Last week we celebrated Music In Our Schools Month by doing Rhythm Centers! Grades 1-5 got to do different activities in small groups and then rotate so that they could do a little of everything. Here are some of our centers.
I made a giant beat strip for the song "Apple Tree" as a review for my 1st graders. They have learned their quarter note and paired eighth note, but I really want them to have a full understanding that a paired eighth note makes two sounds, but is only one beat. I stole this idea from Music a la Abbott.
My upper grades had a boomwhacker station where they had to figure out the mystery song. This was really great for 3rd graders to help them understand the importance of playing together as a group to create the song. I might have to do something similar with 2nd grade to get them ready for ensemble performances.
3rd and 4th grades reviewed their note values with the game Over the Edge (stolen from Pianimation)
2nd and 3rd grade reviewed note values by matching clothespin notes and rests to index cards with 1, 2, 3 and 4 beats written on them. I saw this as a sight word activity on Pinterest and just knew I had to translate it to music! As far as assessment, I just had to give a quick glance and could tell how the students were doing.
The floor staff got a lot of use this week (even though it's not really rhythm).
- 2nd and 3rd graders reviewed how notes can move by step, skip or repeat. The "leader" would call out a pattern (step, step, repeat) and whoever was "it" had to move that way on the staff.
- 4th and 5th graders reviewed their treble clef notes. Some did relays where the "leader" would call out a letter and see who could stand on its place on the staff the fastest. Others tried treble clef twister!
Water painting. 1st and 2nd grade practiced drawing the different types of notes and rests that they are supposed to know by taking paintbrushes dipped in water and drawing on the chalkboard!
Here is a picture of a 1st grade class. They were a small group that day, so they only had three centers.
1) Water Painting
2) Rhythm Stick Echos
3) Apple Tree Beat Strip
*A center that I didn't get a picture of was Music Math Flash Cards. I made flash cards with picture problems like quarter note + half note = and the students had to answer. This was good for 3rd grade as a review of note and rest values. It was also great for 4th and 5th graders who are working on building measures in different time signatures. A super fun review!
During March I am also reviewing the different families of instruments. I couldn't think of an activity for Brass so we watched a fun movie. Woodwinds were last week and we made paper whistles.
This week we will be doing Percussion and Strings. We will make maracas out of plastic Easter eggs and put different sized rubber bands around a shoe box to make a string instrument. We will also be having "Student's Choice" which is where the students can pick any song, instrument or game we have done in class. It's always fun to see what stuck out to the students as a good lesson.
