4th Grade Rhythm Lessons 1-6

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

Lesson 2 – Rhythm

• Welcome Song / School Song / Friendship or Positive Song
• Seating chart
• Hoop Rhythms – add body percussion (snap, clap, pat, stamp)
  • Use 8-beat patterns
  • Play rock beat on keyboard
  • Student “conductors” take turns by standing in one hoop at a time while students do the appropriate body percussion: 8 beats in each hoop. I say, “switch” at about beat 6 to help the “conductor” know when to go to a different hoop.
• Ama Lama
  • I sing each line twice, then they do 4 hoops as an interlude between lines (8 beats each) – keep changing conductors.

Lesson 3 – Rhythm

• Welcome Song / School Song / Friendship or Positive Song
• 1-2 minutes of echo patterns. (I do 4/4 rhythm, they echo.) I vary body percussion.
• 4 colored note cards on board I demonstrate a quarter note by patting the steady beat along with the rock beat on the keyboard.
  • Ask, “Which note am I doing?”
  • Demonstrate (and they do also) all of the notes on the colored cards (whole, half, quarter, eighth). Do hoops again with note durations this time  – a few conductors
  • Someone to front to put 4 hoops in order. (See hoops page “Variations.”)
• Ama Lama review
  • Few more conductors – change to body percussion cards (red = snap)
  • Sing each phrase of song 2x, then interludes.
  • Add body percussion in interludes (all 4 hoops x 8 beats each = 32 beats)

Lesson 4 – Rhythm

• Welcome Song / Friendship or Positive Song
• Ama Lama
  • Demonstrate & patsch Beat vs. Rhythm
  • Review 4 notes (whole, half, quarter, eighth) and Quarter Rest
  • Large yellow rhythm cards with footprints – 6 cards, 1 per riser.
  • Before passing out instruments, tell students the instrument rule: play only when you are supposed to – or you lose the chance to play the instrument. As instruments are passed out, I take the time the first few lessons to name and demonstrate each instrument.
  • Instruments: Group 1 (4-6 students) = hand drums; 2 = claves; 3 = maracas; 4 = guiros; 5 = triangles; 6 = cabasas
• Lil’ Liza Jane   (more songs with syncopation)
  • I start singing song (lyrics up on PowerPoint).
  • When I sing it the 2nd time, I ask students to snap when they hear a rest. After giving them a chance to try a couple of times, I help them figure out there are 4 quarter rests. Show where they occur on the PowerPoint.
  • Show jazz youtube video of the song.
  • Name any instruments they recognize.
  • Also, point out how different the song sounds in a “jazz” style.

Lesson 5 – Rhythm

• Welcome Song / Friendship or Positive Song
• Sing Ama Lama – (I pat beat) – ask them “Did I pat the beat or rhythm?”
• Write 4 lines of Ama Lama rhythm on board – which one is which line? (Save line 2 till last)
• Teach dotted quarter – Even vs. Uneven on board
• Bubbles – Sore Foot March – or pat even or uneven patterns while students demonstrate rhythm in their feet as they walk around the room
• Lil’ Liza Jane
• Review song, they pat beat
• Add snaps on rests again.
• See if they can locate the dotted pattern:        (more songs with dotted quarter notes)
• They find “Tam ti ta ta” pattern and clap when I get to it. (“Oh Eliza)
• Watch video again – Review instruments and jazz style

Lesson 6 – Rhythm

• Welcome Song / Friendship or Positive Song
• Do rhythm practice, like these cards – or put rhythms on the board or PowerPoint.
  • Students say rhythms – review names of notes and rests
• Ama Lama     (more songs with Orff arrangements)
  • Orff parts – 3 sections
    • Group 1: woodblocks & claves
    • Group 2: guiros & cabasas
    • Group 3: xylophones & metallophones
  • Switch parts as time allows. Encourage students to sing while playing.

See also

• 4th Grade Rhythm Lessons 7-12
• 4th Grade Rhythm/Jazz Lessons 13-19
• 4th Grade Rhythm Assessments
• 4th Grade Rhythm Lessons & Resources
• lesson plans