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