Each lesson is 30 minutes long.
Lesson 1 – Introduction
- Welcome Song
- School Song (or American patriotic song) patsch steady beat while singing
- Rules/Announcements (See first day of school)
- Friendship Song / Song with Positive Message
> I do the following lessons after my November 3rd grade program, which will explain the Thanksgiving and Hanukkah-themed songs. <
Lesson 2 – Rhythm
- Welcome Song / Friendship or Positive Song
- 3rd grade rhythm activity
- Old King Cole (more nursery rhymes) (more chants)
- Teach chant and hand clapping
- See rhythm cards on board – rearrange
- Figure out a form (ABA?) and perform
- Long-Legged Sailor (more songs with hand clapping)
- I sing it to them and demonstrate the hand jive.
Lesson 3 – Rhythm
- Welcome Song / Friendship or Positive Song
- Old King Cole
- Review chant and hand clapping
- See rhythm cards on board – Review half note, quarter note, eighth notes, time sig, measure
- As we chant “A,” I pick a student to rearrange notes into a 4-beat pattern. Then we chant pattern.
- Echoing Rhythms
- Pass out 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.)
- Membranes: Hand drums / tambourines
- Woods: Woodblocks / claves
- Metals: Triangles / Finger cymbals
- In front, I have tubano (membrane), temple blocks (wood), suspended cymbal (metal). I do a 4-beat rhythm pattern on one, whoever has the same “family” of percussion echos.
- Pass out 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.)
- Long Legged Sailor
- Students learn to sing and try to do hand jive in the air.
- As time permits, students do hand jive in partners.
Lesson 4 – Rhythm
- Welcome Song / Friendship or Positive Song
- Old King Cole
- Same as last lesson. Choose different students to rearrange cards.
- Put cards (turkey, mashed potatoes, Don’t forget the stuffing, Pumpkin pie) on board. Make 4-ms. pattern. Barline, measure, t.s.
- Back to seats, pass out instruments – pick up where we left off
- Perform 4-ms pattern with me putting colored dots above each ms. to indicate which risers play (all blues play together)
- Long Legged Sailor + hand clapping
- Add xylophone on FC – if time
Lesson 5 – Rhythm
- Welcome Song / Friendship or Positive Song
- Look at Long Legged Sailor rhythm cards:
- Put “Long” “Legged” “Sailor” cards up on the board. Ask students, “Would these measures fit into my t.s. of 4?” (Answer: “NO” – Lead them to understand that we need to add quarter rests)
- Sing song + hand clapping – students find partners
- Add xylophones on FC – some students with partners, some on xylophones
- BOOK: Rumble in the Jungle
- I read a few of the pages (the ones that have corresponding rhythm cards)
- Show rhythm cards – “ta” through each rhythm card.
- Introduce whole note* with the snake card.
- O Hanukkah (more Hanukkah songs) (Christmas songs)
- Put cards with “hints” for Hanukkah on the board – students say rhythms “Festival of lights,” etc. Ask students if they know what holiday is referred to.
- Intro O Hanukah PowerPoint. Explain words.
- Show dreidel.
- Sing through song.
- Roll dreidel to find out which notes to play, class sings.
- Put together with “B” (board “hints”) – tambourines.
Lesson 6 – Rhythm
- Welcome Song / Friendship or Positive Song
- Rumble in the Jungle
- Review rhythm cards
- Review whole note
- Pass out instruments in groups (each group is one animal rhythm)
- Students switch instruments as time permits
6 thoughts on “3rd Grade Rhythm Lessons 1-6”
I am sooo enjoying your blog. Thank you for sharing all your work. I am truly interested to know what other general music teachers teach in their classrooms.
So glad to hear it, Ellen! Thanks for the kind words!
So much inspiration here!
I love it! Thank you for your Blog!
Thank you so much for sharing your curriculum resources and lessons! This is only my second year teaching elementary music and I have been trying to create a meaningful, standards-driven curriculum for my students. Your blog has been a HUGE help!!
Elaine
Thanks, Elaine! 🙂
I must agree.. You have no idea…you are a life saver..