2nd Grade Rhythm Lessons 1-6

Each lesson is 30 minutes long.

LESSON 1 – Introduction

Sing School Song – patsching steady beat while singing
Music Room Rules / Announcements
Sing Character Counts

LESSON 2 – Rhythm

Sing School Song & Character Counts
Identification Chant – students patsch while I chant, and they gradually learn it (more name songs)
- Teach chant. (Talking voice)
- 1 student plays tubano on beat, then says name and plays rhythm of name. Class echoes with clapping.
BOOK: Muncha Muncha Muncha (more rhythm activities)
- Read book.
- Show rhythm cards. They clap.
Walk and Stop – with “bubbles” – add different locomotor movements.

LESSON 3 – Rhythm

Sing School Song & Character Counts
Identification Chant
- Review chant.
- Sitting, click feet together on beat, clap names
- Students in circle, 3 students & drums in middle. Each student says name, class echoes. I give them each a number: 1,2,3 – then after playing, they pick new person, tell person what number they are.
Students are put in a seating chart on the risers (up until now they were sitting in a circle on the floor).
Book: Muncha Muncha Muncha
- Show rhythm cards. I say patterns, they echo and clap.
Walk and Stop – add different locomotor movements.

LESSON 4 – Rhythm

Sing School Song & Character Counts
Book: Muncha Muncha Muncha
- Review & add instruments (I name and demonstrate each one and explain the rule of instruments: if anyone plays when they are not supposed to, they lose the chance to play.)
  - Tippy – maracas
  - Spring – woodblocks
  - Dig – guiros
  - Dive – triangles
  - Muncha – drums/tambourines
- As time permits, switch instruments.

LESSON 5 – Rhythm

Character Counts
Hoops Activity:
- Put 8 “tas” on board: | | | | | | | |
- Stick cards on board: snap, clap, pat, stamp
- Turn on rock beat (on keyboard)
- Choose student “conductors” while the class does the body percussion – the same colored card of the hoop that the student is standing in (about 6 students each day)
Beat = “ta” = hearts on board.
- 8 hearts, they “ta”
- Trade 2 “ta” hearts for “rest” hearts
- Make pattern: ta, ta, ta, rest
- Draw them with note heads = Name it: “quarter note”
Show them rhythm patterns – have them echo me “ta”
Bow Wow Wow
- Show PowerPoint.
- Teach song.
- Movement/ Circle dance.

LESSON 6 – Rhythm

Character Counts
Hoops Activity – same as last lesson, choose more students to be “conductors”
PowerPoint Rhythms (see below)
- Review (from 1st grade): quarter note, quarter rest, eighth notes
- Teacher says rhythm pattern – always clapping rhythms also – students echo
Four White Horses – I sing words while they do beats. (more songs with hand clapping)
BOOK: Catalina Magdalena
- Read & Sing – students pat beat

Links

Sophia GrigoriadisJuly 23, 2015 5:12 pm

Beth – I love your material, and right now I’m looking to enhancing my lessons with some of your ideas. I feel a bit foolish asking this – I see that the lessons for Rhythm and Melody are offered sequentially, under their own separate categories. As I tend to incorporate a bit of everything in my lessons, some rhythm work, singing, movement, etc, where children are experiencing several aspects of music, I’m now wondering if I should be concentrating on only one element per lesson as is suggested above? Would you recommend that we use your lessons as they are presented or can they by incorporated with other elements (like melody, etc)?

Thanks – I very much appreciate your generosity and experience!

BethJuly 27, 2015 2:49 pm

Sophia, good question! (Don’t ever feel foolish asking me something!) Absolutely, incorporating many concepts together is a great way to organize a lesson! I guess for me, since I tend to be a more linear thinker, it helps me to highlight one concept (or group of concepts) to make sure I cover it adequately and then assess. It’s also easier to explain your plan to non-musician administrators. But, of course, making music really integrates several concepts at once. So, if it makes sense to you to teach a bit of everything together, then go for it! 🙂