Steps for Learning - Activity One: Keeping the Beat

The purpose of this activity is to introduce students to reading and notating music.

1. Because you will be teaching meters where the quarter note is the constant begin by teaching the quarter note as the steady unit. First, establish a steady beat by clapping. You can use any classroom percussion instruments that are available such as drums, maracas, tambourines, triangles, etc. or you can use student made instruments such as coffee cans for drums, plastic eggs filled with rice, sand, or beans as shakers, two sticks to hit together, etc. Have the students use their voices on syllables like “toot” or “pop” to say in rhythm.

2. Show the class a large graphic of 4 quarter notes in a row. As the children play a steady even beat point to each quarter note.

3. Next, show a graphic of 4 quarter notes with two half notes above. Explain that the half note equals 2 quarter notes. Demonstrate by clapping and chanting “half note, half note, etc”

4. Then divide the class into two groups. Have one group keep a steady even beat and the other group play half notes.

5. The next note you will teach is the dotted half note. Explain to the students that the “dot” adds and an extra beat so this note has three beats. Count aloud “1-2-3” with a heavy emphasis on “1”. Have the children only play on that beat. Then, divide that class and have some of them play quarter notes, some play half notes, some play the dotted half note.

6. Move on to the whole note, teach that it has four beats. Follow the same procedure as described above.

7. The final step is to make an orchestra. Create an assortment of notes on small Index cards featuring an assortment of quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes, and whole notes. Give each student an index card. Ask the students to sort themselves into groups of same note values.

Appoint a constructor who will set the "beat" with the quarter note group. Then have the conductor point to another group. Have the conductor cut groups off and then bring them back ion for a layered rhythmic effect. After the activity is finished ask the students if they were able to hear the layers of rhythm.