3rd Grade Music Composition Lesson
Minecraft Theme (TRAP Remix) - RHYTHM BASKETBALL!
By Jason Litt
RHYTHM BASKETBALL is in with a tune that's sure to get your bouncing right along -- a trap remix of the theme from MINECRAFT!
There are two all-color coded slides along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase. Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats
For this, your students will each have a basketball (can be regulation size or smaller) and bounce their ball on the ground each time they see a basketball icon. Each basketball icon is denoted as a quarter note. The rests are in between each ball for the students to hold the ball.
There's also a "pat" icon with a hand below the basketball icon itself, so you will have the student hold the basketball in one hand and pat the ball on the beat
Here's the track so you can play along...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL4i9FKuiEA
Have fun with this and let us know how it goes!
Wellerman (TikTok) REMIX - RHYTHM BASKETBALL!
By Jason Litt
RHYTHM BASKETBALL is in with a tune that's sure to get your kids singing and bouncing right along dwith the smash hit "The Wellerman - TRAP Remix"
There are three all-color coded slides along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase. Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 4 times).
For this, your students will each have a basketball (can be regulation size or smaller) and bounce their ball on the ground each time they see a basketball icon. Each basketball icon is denoted as a quarter note. The rests are in between each ball for the students to hold the ball.
There's also a "pat" icon with a hand below the basketball icon itself, so you will have the student hold the basketball in one hand and pat the ball on the beat
Here's the track so you can play along...
Rhythm Color Lineup (an active listening rhythm game!)
By Jason Litt
In Rhythm Color Lineup, students all receive a baggie of six cards (you can just cut out Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Purple cards from construction paper) to use to decipher the rhythm being played.
They will then listen to a musical example of a rhythm with notes shown on their colored cards (although their cards will be blank, but be representative of the rhythm)...but they’re not in the right order!
The students will then line up your colors from left to right as you hear the rhythm being played, and check your answer afterward by advancing the slide!
All slides include the embedded sound file in it (with 8 beats of prep before the rhythm example) and you get 10 examples to illustrate for your kids
Have a colorful time with this one!
WRITE THE ROOM - NFL Notation Edition!
By Jason Litt
The newest sensation, "Write the Room" has an athletic twist to surely get your 4th and 5th grade boys engaged too as we present to you an NFL Notation version of the popular game!
In Write the Room, students will all receive a sheet of paper with 9 answer boxes with an NFL logo representing each box. There will be 9 sheets (placed strategically around the room by you!) that students will have to find and write the rhythm down that accompanies that logo. Once all 9 answers are completed, they will show to you to verify that all rhythms are correct!
To play:
- Print the "Write the Room" NFL master file to 5 sheets and cut along the dotted lines. Place these anywhere you wish around the room (and of course, the level of difficulty of where to place it is COMPLETELY up to you!)
- Print a class set of the "Write the Room" NFL Student Answer sheets (it's okay if it's not in color, it can be in black and white or grayscale, the students will know the teams by heart!)
- Make sure everyone has something to write with it and... GO!
Play some music in the background and have the kids roam around the room as fast as they can. Neatness counts! :D
How do you find a winner? Up to you! Top 3, Top 5, best handwriting, fastest pair, fastest group, up to you!
Have a great time with this!
Drum Background Tracks - 24 loop tracks at various tempo!
By Jason Litt
Get your class on beat! Included are 24 background tracks with ethnic flair -- tablas, bongos, electric kits, and drum sets for your kids to jam with. The 24 tracks vary from 95 bpm all the way to 125 bpm (there are 6 different tracks with 4 different tempo)
Want a sneak peak? Give the preview a sample of some of the tracks!
I use these in my class for Orff, Boomwhacker, Rhythm Sticks, Dancing, Movement, or singing activities. The tracks go for about 1 minute each, but you can manipulate a longer track by having it stay on repeat for as long as you wish
Have fun!
**75% OFF!** Rhythm Latitudes (A RHYTHM CHALLENGE Game!)
By Jason Litt
***75% OFF FOR ONE WEEK ONLY!***
9.9.22 to 9.18.22!
Inspired from the MyRhythm App, here's a fun game you can play with some of your older kids to help reinforce rhythms, independence, steady beat, and more!
In Rhythm Latitudes, students will see two rectangles stacked on top of each other. In each rectangle (now known as a beat), there are two circles inside (denoted as eighth notes).
Top Rectangle
· If the first circle is illuminated green on the top rectangle, the students will play using their LEFT HAND either an instrument (maybe a tambourine, drum, rhythm stick, whatever you wish) or their hand to pat their lap
· If two circles are illuminated green on the top rectangle, the students will play using their LEFT HAND either an instrument (maybe a tambourine, drum, rhythm stick, whatever you wish) or their hand to pat their lap like two eighth notes
Bottom Rectangle
· If the first circle is illuminated green on the bottom rectangle, the students will play using their RIGHT HAND either an instrument (maybe a tambourine, drum, rhythm stick, whatever you wish) or their hand to pat their lap
· If two circles are illuminated green on the bottom rectangle, the students will play using their RIGHT HAND either an instrument (maybe a tambourine, drum, rhythm stick, whatever you wish) or their hand to pat their lap like two eighth notes
You will receive 4 levels of mastery with this (4 beats, 6 beats, offbeats, and rests) and accompanying mp3 groove background tracks (or you can play it with some of your favorite pop music).
Procedure:
· Teach the first pages of Left Hand rhythms on top, Right Hand rhythms on bottom
· Review included practice rhythms
· Then count off the kids and go!
· If they master it, move onto the next slide until completed (or until time runs out)
MUSIC ESCAPE ROOM - Notes of the Treble Clef Staff!
By Jason Litt
Looking for a fun, exciting, challenging, and engaging way to reach students in your upper elementary or lower middle school grades? Try this all-inclusive lesson that will get your kids racing against the clock and each other with The Great Escape!
In “THE GREAT ESCAPE”, students will be given a specific amount of time to perform tasks successfully (as designed by the teacher). Each one of these tasks is a musical task and the theme for this escape room are the notes of the treble clef staff.
There are five rooms, and in each room are several "tasks" students will have to perform (either individually, as a class, A vs B, side by side, or however you wish). As soon as the task is completed, advance the slide for the correct answer (the teacher will control the game).
After a certain number of tasks, a key will be issued to exit the room and head into another room with a different set of tasks.
The five rooms and tasks are as follows:
- Room One: The Office (Name one note on the staff)
- Room Two: The Laboratory (Name two notes on the staff)
- Room Three: The Library (Spell out the word)
- Room Four: The Lounge (Pick the correct note to match the letter)
- Room Five: The Foyer (Pick the correct tile to match the word)
If students complete all tasks and open the door to all five rooms they win the game!
You can play this one of four ways
- Set a timer (5 minutes, 10 minutes, etc). You can designate how long students should receive to complete the entire game
- Keep track of time to beat another class or grade level
- Keep track of time and try again during another class to name it faster
- Play it side vs side, boys vs girls, and see who can get to the end the fastest (or before time ends)
If you would like music to accompany this to make it a bit more engaging, try using this in the background:
Escape Room Background Music
Have a terrific time with this and let us know how it goes!
Body Percussion Warmups (40 exercises!)
By Jason Litt
No need to have drums, recorders, or even auxiliary instruments for this one! If you don't have access, are traveling to rooms, or want to give a change to your curriculum try "Body Percussion Warmups"!
There are 10 warmups in each level with CLAPS, SNAPS, STOMPS, and SNAPS, all indicated on the powerpoint slide. Count your kids off with a few prep beats and watch them go!
Also terrific for reading in some of the younger grades who are not familiar with standard notation and need a warmup to reading using these icons.
Use the included background tracks (90bpm to 110bpm) or put on your favorite music so the kids can jam along!
Here are the 4 levels:
- Level 1 - Quarter Note Rhythms
- Level 2 - Quarter and Eighth Note Rhythms
- Level 3 - Adding in Quarter Rests
- Level 4 - Six Beat Rhythms (with Quarters, Eighths, and Quarter Rests)
Boomwhacker WHACKY PACK (8 resources of arrangements/games/songs/warmups)
By Jason Litt
Looking for a load of Boomwhacker resources for your percussion kids? Look no further to keep all of your kids engaged through this semester and next!
In this WHACKY PACK, you will receive 8 resources of the most popular Boomwhacker themed lessons on Mr. Litt's Music Room TeachShare at a 15% discount when bought all together here...
- Here Comes the Boom (5 compositions)
- Here Comes the Boom AGAIN (5 follow-up compositions)
- BOOM -- it's a MYSTERY (Name that Tune with Boomwhackers)
- Boomin' Whackin' fun ain't Lackin (10 original compositions for boomwhackers)
- Boom along Songs (simple compositions for primary kids)
- Boom Oops Boom! (poison pattern/poison rhythm game)
- Boom it up Dynamically (working with forte and piano)
- Boomwhacker Warmups (18 8-beat warmups)
Rhythm Mixup 2.0 - Give it a Rest (* Distance Learning Approved! *)
By Jason Litt
Working on aural theory with your kids? With "Rhythm Mixup" students shuffle up notecards with quarter notes, 2-beamed eighth notes, half notes, and quarter rests to reflect the musical example being played!
Students will lay out their notation cards (you can either print these out or have the students draw them on a whiteboard, etc), and then a musical example will be played. Students will have to put the notes in the order that they hear the music example -- hence, the "mixup"!
Uptown Funk - BUCKET DRUMMING!
By Jason Litt
Need to connect with your kids with their pop music through general music? Involve them in bucket drumming with Uptown Funk!
Although the previous shows 2, there are 6 color coded sections in "Sticktown Funk". Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 4 times). Then, apply it to drums!
All regular notation is to be played on the buckets (or drums, or ground, however you wish), and the X notation (with a down stem) are played as stick clicks above their head.
The CLEAN version of uptown funk (and we mean CLEAN!) :) is here for your resource for you to download or play in the background
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p5Clbtmd8M
Have fun with this and let us know how it goes!
___________________________________________________
Looking for more Bucket Drumming Resources? Check out the library below!
[Geometry Dash] DJVI, Back on Track - BUCKET DRUMMING!
[Geometry Dash] Stereo Madness, Forever Bound - BUCKET DRUMMING!
What Makes You Beautiful, One Direction - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Blank Space, Taylor Swift - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Man in the Mirror, Michael Jackson - BUCKET DRUMMING!
*EARTH DAY!* Heal the World, Michael Jackson - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Bad Day, Daniel Powter - BUCKET DRUMMING!
The Lion Sleeps Tonight (mp3 included!) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Follow You (2021), Imagine Dragons - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Sweet Child O' Mine, Guns n' Roses - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Sweet Home Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd - BUCKET DRUMMING!
22, Taylor Swift - BUCKET DRUMMING!
The Sign, Ace of Base - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Leave Me Alone, Michael Jackson - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Theme from "Top Gun" - BUCKET DRUMMING!
A Thousand Miles, Vanessa Carlton - BUCKET DRUMMING!
The Greatest Show, (from The Greatest Showman) - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Augie's Great Municipal Band, Star Wars Ep. I (John Williams) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
The Raiders March (Raiders of the Lost Ark, John Williams) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Motownphilly, Boyz II Men - BUCKET DRUMMING! (mp3 included!)
Save Your Tears, The Weeknd - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Tetris Theme (Trap Remix) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Coffin Dance Meme [Mp3 Included!] - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Build Me Up Buttercup, The Foundations - BUCKET DRUMMING!
WandaVision Ep. 3 Intro/Title Sequence - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Conga, Gloria Estefan - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Believer, Imagine Dragons - BEGINNING BUCKET DRUMMING!
Blinding Lights, The Weeknd - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Shut up and Dance with Me, Walk the Moon - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Mood, 24kGoldn (**CLEAN**) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Rolling in the Deep, Adele - BUCKET DRUMMING!
The Black Pearl (from Pirates of the Caribbean) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
The Final Countdown, Europe - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Theme from "Ghostbusters" - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Circle of Life, Elton John (from "The Lion King") - BUCKET DRUMMING!
24k Magic, Bruno Mars (**CLEAN**) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Theme from "The Mandalorian" - BEGINNER BUCKET DRUMMING!
Girls just wanna have Fun, Cyndi Lauper - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Surfin' USA, Beach Boys - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Be True to your School, Beach Boys Cover - BUCKET DRUMMING!
We Will Rock You, Queen - CUSTOM BUCKET DRUMMING ARRANGEMENT!
Hotline Bling, Drake - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Theme from "The Mandalorian" - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Levitating (**CLEAN**), Dua Lipa ft DaBaby - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Into to Unknown, Panic! at the Disco (from "Frozen II") - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Sunflower, Post Malone/Swae-Lee (from Spiderman) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Penny Lane, The Beatles - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Up on the Housetop, Pentatonix (PTX) - CHRISTMAS BUCKET DRUMMING!
Last Christmas, WHAM - CHRISTMAS BUCKET DRUMMING!
Have a Holly Jolly Christmas, Burl Ives - CHRISTMAS BUCKET DRUMMING!
All I Want For Christmas is You, Mariah Carey - CHRISTMAS BUCKET DRUMMING!
Feliz Navidad, Jose Feliciano - CHRISTMAS BUCKET DRUMMING!
Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, Brenda Lee - CHRISTMAS BUCKET DRUMMING!
Santa Claus is Comin' to Town, Mariah Carey - CHRISTMAS BUCKET DRUMMING!
Underneath the Tree, Kelly Clarkson - CHRISTMAS BUCKET DRUMMING!
You're the One That I Want, Grease - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Theme from the Munsters - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Les Toreadors (from Carmen Suite), Bizet - BUCKET DRUMMING!
I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles), The Proclaimers - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Heart Attack, Demi Lovato - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Wrecking Ball, Miley Cyrus - BUCKET DRUMMING!
We are Young, Fun ft. Janelle Monae - BUCKET DRUMMING!
We Go Together, Grease - BUCKET DRUMMING!
The Thunderer, John Philip Sousa - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Break My Heart, Dua Lipa - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Watermelon Sugar, Harry Styles - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Savage Love (CLEAN), Jason Derulo, ft. Jawsh 685 - BUCKET DRUMMING!
OK Not To Be OK, Marshmello ft. Demi Lovato - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Thriller, Michael Jackson - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Baby Shark, PINGFONG - SEMI-ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
This is Halloween, The Nightmare Before Christmas - BUCKET DRUMMING!
We're Not Gonna Take It, Twisted Sister - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Beat it, Michael Jackson - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Jump, Van Halen - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Theme from Gravity Falls - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Light Calvary Overture, F. von Suppe - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Never Gonna Give You Up, Rick Astley - BUCKET DRUMMING!
I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Whitney Houston - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Party Rock Anthem (*CLEAN*) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Turn the Beat Around, Gloria Estefan - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Bye Bye Bye *NSync - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away, Toy Story 4 - BUCKET DRUMMING
We Belong Together, Toy Story 3 - BUCKET DRUMMING!
It's the Hard Knock Life, Annie - BUCKET DRUMMING!
It's Gonna Be Me, *NSync - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Footloose, Kenny Loggins - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Celebration, Kool and the Gang - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Livin on a Prayer, Bon Jovi - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Don't Start Now, Dua Lipa - BUCKET DRUMMING!
I Gotta Feeling, Black Eyed Peas - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Dynamite, BTS - BUCKET DRUMMING!
BANG! (Clean version), AJR - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Friend Like Me (Will Smith), Aladdin - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Prince Ali (Will Smith), Aladdin - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
YMCA, The Village People - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Stereo Hearts, Gym Class Heroes - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Africa, Toto - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Dance Monkey, Tones and I - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Stronger, Kelly Clarkson - BUCKET DRUMMING!
U Can't Touch This, MC Hammer - BUCKET DRUMMING!
You're Welcome, Dwayne Johnson (MOANA) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
I Love Rock 'n Roll, Joan Jett - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Don't Stop Believin', Journey - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Remember Me (Ernesto De La Cruz), Coco - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Theme from Superman, John Williams - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Hey Soul Sister, Train - BUCKET DRUMMING!
When Can I See You Again, Owl City (Wreck it Ralph) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Pirates of the Caribbean (He's a Pirate) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Try Everything, Shakira (Zootopia) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Cantina Band, Star Wars - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Eye of the Tiger, Survivor (Rocky III) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
William Tell Overture, Rossini - SUPER ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
The Imperial March, Star Wars - BUCKET DRUMMING!
We're all in this Together, High School Musical - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Billie Jean, Michael Jackson - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Stars and Stripes Forever, Sousa - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Stitches, Shawn Mendes - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Beautiful People, Ed Sheeran - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Brave, Sara Bareilles - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Roar, Katy Perry - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Kids in an Adult World, Hello Sister - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Best Day of My Life, American Authors - BUCKET DRUMMING!
I Want You Back, Jackson Five - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Centuries, Fall Out Boy - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Wizards in Winter, Trans Siberian Orchestra - BUCKET DRUMMING!
ME, Taylor Swift - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Good Time, Owl City ft. Carly Rae Jepsen - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Firework, Katy Perry - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
If I Can't Have You, Shawn Mendes (CLEAN) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Never Really Over, Katy Perry - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Sucker, Jonas Brothers - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Girls Like You, Maroon 5 (CLEAN) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Havana, Camilla Cabello (CLEAN) - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Happy, Pharrell Williams - BUCKET DRUMMING!
This is Me, The Greatest Showman - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Party in the USA, Miley Cyrus - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Bad Romance, Lady Gaga - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Treasure, Bruno Mars - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Gangnam Style, PSY - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Life is a Highway (2018), ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Grenade, Bruno Mars - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
I Knew You Were Trouble, Taylor Swift - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
How Far I'll Go, Moana - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Natural, Imagine Dragons - BUCKET DRUMMING!
High Hopes, Panic! at the Disco - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Smooth Criminal, Michael Jackson - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Bad Blood, Taylor Swift - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Animals, Maroon 5 - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Radioactive, Imagine Dragons - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Dynamite, Taio Cruz - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Shake it Off, Taylor Swift - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Grenade, Bruno Mars - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Fight Song, Rachel Platten - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
ABC, Jackson Five - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Feel it Still, Portugal. The Man - ADVANCED BUCKET DRUMMING!
Thunder, Imagine Dragons - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Can't Stop the Feeling, Justin Timberlake - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Believer, Imagine Dragons - BUCKET DRUMMING!
Uptown Funk (CLEAN), Mark Ronson - BUCKET DRUMMING!
By Jason Litt
A fun activity to play with kids of all ages! Check out these Italian names and guess whether it’s a PASTA or a COMPOSER! See how many you get right! Some of these are quite tricky while others are pretty obvious :)
By Jason Litt
We got notes, yes we do, missing notes, all the way through! This is terrific on reinforcing aural training in the upper elementary students. Students are to listen to a short phrase of music made up of 5-9 beats. The music will be displayed on the powerpoint with several beats missing. Their job? Fill them in! I cut out paired eighths, quarters, and half notes and allow them to build them out on the floor and see if they can dictate what I'm playing. Only difference between regular dictation is there are a few cheaters in... but as we go through the examples (10 included), more beats disappear. Fill 'em in! If you have any questions or comments, you know where to leave 'em! Enjoy!
By Jason Litt
TIME to identify rhythms! A clock will appear with rhythms attached to the times of the clock. You will play a short 4 to 6 beat musical example for the kids, and they will have to identify which rhythm (or which time on the clock!) matches the example being played. 10 examples (including sound files, a powerpoint and a PDF) outlining pairs of Eighths, Quarter notes, Half notes, and Quarter Rests are included in this engaging lesson your kids. You can play it as a class, boys vs girls, or individually -- up to you! Have fun and if you have any questions or comments, leave 'em below! :)
Jumbie Jam Mania! (Steel Drum Compositions)
By Jason Litt
*** Accompaniment files INCLUDED! *** Have a steel drum/jumbie jam ensemble or just starting one? Give a look at these original compositions for steel drums in "Steel Drum Mania!" Included are 5 original songs all around 1.5-2 minutes long. The Steel drums are all unison (works great if you have 1 octave Jumbie Jams, which they were originally written for!) Each song has sheet music which can be taught by rote along with accompaniment mp3s of various tempi. 2 of the songs are beginner, 1 is intermediate, and the last one, quite advanced. All songs are written to reflect landmarks in Winter Springs, Florida, a suburb of Orlando. These can also be used for any C instrument, so if you dare venture onto an Orff instrument or Recorder, it'll work as well ;) Have a great time!
By Jason Litt
Shaun the Sheep hits theaters this summer, and there's no better way to work on Solfege than "Sol Mi Sheep - Level One!". In Sol Mi Sheep, Shaun the Sheep, the Lambs, and the Farmer, help the kids identify where the Sol, Mi, and La lines are on the staff in a game format. Characters are placed on different solfege levels and students will sing back the solfege syllables as they see them. If the class masters the solfege example, the slide will advance and the high score will continue to elevate. Each character has an independent rhythm -- Shaun is a quarter note, the lambs are a pair of eighth notes, and the farmer is a quarter rest. The way I construct the lesson is I have all classes participate and record the highest score at the end of the lesson. I run this exercise about 2 or 3 minutes (it helps if you have a percussive background track running around 90-110 bpm) and let the students keep adding to their score. You'll notice that the more the activity progresses, the solfege examples become more lengthy and difficult. I keep track of the scores on a different powerpoint so the kids can see how they're progressing AND how they match up against other classes in their grade. Trust me, it gets pretty competitive! :) Included are instructions and the game in PDF and powerpoint format. All steps are a 2nd, so no La to Mi skips... yet ;) If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Happy Sol Mi La-ing!
By Jason Litt
Learning the values of quarter and eighth notes are a good solid foundation to start off, but when it gets to rests, understanding a beat of silence is a little different! In "Give it a Rest!" students are introduced to the quarter rest, which is a note, but a note of silence. They watch "Give it a Rest!" from Music K-8 and then are given an activity -- try to decipher where the rest occurs in a musical example. The students will be told how many beats are in the example and then a four beat percussive introduction is played. Students will be asked to dictate the quarter notes AND quarter rests in the musical example. The teacher can play this again for reinforcement (but for kids in upper grades, playing it only ONCE can be a challenge!). There are 12 examples, each one getting a little more difficult than the last! You can run this activity in many ways: - Student can write on whiteboards with dry erase markers - Pairs of students can team up in a race to spell it out - Use as a whiteboard/smartboard/IWB activity - Print out cards of quarter notes and rests and have them line it up on the floor - Any other way you find creative! Enjoy this with your class and as always, if you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!
By Jason Litt
Connect math skills into music with MatheMusician! This 120 page Powerpoint (converted into PDF) tests your students on how well they know the durations of basic notation -- whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes. After a brief review, students will see a slide with note values added, subtracted, divided, or multiplied together. They have to use their previous knowledge of notation duration and connect the math together to figure out the answer. I use this in a tournament format with my class. We start off on the left side or right side of the the room and the first two kids stand up as you flash the slide on the projector. The student who gets the correct answer first gets to move onto the next child in the class while the other student sits. That student has to make their way through the entire class before being deemed champion... but they could be beat at ANY TIME! You can mix it up, left side, right side, boys/girls, etc. Kids get ultra competitive, especially in 5th grade. An alternate printout for students is available without the answer key, just in case you'd like to add it to their workbook. Two slides come on each page. Email me at jasonlitt@gmail.com with your request and I'll be happy to oblige! If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment. Get your brain in gear!
Angry Birds Theme - BUCKET DRUMMING!
By Jason Litt
Need to connect with your kids with their video game music through general music? Involve them in bucket drumming with the Theme from Angry Birds
There is one color coded slide along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase. Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 4). Then, apply it to drums!
All regular notation is to be played on the buckets (or drums, or ground, however you wish), and the X notation (with a down stem) are played as stick clicks above their head (or you could apply it to a tambourine or other auxiliary instrument)
This is a great resource for your beginning bucket drummers as it's only one page long with a lot of repeated passages and rudimentary rhythms!
Here's the track so you can play along...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DehK\_Y0TUbE
Have fun with this and let us know how it goes!
Terms of Use:
All images/photos/clip art in this resource were created by me.
__________________________________
*** Looking for more BUCKET DRUMMING resources? *** Find them here!
The "Big Kid" Rhythm Bundle (Grades 3-6) **30% OFF!**
By Jason Litt
Included in these rhythm bundle are 25 resources that you can utilize in grades 3-6. Games, dictation, worksheets, races, and more are in this bundle as the resources discuss longer rhythmic patterns, sixteenth notes, triplets, and long durations of rests.
Definitely a semester filler in here, terrific for reinforcing your 2nd half of the year with some of your upper grades, and with 30% off when bundled together, it's a sale you can't beat!