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Body Percussion Dynamic Challenge! (4 beat patterns)
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 Dynamic Challenge"!
There are nearly 30 Dynamic rhythm in each level with CLAPS, PATS , STOMPS, and SNAPS, and CHEST PATS, all indicated on the powerpoint slide with icons. Count your kids off with a few prep beats and watch them go!
If the kids master the rhythm with the appropriate dynamics, advance the slide and see how far they can get! (scoreboard included!)
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 (or choose your own)!
Here are the 4 levels:
Automotive Rhythms (Printable Worksheet)
By Jason Litt
Think your kids know rhythms? Challenge them with matching familiar car/truck and auto verbiage in the form of Automotive Rhythms, a printable worksheet for your students!
There are four rhythms that line the sheet (variations of quarter and eighth note pairs) along with terminology on the side. Which automotive phrase (part, brand, accessory, etc) matches the rhythm? Simply identify and ask the students to write it down, easy as ordering flooring it down the autobon!
BoomBox (25 sight reading patterns for BEGINNING Boomwhackers!)
By Jason Litt
In BoomBox, students will see a series of 8 to 12 boxes with corresponding boomwhacker colors filled in each box. When played, the teacher will count off the students to read down the Boomwhacker boxes from left to right, line by line.
Teachers can use a laser pointer, point with a cursor, or even have kids read by themselves from the beginning to the end.
In this resource, there are 3 levels
There are twenty five (25) exercises meant to get your kids booming right along! Included in this resource are the powerpoint, PDF, and percussive background tracks from MM 90 - MM 120.
Enjoy!
One "Minor" Imposter ("Among Us" theme chord quality identification)
By Jason Litt
A game that will keep your students entertained, engaged, and competitively charged with identifying chord quality, here's One "Minor" Imposter inspired by "Among Us"!
___________________________________
IN ONE MINOR IMPOSTER, YOU WILL LISTEN TO 2, 3, 4 EVEN 5 CREWMATES PLAY MAJOR CHORDS ONE BY ONE. ONE OF THE MAJOR CHORDS IS ACTUALLY NOT THE MAJOR CHORD PERFORMED!
YOUR TASK IS TO DECIDE WHICH CREWMATE IS THE IMPOSTER BY SELECTING THE CREWMATE WHO PLAYED THE MINOR CHORD INSTEAD OF THE MAJOR CHORD
HERE WILL BE ONLY ONE CREWMATE WHO IS THE IMPOSTER
____________________________
In each example is a piano/guitar/harpsichord mix with different background percussion tempos to keep the kids engaged. Each crewmate, lined up on the powerpoint (1, 2, 3, etc) will be representative of the musical example played.
Included in this resource are
Have a terrific time with this while your kids study chord quality!
Solfege Imposter ("Among Us" themed solfege lesson!)
By Jason Litt
A game that will keep your kids entertained, engaged, and competitively charged, here's SOLFEGE IMPOSTER inspired by "Among Us"**!
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_IN SOLFEGE IMPOSTER, YOU WILL SEE MULTIPLE CREWMATES ASSIGNED WITH DIFFERENT SOLFEGE HAND SIGNS.
_
_YOUR TASK IS TO DECIDE WHICH CREWMATE IS THE IMPOSTER BY SELECTING THE CREWMATE WHO IS HOLDING UP THE WRONG HAND SIGN
THERE WILL BE ONLY ONE CREWMATE WHO IS THE IMPOSTER?
_________________________________________
_
Included in this resource are
Have a terrific time with this while your kids study and reinforce solfege!
HAPPY FEET! (Fast, Slow, and Moderate expressive movement)
By Jason Litt
A great way to work on expressive movement with your kids is through HAPPY FEET!
In this lesson, students will hear a 4 minute and 32 second compilation of classical music, Edvard Grieg, John Philip Sousa, Dmitri Shostakovich, and more! Each piece will be played for a segment of time and while being played students will mimic the tempo by showing expressive body movement
Of course, as the music teacher you can tailor this however you like, but with social distancing in our classroom at this juncture, the motions are preferable the way they are built :)
In between each segment there may be a slight pause which students will "freeze" in time. Keep the kids' attention by saying if they moving during the silence, they're OUT! ;)
Have a great time and perform this however you wish!
Rhythm Lineup 2.0, great for Aural Theory (* Distance Learning Approved! *)
By Jason Litt
Quarter and Eighth Note pairs are the foundational elements of elementary music -- let's work on our aural skills with **Rhythm Lineup 2.0!
**Students will have a baggie of cards (or alternatively they can write them down on a whiteboard or make their own cards) and hear a rhythm played. They will have to use their cards and place the cards down on the floor in the order that they are heard.
After the example is played, I usually give them another listen to 'check their work' or go back and fill in the missing gaps. Then on the next powerpoint slide, the answer appears one beat by one beat. Check your answer and celebrate if you got it correct!
Can be applied for distance learning as well! Kids can just use sticky notes and write down three eighth note pairs and 4 quarter note pairs and play along!
Included are 10 examples with brass and woodwind instruments. Have a great time!
By Jason Litt
The all-encompassing Solfege mastermix!
Solfege Back-to-Basics includes 55 separate solfege etudes which range from 3 to 6 solfege syllables all arranged colorfully on a 5-lined staff!
Below each exercise has highlight syllable names so your students can focus on the syllables that will be displayed on the screen
Sing along with this ear training exercise, accompany the students on piano, or just perform it acapella!
There are 7 levels included in this powerpoint from 3 solfege syllables all the way to 7
If you have any questions, leave them in the comments -- ENJOY!
To Tell the Truth! (* Distance Learning Approved! *)
By Jason Litt
Can your kids tell the difference between what rhythm is shown and what rhythm is played? Test it out with To Tell the Truth!
Students will see a rhythm on the screen and then a rhythm will be played. Does the rhythm played match the rhythm on the powerpoint? Students will use popsicle sticks (or whiteboard or can do it individually at the screen) to show their answers and the answer will then appear on the screen as you advance in the powerpoint - True or **False!**8 musical examples are included with 4 beat all the way to 7 beat patterns of Quarter and 2 paired Eighth Note rhythms.
By Jason Litt
Looking for a fun and perhaps challenging warmup for your Boomwhackers? Included are 18 8-beat warmups you can do with your Boomwhackin' kids!
All you do is count from the beginning and kids follow right along. You can do the top line and bottom line back to back or you can split it up however you choose. Included are 3 background tracks ranging from 80bpm to 114bpm to accompany your kids -- or you could play along with them, play the piano, or even drum yourself.
There's also a template at the end just in case you want to make your own warmups as well -- fully editable!
Have a great time and let me know if you have any questions :)
Instrument Pick-em (* Distance Learning Approved! *)
By Jason Litt
Reviewing the families of instruments with your kids? In Instrument Pick-em, students will hear a musical example of a woodwind, brass, percussion, or string instrument. They will then see a multiple choice listing of an assortment of instruments. They will then have to decide which instrument on the screen best matches the example being played.
Great for class, boy vs girl, individually assigned, or even for Distance Learning!
Have a great time with this and let us know how it goes in the comments :)
Eyes on Rhythm (*Distance Learning approved!*)
By Jason Litt
Working with identifying rhythms and want a little challenge? In "Eyes on Rhythm", a rhythm example will be played and multiple rhythms will be shown on the screen. Students will then select the rhythm they think best sounds like the rhythm being played. The correct rhythm will be shown on the next slide!
This is terrific for distance learning as it is self paced and also has "point values" assigned to each rhythm. With 9 rhythm examples in the lesson, the first ones start quite easy with a few beats, but gradually increase in difficulty and tempo throughout.
Use in class or at home!
Eyes on Rhythm (*Distance Learning approved!*)
By Jason Litt
Working with identifying rhythms and want a little challenge? In "Eyes on Rhythm", a rhythm example will be played and multiple rhythms will be shown on the screen. Students will then select the rhythm they think best sounds like the rhythm being played. The correct rhythm will be shown on the next slide!
This is terrific for distance learning as it is self paced and also has "point values" assigned to each rhythm. With 9 rhythm examples in the lesson, the first ones start quite easy with a few beats, but gradually increase in difficulty and tempo throughout.
Use in class or at home!
By Jason Litt
Ready to talk about Forte and Piano in any of your grades? Boom it up, Dynamically! will get your kids reading dynamics like a pro!
First, we start off with an introduction to Forte and Piano with a clip from Music K8's animated series (included in the zip file), and then get into the game:
Students are issued boomwhackers (all colors!) and dynamics are shown on the screen. Sometimes just 4 dynamics, sometimes 6, and even up to 8. The teacher points to the dynamic (optional) as the kids play along on their boomwhackers while the background music (included) helps them keep on beat! After the students master the dynamics, the teacher advances the slide and dynamic shifts get a little harder each time.
There are 9 rounds to challenge your kids over a course of 2 lessons, 4 lessons, or however long you wish
Round 1 - 4 Beats
Round 2 - 6 Beats
Round 3 - 8 Beats
Round 4 - With Quarter Rests in 4 Beat Patterns
Round 5 - With Quarter Rests in 6 Beat Patterns
Round 6 - Two Part Split (C,E,G + D, F, A, B)
Round 7 - Two Part Split 6 Beat Patterns
Round 8 - Two Part Split 8 Beat Patterns
Round 9 - Three Part Split
Three tracks at various tempi are included (slow for the little kids, and medium and fast for the bigger kids)
Have a ton of fun with this and let me know what you think!
By Jason Litt
Are you as hungry as I am? Let's eat! Identify rhythms in proper nouns with this fun activity. Students will see a food (or foods!) and their corresponding word (or words!) and given two plates on each slide. Have the students identify the syllables in the food and match it to either rhythm on plate number 1 or plate number 2. After kids lock in their answer, advance the slide and reveal the answer! Most are eighth and quarter note rhythms, but some have eighth note triplets and 4 sixteenths group in the examples You can also play it as an assessment and have kids work individual or in teams. There's a powerpoint and PDF included in this package and there are 13 sets of foods go through and can last up to 30-45 minutes depending on what pace you go in the activity. Have a great time and of course, BON APPETITE!
By Jason Litt
The smell of fall is in the air and that can only mean one thing -- COLLEGE FOOTBALL! Identify rhythms in proper nouns with this fun activity. Students will see a college football team and their corresponding mascot and given a set of blank beats that go with their team. Have the students identify the syllables in the team name and match it to rhythm! Most are eighth and quarter note rhythms, but some have eighth note triplets in there. For a competitive activity, I have kids all have a bag of cards and lay them on the floor and have tap lights for when they are ready to answer. I typically give 7 points for a touchdown if the kids get it correct before anyone else -- or you can award the first three kids who get it right, or however you wish. You can also play it as an assessment and have kids work individual or in teams There's a powerpoint and PDF included in this package. You have 20 teams to go through and can last up to 30-45 minutes depending on what pace you go in the activity. Have a great time and GO.... anyone know which my team is? ;)
Boom Along Songs for Boomwhackers
By Jason Litt
Simple simple songs for your primary classes in Boom Along Songs! This powerpoint is pretty much start slideshow AND GO! Animations have been previously set so the teacher advances the slide and the arrows indicate which note to be played. No more pointing to the screen and reaching across the projector -- it will automatically do it for you as you advance the slide! Best part -- take it at your own tempo. It's like the old sing-a-long songs... pretty much fool proof! Enjoy these arrangements of This Old Man Go Tell Aunt Rhodie Mary Had a Little Lamb Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Ode to Joy Have fun!
Boom Oops Boom! (Poison Rhythm/Poison Pattern)
By Jason Litt
One of the favorite end-of-the-year (or even beginning-of-the-year) activities for the kids to get them sight reading and of course, keeping their eyes and ears out for one of those DEADLY Poison Rhythms/Poison Patterns! Boom Oops Boom! takes students through 78 slides and 5 levels of Boomwhacker sight reading. Students will play a variety of rhythms as the teacher scrolls through the slides. Each slide contains one rhythm they will play and after advancing to the next slide, you can elect to give them a 4 beat or 2 beat prep to read the next rhythm, whichever works for you. The less prep they have, the better because... there will be one rhythm (the poison rhythm, poison pattern, or OOPS! rhythm as we'll call it) that students DO NOT play! If they do, they're out of the game. Students learn the rhythm before the round is played. Be careful or you will be ELIMINATED! You can play this in teams, colors, chords, however you wish! There are 5 background grooves that go from 80 bpm to 120 bpm to challenge your kids as they go through the levels. Levels begin with 4 beat rhythms and end with 6 beat rhythms with rests, quarter notes, and 2 eighth note patterns. Have a great time with this!
By Jason Litt
So you've taught your kids their three basic solfege syllables (Sol, La, and Mi) and looking for a way to identify the pitches in an interactive game... look no further!
In Solfege Drag 'n Drop, students are challenged to identify Sol, La, and Mi in a series of musical examples. A static example of quarter notes (in groups of 4, 5, or 6) are placed on the "Sol" line, and then the example is played. Students will have to take the pen from the IWB to drag the remaining notes to reflect what was heard in the musical example. It can be dragged above to the "La" line, remain on the "Sol" line, or dragged below to the "Mi" line. After locking in their answer, the teacher will advance to the next slide to reveal their answer.
Although designed for an IWB, students can play on personal dry erase boards, on staff paper, or however you wish. You can even split the class up boys vs girls, team 1 vs team 2, etc, and have a race to identify the correct answer first.
There are 15 examples in the powerpoint ranging from beginner (4 quarter notes) to advanced (6 quarter notes). All examples are MM=100 or below
If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below! Happy Solfeging!
Who am I -- Identifying Music Terminology!
By Jason Litt
Was that Presto or Largo? Staccato or Tenuto? Forte or Piano? Use "Who am I" to reinforce the music terminology you've been working on in your class! After a brief review, 6 musical examples will be played with all examples ascribing to either Presto or Largo, Staccato or Tenuto, and Forte or Piano. Students can do this in a variety of ways: -- On whiteboards and dry erase markers -- Through collaborative grouping or partner activity (using pre-cut cards as an idea -- On a SMARTboard or brightlink -- As a race (maybe boys vs girls, side A vs side B) After the example is played, you can advance the slide in the powerpoint to reveal the answer! If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to leave a comment in the Q&A or email me at jasonlitt@gmail.com!