1st Grade Rhythm/Melody Lessons 7-13

Each lesson is 30 minutes long.

Lesson 7 – Rhythm / Melody

• School Song / Welcome Song
• Hickory Dickory Dock   (more nursery rhymes)
  • Review high / low, up / down
  • Students take turns play xylophones – show picture of xylophone – which is up?
  • Show pictures of glockenspiel with arrows – to prepare them for the assessment – ask students which direction means “up” (the arrow to the right or the arrow to the left?)
• Charlie Over the Ocean   (more circle games)
  • Sing and show motion of melody (up and down) with hands (I sing leader part, they echo)
  • Show PowerPoint.

Lesson 8 – Rhythm / Melody

• School Song / Welcome Song
• Written Assessment – Melody: Up and Down Quiz
• Charlie Over the Ocean – sing again w/PPT.
  • First, I lead.
  • Then, I invite each riser group to lead with me (another riser does the echo). They watch me and follow my “conducting.”
  • Then, each riser group lead without me.

Lesson 9 – Rhythm

• School Song / Welcome Song
• Explain Glockenspiel Coloring Sheet. Students color while I work with a few people to re-assess. (There is also a benefit to having the students do this during Lesson 7 before the assessment.)
• Move & Freeze Activity: Beat vs. No Beat  (more movement songs)
  • Students turn on “bubbles.”
  • I play music on keyboard with no beat (using a sound with long, sustained tones) – they move in long, slow, sustained movements
  • I play march-sounding music with beats on keyboard, they stop and pat knees.
• Charlie Over Ocean – practice song, then sit on circle and play game. (I keep track who has been “it” for each game. Each day we play, I choose about 5 students to be “it,” choosing different students each day.)
• Hop Old Squirrel – circle game

Lesson 10 – Rhythm

• Welcome Song
• Beat vs. No Beat
  • Name things that have beats or no beats
  • Show heart and x cards on board
  • Listen to recordings of songs with beat and songs with no beat – which picture would I circle?
  • Play a recording of Yankee Doodle while students march in bubbles   (more steady beat songs)
• Hop Old Squirrel – circle game

Lesson 11 – Rhythm

• Welcome Song
• Practice Beat vs. No Beat –
  • Listen to recordings of songs with beat and songs with no beat – which picture would I circle?
• Yankee Doodle
  • I sing while we all nod the beat
  • Pass out rhythm sticks. When I point to the different risers groups, they play.
• Play Yankee Doodle recording
  • All stand scattered in the room. While listening, I do a steady beat of arm or leg motions for 16 beats, they mirror. I change my pattern every 16 beats.
• Ask 4 students (or however long the recording is) to come up front. They show the class a repeated motion that demonstrates steady beat. Turn on recording. I point to the first kid while that student demonstrates his/her own motion while the rest of the class mirrors. For the next 16 beats, I point to the next student. Continue similarly until the recording is over. Choose 4 more students.
• Hop Old Squirrel – circle game

Lesson 12 – Rhythm

• Welcome Song
• Practice Beat vs. No Beat –
  • Same as last time
• Play Yankee Doodle recording
  • Same as last time
• Hop Old Squirrel – circle game

Lesson 13 – Rhythm

• Welcome Song
• Practice beat vs. no beat quickly.
• Written Assessment: Rhythm: Beat /No Beat
• Play Yankee Doodle recording
  • Same as last time
• Hop Old Squirrel – circle game

See also

• 1st Grade Rhythm/Melody Lessons 1-6
• 1st Grade Rhythm Lessons 14-18
• 1st Grade Rhythm Lessons 19-23
• 1st Grade Rhythm Lessons & Resources
• 1st Grade Melody Lessons & Resources
• 1st Grade Rhythm Assessments
• lesson plans