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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Drum

For Teachers K
Students complete a variety of activities related to the folktale from India, "The Drum." They listen to the story and answer comprehension questions, construct a coffee can drum, and complete a phonics and matching worksheet.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Rhythm to Teach Patterns and Directions

For Teachers K - 4th
Introduce young learners to line dancing. Here are some simple movement patterns to teach them. First teach, repeat, and repeat again without music. Then when they have a pretty good grasp of the movement patterns, add music and practice...
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Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

The Birth of an Icon: Learning and Performing the Origins of the Drum Set and Early Jazz Drumming in New Orleans, Louisiana

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Bass drum, snare drum, tom-toms, cymbals. Perched behind their drum sets, wielding their drum sticks and wire brushes, drummers lay the grove and are the heartbeat of a band's performance. A dynamic lesson introduces young musicians to...
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Lesson Plan
Education Closet

Equal Rhythms

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Engage young mathematicians in learning about fractions with this cross-curricular math and music lesson. After listening to and repeating different beat patterns, children realize that musical notes are just another way of representing...
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Lesson Plan
August House

The Drum

For Teachers Pre-K - K Standards
Take a journey to India with a read aloud of The Drum: A Folktale from India by Rob Cleveland. Make connections to the story's theme by building and practicing drums, role playing story characters, and practicing skills in phonics, math,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beyond the AB Pattern in Dance

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students demonstrate various patterns using dance. In this expressive arts lesson, students are led in a warm-up to demonstrate the AAB pattern, which includes spinning and jumping. Students are broken up into groups and perform several...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Describing Drum Beats in Native American Music

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars analyze the drum patterns and changing styles of the music and dance for the Native American song and dance "Owl Dance." They listen to a recording of "Owl Dance," discuss the cultural context of the song, and perform the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

You're a Pattern and I Know It

For Teachers K
Students listen to Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, then identify the patterns.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Transferring Rhythmic Patterns From Music to Movement

For Teachers K - 5th
Students identify and demonstrate movement elements in relation to musical notation. They clap to rhythms, beat on drums, match musical notes to speech patterns and use the rhythms of the their names to create a dance.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Drumming - Repetition of Patterns

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
Young scholars are introduced to basic patterns used in African drumming. They listen to examples of drumming by Kundidzora Azim, participate in chants and repeat demonstrated rhythms as a class.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Polyrhythmic Drumming Styles: Japan and Brazil

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore cyclic patterns in drumming style. In this multicultural music lesson, students listen to and compare Taiko and Samba drumming styles and complete a compare/contrast worksheet.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It Keeps Going & Going &...

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students extend linear and directional patterns, identify patterns in classroom and community environments, create original patterns incorporating the senses of sight and sound, and operate video and recording equipment.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

AT THE CORRAL

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study dotted eighth/sixteenth note rhythm pattern using percussion instruments and alternating from "corral to corral" in groups of 4-6. They play the pattern while listening to selected American western theme songs.
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Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

African American Music: Let’s Sing and Play Clapping Games

For Teachers K - 2nd
Two lessons focus on making a beat. Using popular African American music of its time, scholars listen and analyze the rhythm then recreate it with hands drums, and cups. 
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Lesson Plan
Classics for Kids

"Mars" from The Planets

For Teachers 5th - 6th Standards
Gustav Holst's The Planets provide young musicians an opportunity to examine how composers can create a suite: a collection of smaller pieces grouped to explore a single topic. After listening to "Jupiter," they examine "Mars" in detail,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning Different Rhythmic Patterns

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders observe and demonstrate different rhythmic patterns including combinations of quarter and rest notes. They discuss how rhythm is created by using quarter and rest notes, clap to a rhythmic pattern, write a rhythm, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kodaly Beat Lesson

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Introduce rhythmic beat and melodic beat with a upbeat activity that asks young musicians to clap the beat to their favorite nursery rhyme. To introduce the rest beat, class members use small drums or other percussion instruments to play...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hispanic Rhythmic Patterns and Drums

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students imitate rhythmic patterns created by the teacher or taken from the drum performance of "Oshossi." They study and perform some of the layered and interlocking rhythms of the drum ensembles of Brazil, Haiti, Cuba, Suriname, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock Till You Drop!

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students study rhythmic patterns and phrases on percussion instruments. They form a drum circle and take turns playing the beat. After listening to styles of rhythms, students compare styles of music. They compose a short piece of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rhythm and Nature

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders listen to song "Listen to the Water," discuss nature sounds and importance of water to life, perform quarter and eighth notes from notation, play instruments in rhythm patterns of quarter and eighth notes, and write rhythm...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native American Music and Dance Activity

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students demonstrate keeping steady beat through practice exercises and stepping to the beat using instruments such as conga drums, tambourines and rhythm sticks.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Musical Patterns

For Teachers K
Students use musical instruments to create simple patterns. They, in pairs, come to the front of the classroom and create a pattern.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Music

For Teachers K
Students create auditory musical patterns. In this patterns lesson, students create a pattern using their hands, feet, dancing, and snapping their fingers.  Students use a recorder to recreate a pattern.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native American Song and Dance

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine the importance of the drum and drumming in the cultural context of the Native American. Musical insturments and native dance is employed to support the focus of the lesson.