In Four Square, students will see 4 squares (A, B, C, and D) with a rhythm displayed inside the quarter and then listen to a short musical example of rhythm. The students will then have to decide which square best represents the rhythm heard.

You can elect to play it once, twice, or as many times as you need so your students get a good feel of the activity. After all the students have chosen their answer, advance the slide and reveal the answer (illuminated in green!)

When students get to the 12th example, they will be required to "re-order" the rhythms based on the square that they heard in order (A,B,C,D, D,C,A,B, C,A,D,B, etc)

You can have students write it down, play it team A vs team B, boys vs girls, or individually as an assessment, or even assign it as distance learning!

There are 19 examples with quarter notes, half notes, quarter rests, and eighth note pairs

Have a great time with this!

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, whohas 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) 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!

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!)

• I usually put a 2-3 minute song on and see if they can get the highest score before the end of the song and track it for next time

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:

• Level 1 - Piano and Forte
• Level 2 - Adding in Quarter Rests
• Level 3 - Crescendo
• Level 4 - Diminuendo

RHYTHM FOUR CORNERS!

· To play Four Corners, ensure all students understand quarter notes, eighth note pairs, half notes, and quarter rests.

· Number each side of the room 1, 2, 3, and 4 (or alternatively, color code it green, blue, red, or purple with floor tape)

· They will hear a 9 second timer. Students will have a chance to walk to one of four corners and stay there for the duration of the round.

· On the next slide, the rhythms will appear in each corner and you will play back one of four the rhythms (provided on the Teacher Guide powerpoint). You can use that or you can play a rhythm of your choice (up to you!)

· The students will have to guess which rhythm the teacher played by showing it with their fingers (1, 2, 3, or 4)

· The teacher then reveals to the students which rhythm it was (#1, #2, #3 or #4) and the students who are in that corner are OUT!

· Keep repeating until no kids are left!

Included are 18 examples (you can switch it up each time and do different rhythms each time), the teacher guide, the 9 second timer embedded in the powerpoint file, and instructions

In Own the Beat or Take a Seat the teacher will play a four to eight beat rhythm (as displayed on the powerpoint). After teaching them the rhythm, the entire class will perform the rhythm back in unison

Then, the teacher will ask the class to repeat the rhythm a certain amount of times (1 time, 2 times, 4 times, etc)

What do students have to do? OWN THAT BEAT...!

• Students will perform the rhythm on rhythm sticks, drums, Orff instruments, their hands, their laps, however you do it!

• Students will have to focus on performing that rhythm exactly how it is written

• ... and of course, focus on repeating the rhythm for the EXACT many times as stated ... or else...

TAKE A SEAT! If a student plays an extra beat or an extra part of the rhythm after the class has ended playing it, they have to take a seat (either on the floor, in the circle, on their chair, however you want to do it)

The class will then repeat the rhythm again the amount of times listed until it is played without an extra beat or part of the rhythm. The ones who took a seat are allowed to stand back up again and join the game already in progress

...Then you go to the next level!

Play the rhythm 5 times....
Play the rhythm 6 times...

_Play the rhythm 7 times....
_
(but of course if there's an extra beat... that student takes a seat, and you go back to performing where you left off to get that student back in!)

THEN ONTO THE NEXT LEVEL

Dependent on how fluent your class is, you can use this as part of a lesson, a good chunk of it, or even continue it onto the next weeks lesson to see how good they really are (and what level they can get to)

Play it with a ten minute time and keep score of which class can get the highest by the 3rd week or the 4th week?

Possibilities are endless!

Play it as is or some background music (I like to throw on some 80s, 90s, or clean pop just to get a groove going). Enjoy this game

The purpose of Rhythm War is to learn, understand, and identify rhythms upon seeing them!

Everyone will receive approximately 10 rhythm cards (printed and cut by the teacher, all rhythms included in separate quarter note, half note, whole note, fermata, and whole rest PDF documents!). Students will be then put into groups of 3, 4, or 5, scattered throughout the room around hula hoops.

Each student will sit around the hula hoop and the inside of the hula hoop will be the “playing area”. Students will count down “1-2-HIT!” and the students will take the top card from their stack of cards and put it in the middle ring.

Just like the game “WAR”, whoever has the HIGHEST NOTE VALUE, gets to collect everyone’s cards…

The students who run out of cards is out, and the students at the end who have the most win rhythm war

In 2nd Grade, we start learning about high and low notes and how they are represented in notation by being placed on the staff.

In stick it to the staff, we have students all sit on the floor with a pair of lummi sticks and sight read rhythms based on where they are put on the staff.

If they see a quarter note on the "E" line, they will click their stick above their head, if they see a quarter note on the bottom "F" line, they will hit their sticks on the ground.

This is a video game format, and includes 10 levels of sight reading rhythms (about 100 different rhythms!) starting out with basic quarter notes, adding in eighth notes, half notes, quarter rests, and rounding out with dynamics.

The class is awarded 50 points (you'll see the HI SCORE image embedded in the powerpoint) each time an example is playing correctly in unison. A fun and competitive way for your younger kids to practice sight reading rhythms!

I usually put a background track on (about 90-110bpm) so the kids can play along :)

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me!