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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!
Wreck it Rhythm! (Level 2 - Whole and Half Notes)
By Jason Litt
Based on the new movie, Wreck it Ralph, a new Disney/Pixar Movie coming out in November about a video game character, Wreck-it Ralph, who has been doing the same job for 30 years... Which is basically wrecking a building into pieces with his fists. Wreck-it Rhythm is a music game where you’re going to get to destroy a fictitious dilapidated 29th street beat building Ralph is fueled by Rhythm, and the class is the one to give it to him... Read a variety of rhythms on the screen below in a variety of different ways... Everyone will receive a pair of lummi sticks and when you see the rhythm, you will play that rhythm on the correct area (H, M, K) If the entire class plays the rhythm correctly, you will start destroying those bricks! (just advance the powerpoint) For quarter and eighths, have the students click together the rhythm sticks normally, but for wholes I have them hit it, swing it back, and swing it up (and count to 4 at the same time). For halves, I have them hit it normally but rebound from the sticks and say "SLO - MO" (half note duration). You can find neat ways for them to count these whole notes and half notes too! Gets the kids REALLY engaged! They try to get the highest score! Put some 8-bit music on with a MM = 120 or less Enjoy!
By Jason Litt
A brand new approach to the Recorder System! I use original and simple compositions for this one which I use this with my 3rd graders. We start off simple and get into more technical things along the way -- scaffolding made simple!. I find it's more beneficial than just teaching them 3 or 4 notes as I like to cultivate them a little more by discovering new notes, rhythms, and phrases. This includes 12 original songs for all of your students and have fingering charts and tips and hints included on every slide! After you download this Powerpoint, please email me at jasonlitt@gmail.com and I will send you mp3 accompaniment files for all of the pieces (so you don't have to play along on the piano, and you can concentrate on assessing) :)
By Jason Litt
The #1 selling "Identify Form in Pop Music!" has multiple follow versions! In addition to the Original Version, you can download Part TWO (2014), Part THREE (2015), Part FOUR (2017), Part FIVE (2018) Part SIX (2019) and Part SEVEN (2021) below:
Identify Form in Pop Music PART TWO
Identify Form in Pop Music PART THREE
Identify Form in Pop Music PART FOUR
Identify Form in Pop Music PART FIVE
Identify Form in Pop Music PART SIX
Identify Form in Pop Music PART SEVEN
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Kids love their pop music, right? Want to integrate it into your classroom? This is great lesson to do with 4th and 5th graders that lets them listen to their favorite pop music while learning about musical form!
The lesson begins with a video introduction to form and then talks about elements of pop music and how it ascribes to a specific form. We talk about the intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and outro in detail, and then go onto our activity.
I cut out cards -- 1 intro, 3 verses, 3 choruses, 1 bridge, and 1 outro (or you can do it with a whiteboard/marker, or even as a unison class response) and give them to each student, then have have the kids sit on the floor. I then play an mp3 of a song which has 10 second clips of each of the sections (there is about a 2 second gap in between each clip and all clips are safe for little ears -- no profanity!) and have the students identify them by spelling them out on the floor in front of them
A great compromise to having your kids listen to their music and still satisfy a 4th and 5th grade standard in identifying the structure of music!
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at jasonlitt@gmail.com
Have fun, kids LOVE this!
By Jason Litt
Five jamming Boomwhacker arrangements for your classroom! Each Boomwhacker is assigned an 8 beat rhythm, most different than others. This gives kids opportunities to reinforce their own rhythms while playing in an ensemble. If you want to explore a different method, you can split half of the class on one rhythm, and the other half on a different. You could play them in a round, canon, explore different dynamics, loop it -- the possibilities are endless! And with 5 different compositions, you'll have the freedom to explore without getting tired of the same arrangement. This can also be used with non-pitched and even pitched percussion. Included is a 5 minute African drum groove to get your kids going. Have fun -- here comes the boom!
By Jason Litt
For your printouts and powerpoints, this pack of notation has everything -- Wholes, Halves, Quarters, Eighths, and Sixteenths. The notation is vectorized and transparent, so it will fit alongside any background in powerpoint There are word files with notation templates included as well, if you'd like to print multiple of one note You can use these to make flash cards, rhythm building, and much more!
By Jason Litt
This is a competitive pitch matching name in powerpoint format. The learning goal is for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students to name pitches as fast as they can. We usually play this game 'around the world' style. We start off on the left side or right side of the the room and the first two people stand up and you flash a note on the screen. The student who gets the note correct 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.
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! We start off the first lesson (level 1) with a brief overview of rhythm from Quaver's Marvelous World of Music, and then head right into rhythm mixup. 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"! Level 2, goes into quarter rests and the students will have to place it appropriately (hint: it's never at the beginning or end of the phrase!) :) Students identify rhythms upon hearing them and use their aural skills to dictate where each rhythm is placed. Make sure to play these several times, especially for the younger ones so they can check their work! Designed in Powerpoint 2007, all animations and transitions should work on machines that support it. A file is included for instructions on how to install fonts. If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact me. Have fun!
By Jason Litt
Working on melodic direction in your unit? Reinforce it with "Connect the Dots!", a mix and match game that challenges your students to put the melodies in the correct order as you hear them. After starting off with a brief introduction to writing a melody from Quaver Music (video included), you begin the lesson and discuss melodic motion -- melodies can go up, down, or stay the same. For the activity, there will be 10 musical examples (provided and labeled) which you will play for your students. Each example has 3 or 4 melody tiles which are out of order. After listening to the example, your students have to put the tiles in order to reflect what they hear on the example. The first slide of the series will have blank grey boxes, and the following slide will have the answer for the students to check. For my 3rd graders, I usually play them a few times, but for my 5th graders they get it right on the spot! There a few ways to have the students answer -- they can come to the whiteboard and us a dry erase to indicate, they can put labeled cards on the floor, or they can use personal whiteboards to draw on. Or you can have it boys vs. girls, and make it a timed race! Included are a powerpoint file (with special fonts and instructions for installation) and a standalone PDF in case you prefer that way. Have a great time with this, and feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns!
Mystery Word! - Student Printables
By Jason Litt
Working on the lines of the treble clef staff? Here's a fun way to have your students use their knowledge and solve a puzzle with Mystery Word! The Mystery Word package includes 50 challenging words and/or phrases that are spelled using the musical letters (A,B,C,D,E,F, and G) of the treble clef staff. Blank letter boxes are below the note on the staff for the students to fill in. Some words and phrases are easy, but some get pretty difficult! Included are three files: The teacher version, a PDF file with 50 pages in PDF format to use as a class activity. The student version, a PDF file you can print out with 25 pages, 2 puzzles to each page you can individual give to students. (If printed out and copied back-to-back, it only runs 13 pages per booklet) The answer key (just in case a substitute teacher needs it) ;) You can use this as a warmup to your lesson, or a lesson in itself -- it makes a great substitute teacher plan as well! It gets kids to critically think about the lines of the staff to fill in the blanks... my kids love it as it's fun and challenging. Would love to hear feedback how it's working in your classrooms. Any questions, you know where to find me. Have fun!
By Jason Litt
Based off the hit Windows 3.11 game we all knew and loved, Rhythm Sweeper is a progressive game where one slip can end you up on the dreaded mine! This will have your kids reading and mastering rhythms in NO TIME! Students will see a grid of 40 squares on the home page. Each square contains either a link to a rhythm.... or a mine :) I select one student at a time to pick a number. I'll then click on the number and it'll advance to the designated slide. If it's a rhythm, we add that rhythm to the Building Board on the home page. The teacher will click "Back to Game and Building Board" and put the rhythm they just received on the board. As for the rhythms they earned, you can cut out rhythms, write them in dry erase, or have a student keep tabs on the side. Students will now say, sing, or play the rhythm back. Then we repeat! See how it gets progressive? ;) ...until the mine! There are 5 mines in each game, and once the mine is hit, it's GAME OVER! At the end, you can tally up how many beats the class amassed (which is great if you can allow student to add it up as the game has half, quarter, and pairs of eighth notes). Compete against other classes, or themselves! There are 10 files in the pack and each one is completely different (all the rhythms are mixed up and of course, so are the mines) Have fun with this! I keep lively music in the background and have the kids on lummi sticks to play the rhythms back. Let me know if you have any questions by leaving a comment!
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!
By Jason Litt
*** UPDATED: Revised the powerpoint and added Treble Clef to all slides! *** The lines and spaces of the staff have never been more competitive! A new form of a Jeopardy, the follow-up from the "Instrument Jeopardy" is NOTATION Jeopardy! An authentic jeopardy game board with categories for Treble Clef Notation Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 on the title slide. Students can elect to pick $200, $400, $600, $800, or $1000 answers. After clicking on the amount, the answer (a clue relating to the word) will appear on the next slide. Level 1 starts out easy with 3 to 4 letter words, but as we progress into Level 4, the words get a little more trickier -- along with the skips and steps between the lines and spaces! After the money is awarded (You can split sides of your class, boys vs girls, class vs class, however you want it!), there is a link in the bottom right hand corner to go back to the title screen and game board. Email me at jasonlitt@gmail.com or leave a comment if you have any questions. Happy Jeopardy...ing!
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!
By Jason Litt
Reviewing ALL notation with your kids? Letter names? Durations? Rests? The follow up to the original "Notation Jeopardy!" is Notation Jeopardy 2.0... (16). Well, happy new year, right? ;) All new categories, all new answers! An authentic jeopardy game board with categories for: Spell it out! (Spelling words with treble clef notation) Add it up! (Adding notation values up to arrive at an answer) Give it a rest! (Questions about rests, rest names, and durations) Duration nation (Identify duration of notes) Students can elect to pick $200, $400, $600, $800, or $1000 answers. After clicking on the amount, the answer will appear on the next slide. A text answer will first be visible, but if you advance the animation, the clue will enter the slide (when applicable). Students (keeping in true Jeopardy! fashion) can answer in the form of a question "What is 2 beats?" "What is a whole rest?" "What is FACE" After the money is awarded (You can split sides of your class, boys vs girls, class vs class, however you want it!), there is a link in the bottom right hand corner to go back to the title screen and game board. After extracting the ZIP file, make sure to install the Jeopardy! font included, or else you'll see random characters all over -- not good eats! Email me at jasonlitt@gmail.com or leave a comment if you have any questions. Happy Jeopardy...ing!
By Jason Litt
Learning the notes of the treble clef staff couldn't be more fun... and exhausting! In Presto Pitches - Rally Race, students are to stand behind a line in the music room (designated by the teacher). The teacher will control the powerpoint and advance the slide where a note "letter" will appear (A, C, Line E, Space F, etc) The student will be equipped with a laminated and magnetized cut out circle (you can make this yourself or they can use a dry erase marker, or some other implement) and race to the board to place the circle on the correct line or space that reflects the answer After their answer is locked in, the teacher advances the slide and the correct answer is shown. The team which answers first remains, and the team who answers second will have to pass off their circle to the next team member. Who wins first?! Ultra competitive! You can split it up boys vs girls, team 1 vs team 2, colors vs colors, however you wish! As the teacher, you can have them use any material, a "dot", "circle", "x", or simple note that's printed out. It just has to stick to the projection screen or whiteboard :) All up to you! Enjoy Presto Pitches - Rally Race, and if you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them!
By Jason Litt
Oh, the kids and this game. Well, might as well learn something? I cut out construction paper squares of the following colors: Purple, Blue, Yellow, Grey, Red, Orange, and Pink A FORTNITE character (or characters) are shown on the screen along with different rhythms in different colored boxes. Which colored box of rhythms goes with the character on the screen? Line up the syllables and find out! I mix it up by putting students into teams of 2 and letting them work through the activity or you can have them play individually by themselves. Or maybe even a race to the board to see which one is right (all you have to do is advance the slide and the answer will appear!) There are 9 different examples of rhythms. The kids will LOVE seeing Fortnite up in your room (and don't worry, this is ALL family friendly, no mentions of violence or weapons in here) :) HAVE FUN!
By Jason Litt
The ultimate Boys vs Girls competition! If you're working on notes of the treble clef staff, this is a fun way for kids to competitively spell them out. First, we made a boys side (on the left of the screen) and girls side on the (on the right). A word will appear and the students have 10 seconds to spell the word out (there is a timer attached to the powerpoint and it will count down as soon as the slide appears). This games works best on a whiteboard that has magnetic backing as I print out notes and have the kids race as fast as they can to put them on. After the kids lock in their answer, the next slide reveals the notes. For notes that have F's and E's, the answer key has both top line, top space notes -- those F's and E's both count! :) Some are easy (CAB, DAB, DAD), some get a little tricky (BECCA, CABBAGE, DECADE) and so on. Towards the end they repeat, and feel free to edit and make your own! Have fun with this and if you have any questions, let me know!
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!
Meant to Be - Play Along Percussion (Drumming/Bucket Drumming)
By Jason Litt
Need to connect with your kids with their pop music through general music? Involve them in play along percussion with tubanos, djembes, tambourines, and more with "Meant to Be" by Bebe Rexha and Florida-Georgia Line! There are three all-color coded slides along with the form identifiers listed next to each phrase (and the answer key in the first slide, just in case you wanted to tie this into an Identify Form in Pop Music lesson) :) Discuss form with the students and teach them (by rote) the rhythms on the powerpoint with the corresponding repeats (most are repeated 4, 6, or 8 times). Then, apply it to drums, tambourines, and hand claps! This is an all rote notation powerpoint and most are quarter and two eighth rhythms. There is one two sixteenth-eighth passage in a few of the slides to give the kids a little more challenge at a slow tempo. Your metronome marking for this piece is around 74BPM to the quarter note. Here's the track so you can play along... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOP5HrIkTrA Have a terrific time!