Introduction to Rhythm Sticks Unit Plan The following unit plan is directly related to the music section in the curriculum document The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum, Ministry of Education 2000. It is designed primarily for Levels One and Two. The Strands and Achievement Objectives are stated at the beginning of the unit and are referred to throughout. The unit is organised into six sections: Sections one, two, three and four are based on the Rhythm Sticks CD. The CD Teacher Notes support these sections. Sections five and six are designed for further skill development, in groups or as individuals, through the use of the Learning Centre, and the computer. The resources needed for the activities can be found under the Rhythm Sticks Home Page sections. Abbreviations used: PK Developing Practical Knowledge in Music Strand DI Developing Ideas in Music Strand CI Communicating and Interpreting Meaning in Music Strand UI Understanding Music In Context Strand LO1 Learning Outcome One Rhythm Sticks Unit Plan Topic: Rhythm and Instrument Sounds (Tone Colour) Level: Level 1 and 2 Strands: 1. Developing Practical Knowledge in Music (PK) 2. Developing Ideas in Music (DI) 3. Communicating and Interpreting Meaning in Music (CI) 4. Understanding Music In Context (UC) Achievement Objectives: 1. Students will explore and respond to the musical elements of beat, rhythm and tone colour (PK) 2. Students will select, organise sounds, express and invent ideas drawing on personal experience and imagination (DI) 3. Students will share music making with others (CI) 4. Students will identify that music is part of everyday life and that it serves a variety of purposes (UC)
Section One: Rhythm Sticks Resources: Rhythms Sticks CD, Song Charts, Percussion Instruments / Picture Charts * demonstrate listening skills by identifying and describing the sounds of various untuned percussion instruments (PK)(LO1) * demonstrate playing the beat using body percussion and untuned percussion (PK) (LO2) * demonstrate playing rhythmic patterns to accompany a song (PK)(LO3) Activity 1: `Match the Sound (track 1) A variety of instruments will be played. Children put their hands on their knees when they can match the sound with the instrument or picture. What is the instrument called? Look at name cards. What does it sound like? How is it played? [Students can look up the Instruments Section on the Rhythm Sticks site and match the instrument sounds to the pictures.] Activity 2: `Copy the Sound (track 2) Place instruments, in front of each child or children can take turns. Children identify the instrument they hear and play (or clap) the pattern using the specific instruments. Take turns at echoing. What is the instrument called? Use name cards. Activity 3: `Rhythm Sticks Song 1 (track 3) Listen, clap the beat and sing the song. Activity 4: `Rhythm Sticks Song 2 (track 4) Play or clap in the instrumental parts.
Section Two: Sing And Play Resources: Rhythms Sticks CD, Song Charts, Percussion Instruments / Picture Charts * demonstrate listening skills by organising and describing the sound of percussion instruments made from different materials (PK) (LO7) development by echoing 4 beat rhythmic patterns (PK) (LO4) * demonstrate playing the beat using body percussion and untuned percussion (PK) (LO2) * demonstrate playing rhythmic patterns to accompany a song (PK) (LO3) Activity 1: `Group the Sounds (track 5) Listen to the instrument sounds on the CD. Children group the instruments into three groups - wood sounds, metal sounds & skin sounds. How are the sounds of the instruments different? What are the instruments called? Look at the name cards. [Students can look up the Instrument Section on the site.] Activity 2: `Copy the Rhythm (track 6) Children can use instruments or clap. Listen to the rhythms played on the rhythm sticks & then copy the pattern. Activity 3:`Sing And Play Song 1 (track 7) Listen, clap the beat and sing the song. Activity 4:`Sing And Play Song 2 (track 8) Play or clap the parts.
Section Three: Walk Walk Running Running Resources: Rhythms Sticks CD, Song Charts, Percussion Instruments, Symbols Flashcards, Rhythm Flashcards * demonstrate feelings for beat and rhythmic patterns through moving and singing in time with a song (PK) (LO5) development by playing rhythm patterns to accompany songs (PK) (LO3) development by creating their own rhythmic patterns and improvising (PK)(DI) (LO8) * demonstrate music reading skills by creating and interpreting symbols to represent rhythmic patterns (PK)(DI)(CI) (LO9) Activity 1: `Walk Running Song 1 (track 9) Stand, listen and join in with the actions that are stated in the song. Clear movement should be given to the chorus: walk (one step to the beat: crotchets) and running (two steps to the beat: quavers) Activity 2: `Walk Running Song 2 (track 10) Sing through the song this time and clap the chorus part: walk walk running running. Repeat using percussion instruments. Activity 3: `Walk Running Rhythms (track 11) Children can share examples of walk running patterns by clapping or using instruments. Activity 4: `Walk Running Symbols (track 12) Using children s ideas and the symbol flashcards, visually represent patterns.
Section Four: Rhythmic Fun Resources: Rhythms Sticks CD, Song Charts, Percussion Instruments / Instrument Picture Charts, Rhythm Flashcards development by creating their own rhythmic patterns (PK)(DI) (LO8) * demonstrate skills in reading conventional music notation for rhythm (PK)(DI) (LO6) * demonstrate feelings for beat and rhythmic patterns through moving and singing in time with a song (PK) (LO5) development by creating rhythmic patterns and improvising over an underlying beat (DI) (LO10) * demonstrate confidence in creative music making with the intention to share it with others (DI)(CI)(UC) (LO 11) Activity 1: `Walk Running Symbols (track 12) Revisit the walk running patterns from Section 3. Children can create their own patterns or play the patterns from the rhythm flashcards. Activity 2: `Oma Rakau (track 13) Listen to and sing the song. Clap the beat to the song. Pass one rhythm stick around the circle in time with the beat of the music. Activity 3: `Oma Rakau Improvisation (track 14) During the song the singing will stop. The person with the rhythm stick moves into the middle of the circle and plays their own rhythms using the instruments provided. A friend could be chosen to take turns at call and answer rhythms.
Section Five: More Rhythm Sticks Activities Resources: Symbol and Rhythm Flashcards (including minims), Activity Sheets: `Fill In The Missing Notes, Creating Your Own Rhythms, `Creating Your Own Group Music, and Percussion Instruments * demonstrate skills in reading and writing conventional music notation for rhythm (PK) (DI) (LO6) development by creating and writing their own rhythmic patterns, using conventional music notation for rhythm (PK) (DI) (UC) (LO12) Activity 1: `Rhythm Flashcards Children are to play rhythms, individually or together, by following the flashcards. These rhythms include minim, crotchet and quaver notes. Body percussion, instruments or found sounds can be used. Activity 2: `Filling In The Missing Notes Using the sheets provided, children can complete rhythms by filling in either quavers or crotchets in the spaces. These rhythms can then be played individually or part of a group. Activity 3: `Creating Your Own Rhythms Using the sheets provided, children can create their own rhythms using quavers or crotchets so that others can also read and play them. (Further rhythms could be written using minims as well as crotchets and quavers.)
Section Six: Even More Rhythm Sticks Activities Resources: `Creating Your Own Group Music Chart, Percussion Instruments etc. * demonstrate confidence in creative music making with the intention to share it with others (DI) (CI) (UC) (LO 11) Activity 1:`Creating Your Own Group Music In a group, children share each others ideas relating to the activities they have been doing. For example children can use instruments to play rhythms and create actions or dance moves to go with the rhythms. Poems and words can also accompany the other ideas. Children can share their work with others in the class. Activity 2: `Performing Children can practice any of the music they have been doing and perform it to others during class sharing time, assemblies or other concert times.