Teacher: Sandra (Sam) Alger

Teaching Context: Visual Art

Unit: Printing the Rhythm of Geometry, Lesson 2
Integrated objective
Students will use printmaking processes to create and notate musical rhythm in a
composition of segmented shapes.
Integrated assessment
Students will show understanding of both subjects by meeting the following final
assessment criteria:

Composition is arranged logically using the whole compositional space and

uses whole, half and quarter portions of the artists printed blocks.

Student will be able to explain how they used whole, half and quarter portions
to compose a rhythm of quarter, half and whole notes.

Student is able to perform/clap the rhythm they have created using quarter, half
and whole notes.

Visual Arts Standard(s):

RESPONDING: The synthesis of meaning, context, and process through
interaction with, and connection to the visual world.
2. Recognize and describe formal qualities and identify subject matter in the visual
world.
CREATING: The process of conceiving and developing new and/or personal
ideas through art making.
4. Explore and use select strategies in making art that draw upon observation,
memory, imagination, experimentation, or narrative.
5. Practice using formal qualities to approach art problems.
PRESENTING: The relating of personal artistic intent and choices through
reflections, thoughtful presentation and/or exhibition of personal work.
2. Reflect on criteria achieved, artistic process, formal qualities, artist exemplar, or
personal meaning in the completion of a work of art.
3. Use established criteria to evaluate completeness for presentation.

Music Standard(s):
Mus s1: Creativity & Composition: Develops and applies strategies to
generate and express a variety of musical ideas.
Mus s3: Applied Skills & Technical Development: Demonstrates skills and
strategies appropriate to music-making.

Mus s5: Reflection: Communicates an understanding of concepts and

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strategies through the evaluation of music.

I.B.1.a. Compose a sound piece using non-standard notation and explain rationale for
self-selected choices
II.B.2.b. Perform and identify simple and compound meter

Objective: Student will combine whole, half and quarter notes to compose a rhythm in
a duple meter.
Introductory Activities:
Explore creation of duple rhythms as a class. Simple review of quarter
notes, half notes and whole notes and the number of beats for each.
These are concepts that have been introduced in the music class.
Perform rhythms composed using teachers printed pieces in whole, half
and quarter segments from last class.

Check for understanding (formative assessment):

Student repeats a rhythm in whole, half and quarter notes in a duple rhythm.
Student improvises a rhythm in whole, half and quarter notes in a duple rhythm.
Student performs a rhythm arranged using visual segments with whole, quarter and
half notes.

Developmental Activities
Experiment with arranging personal shape segments printed and cut
last week into a variety of rhythm sequences.
Practice performing the rhythm of each arrangement.

Check for understanding:

Student arranges segments and whole pieces into sequences and practices accurate
performance.

Independent Learning Opportunities

Glue shape composition into chosen rhythm arrangement. Advanced
students may arrange them considering horizontal and vertical
placement to indicate the dynamics or the pitch.
Students perform possible rhythm compositions during the class
critique.

Summative Assessment:
Student photographs three possible rhythm compositions, adjusting each to improve
the musical and visual rhythms created.
Using Wixie, students photograph these three composition choices, and record sound
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of their rhythm performance for each, along with what they like or dislike about each.
Student marks their preferred choice with a sticker.

Teacher example with two different rhythm compositions:

Examples of how
pieces can be
manipulated as
student
experiments with
rhythms.