Subject: Music

#3402. Rhythmic Pattern and Expressive Movement

Music, level: Kindergarten
Posted Mon Feb 21 20:49:31 PST 2005 by Megs Webb (megs_118@yahoo.com).
Marshall University, Huntington, WV
Materials Required: Printouts of the song Row Row Row Your Boat
Activity Time: 10-15 minutes
Concepts Taught: Imitating an Easy Rhythmic Pattern and Expressive Movement


Daily Lesson Plan:
Elementary Classroom Music


Grade/Class: Kindergarten

Concept/Concepts: Imitating an Easy Rhythmic Pattern and Expressive Movement

Rationale: I want the children to understand the concept of rhythmic pattern associated with expressive movement from the song Row, Row, Row, Your Boat.

Goals and Objectives:

1. Instructional Goals: To teach the concept and understanding of imitating rhythmic patterns and expressive movement

2. Objectives/Outcomes: Students will be able to effectively imitate a repeated rhythmic pattern and expressive movement to the song.

3. WVCSO:
Performing Objectives:
GM.K.1.5 Imitate an easy rhythmic pattern.
GM.K.1.7 Move expressively to music.


Strategies/Procedures:

Lesson Intro: Before any student in either group makes a sound using hands, have the entire class repeat the commands of the rhythmic pattern below in unison. Then, direct each group on cue, when to perform their rhythmic pattern.
Smack, Smack, Smack, Clap, Snap

(Watch Out! It's a tongue twister!)

Development:

1. Divide the class into two large groups
2. Group #1 and #2 will listen and repeat this rhythmic pattern: smack, smack, smack (on the desk), clap (with hands), and snap (with fingers).
3. Allow students to practice this pattern for a few moments. Then perform first part of the song. Have students stop after the fourth measure.
4. Now, try the rhythmic pattern with the words (while the teacher hums the melody) for the first four measures of the song.
5. Once students have successfully completed step #4, for fun, add a body wave in measures 3 and 4 (". . ...Gently down the Stream").
6. Allow students to continue to practice the rhythmic pattern, words, and movements up to measure 4.
7. Tell the students to listen as you sing the rest of the song. Make them repeat it once or twice until they memorize the words (If have enough time, have the entire class just sing the words to the song omitting the rhythmic pattern and movement).
8. Allow the students to choose an individual movement or a series of movements to express his or her interpretation of the song from measure 5 to the end (. . .merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream).
9. Once every child has found a unique way to express his or herself through movement, direct the entire group to sing and perform the rhythmic pattern and movement sections of the song. Practice until you feel that the students understand!

Reinforcement:
See if the students can effectively perform the song with minor direction from the teacher of what to do and when to do it.

Note: Most children should be able to remember the words to this song because it is repetitious in both the words and the melody.

Closure: If possible, let the children perform this song for either their peers or parents.


Assessment:

Materials: None

Procedures for Assessment:

1. Listen to make sure that all of the children are imitating the correct rhythmic pattern on cue.
2. Watch to make sure that all of the children are performing the movement and the expressive movement sections correctly and on cue.
3. Listen and watch the students sing. Make sure that they understand the concepts of this lesson plan. You can assess the students learning by observing the class while performing the song.
4. If have enough time, divide the class up and let the students perform the song to their peers in the class.

Extra Time: Divide students into small groups to see if they can make their own (1) rhythmic pattern for measures 1-2 or (2) movement for measures 3-4.

Materials:

Recordings: None Track: None

Instruments: None

Resources:
• Integrating Music Into the Elementary Classroom by Anderson Lawrence
• Individual Printouts: Words to the Song: Row Row Row Your Boat (page 66)

Other: None


Modifications for Diverse Learners:

• Hearing Challenged Student: Make sure that the child was sitting close enough to the front to see the directions. If possible, allow another student to assist the student with the rhythmic pattern. If the child is able to read, give them a hard copy of the words of the song to sing.

• Physically Challenged: The student should be able to perform and understand this entire lesson with out assistance from others. The child can do an upper body wave when the other students do the full body wave.


• Visually Challenged: The child should be able to perform and understand this entire lesson with very little assistance from others. If the student did not understand the rhythmic pattern or movement from my verbal directions, I would physically take their hands and do it with them.

• Gifted Student: Definitely allow the child to perform for others. If the child excels faster than the other students, have the child assist others in the class that might be having difficulty.


• Mentally Challenged: If the child is having difficulty multi tasking in this song, have them just focus on one thing at a time. Make it fun, everyone messes up!
If possible, have the gifted student help the mentally challenged student. Both might just learn more!

WVCSO:
Performing Objectives:
GM.K.1.5 Imitate an easy rhythmic pattern.
GM.K.1.7 Move expressively to music.