

Instrument

1     2     3     4

1     2     3     4

1     2     3     4

1     2     3     4

 

       

 

 

 

 

              

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blank Rhythm Chart