Elk Grove Unified School District Visual and Performing Arts Resources
Music Grade Four: Lesson 1 Title: We’ve Got Rhythm—Steady Beat, Silent Beat Standards Addressed Artistic Perception Processing, Analyzing, and Responding to Sensory Information Through the Language and Skills Unique to Music 1.1 Read, write, and perform melodic notation for simple songs in major keys, using solfege. 1.3 Read, write, and perform rhythmic notation, including sixteenth notes, dotted notes, and syncopation (e.g., eighth-quarter-eighth and eighth rest-quarter-eighth note). Aesthetic Valuing Responding to, Analyzing, and Making Judgments About Works in Music 4.3 Describe the characteristics that make a performance a work of art.
Time: 20 minutes Floor Plan: Regular classroom setting. Materials Needed: • Silver Burdett Ginn, The Music Connection—Fourth Grade, Teacher’s Manual • Silver Burdett Ginn, The Music Connection—Fourth Grade • CD player • CD 1 #7, #8, #9 or VAPA CD #13, #14, #15 • Classroom percussion (optional) Purpose: To perform steady beat patterns that include rests. To identify the use of steady beat patterns and rests in music. Background: The students must already know the difference between lyrics, accompaniment and beat. You may want to review these terms prior to starting this lesson. Key Questions: Can you perform a steady beat pattern that includes rests? Can you hear how important the rests are to the style of this music?
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Vocabulary: ∗ Lyrics—the words of a song. ∗ Accompaniment—vocal or instrumental parts that accompany a melody. ∗ Beat—unit of measure of rhythmic time. ∗ Steady beat—an unchanging continuous rhythm. ∗ Rest—a measured interval of silence between tones. ∗ Phrase—a musical idea comparable to a sentence or a clause in language. May be complete or incomplete.
Steps of the Lesson 1 Set up purpose/goals On a white board or overhead, write the words: lyrics, accompaniment, beat. Ask the students to think about the three words as they listen to the recording of Rag Mop (CD 1 #7 or VAPA CD #13).
2 Engage students Have the students listen to the music again and perform the steady beat “pat clap” pattern described on page 12 (or see attachment), of their textbook. 3 Learning Sequence Read the directions aloud for the “rhythm game” on page 12 (or see attachment). Lead the class and work through the patterns. Do them first one by one, then perform them one after the other without stopping in between. (See suggestions on the top of page 13 or see attachment “When you perform…”) Read the second paragraph of page 13 (or see attachment) and then play Joe Turner Blues (CD 1 #8 or VAPA CD #14, #15). Ask the students to raise their hand during the rests. 4 Assessment The students should be able to demonstrate as a whole class that they can do the rhythms in the rhythm game and identify the rest parts of the songs played for them.
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Thoughts for the Teacher How are you making your purpose clear to the students? Ask the students, “What did you hear in the music?” Through your guided discussion, most of the students should be able to say: Silly words (lyrics). A steady beat and some background support music (accompaniment). How can I effectively get the students interested in the content of the lesson? The students will pat their laps on beats one and three and clap on beats two and four. What are the BIG idea(s) of your presentation? How will students understand/experience the material that you present? Make it clear to the students that rests in music are just as important as the notes. Joe Turner Blues is an example of how rests in music add to the style of the song.
How will you allow your students to deepen their understanding of content presented? (Reflect, revise, retell, refine, practice) As an extension to the lesson, you can play another version of Joe Turner Blues (CD 1 #9 or VAPA CD #14, #15). Ask the students to compare the two versions. Have the students write their own blues verses (see attachment).
H:\DATA\WORD\ARTS\LESSON\MUSIC\4th-1.doc REVISED 5-30-08
H:\DATA\WORD\ARTS\LESSON\MUSIC\4th-1.doc REVISED 5-30-08
H:\DATA\WORD\ARTS\LESSON\MUSIC\4th-1.doc REVISED 5-30-08
H:\DATA\WORD\ARTS\LESSON\MUSIC\4th-1.doc REVISED 5-30-08
