Unit Plan Outline

Teacher: Fabiola M. Méndez

Unit Title: Percussion Instruments
Grade: Second grade
Number of Classes: 4

MA Frameworks:
3.1 Play independently with accurate intonation, steady tempo, rhythmic
accuracy, appropriate technique, and correct posture
3.4 Echo and perform easy rhythmic, melodic, and chordal patterns accurately
and independently on rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic classroom instruments
3.6 Perform independent instrumental parts while other students sing or play
contrasting parts
5.1 Perceive, describe, and respond to basic elements of music, including beat,
tempo, rhythm, meter, pitch, melody, texture, dynamics, harmony, and form
5.2 Listen to and describe aural examples of music of various styles, genres,
cultural and historical periods, identifying expressive qualities, instrumentation,
and cultural and/or geographic context

National Standards: (Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting)

• Creating: Imagine, Present
• Performing: Rehearse
• Responding: Analyze
• Connecting

Rationale:
This unit will reinforce the Singing Games Unit covered last month. Students will
be introduced to different rhythmic patterns. These will be played on percussion
instruments, which will later help them understand notation.

Essential Questions:
What does the percussion instrument do in the band?
Can you mention some percussion instruments?
What styles of music, that you know, use percussion?

Enduring Understanding:
Students will learn how to play several percussion instruments, such as:
xylophones, drums, hand drums, and claves.
Students will develop rhythmic pattern ideas that will be used as a percussive
accompaniment for different songs they know.

Behavioral Objectives:
Students will distinguish the sound of percussion instruments.
Students will understand the basics of percussion instruments.
Students will recognize rhythmic patterns played by the teacher and/or musical
examples.
Students will create their own rhythmic pattern and play it on a percussion
instrument.

Assessment/Evaluation:
Informal: Teacher observation
Formal: Quiz – Students will perform rhythmic patterns that fit one of the
singing games learned in the previous unit.
Long Range Assignment/Project/Product: Performance

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

Several singing games
Understand and feel the pulse
Differentiate soft and loud
Understand long and short

Accommodations:
1. Special needs – Students that have a physical condition: Teacher
might ask them to sing rhythms, or play them on a smaller percussion
instrument such as: shakers, güiros, tambourines, claves, etc.
2. ELL – Use of pictures and pre or re-teach vocabulary.

School to Home/community connection:

This unit focuses on various percussion instruments from several cultures. As
part of the lesson, the teacher will discuss some characteristics of the
instruments to give students a chance to understand the cultural context of each
one.

Activator:
Performance of different rhythms, solo and in groups.

Repertoire:
Bow, Wow, Wow
Johnny Works with One Hammer
Ring around the Rosy
San Serení

Materials Needed:
Markers, Pictures, Percussion Instruments, iPod and Speakers.
Lesson Outlines

1. Introduction to rhythm

Behavioral Objective: Students will be able to apply their understanding of

pulse to identify eighth and quarter note patterns using Gordon’s syllables.
Assessment/Evaluation: Informal teacher observation.
Prior Knowledge and activator: March/Keep a steady pulse,
differentiate long and short, and songs such as Johnny Works with One
Hammer.
Lesson content:
• Review of singing game Johnny Works with One Hammer.
• Clap the rhythms and march/keep a steady pulse.
• Identify when clapping once with the pulse and when clapping twice.
• Discuss the difference between the two rhythms, using du and du-de.
• Games and/or activities that reinforce the lesson.

2. Introduction to percussion instruments

Behavioral Objective: Students will distinguish the sound of percussion

instruments and understand the basics of this musical family.
Assessment/Evaluation: Informal teacher observation.
Prior Knowledge and activator: Keep a steady pulse, differentiate long and
short using du and du-de, and songs such as Johnny Works with One
Hammer.
Lesson content:
• Review of du and du-de, using Johnny Works with One Hammer and/or
Ring around the Rosy.
• What is a percussion instrument?/Introduction to the percussion family.
• Students identify percussion sounds in musical examples, and pretend
they are playing such said instrument.
• Activity using percussion instruments in the classroom, where students
explore with the sounds of each instrument.

3. Percussion Instruments + Rhythm + Introduction to rests

Behavioral Objective: Students will be able to understand rests and apply

them, in addition to du and du-de rhythms, to percussion instruments.
Assessment/Evaluation: Informal teacher observation.
Prior Knowledge and activator: Keep a steady pulse, Gordon’s du du-de
syllables, basic information about the percussion family, identify silence or
brief pause, and songs such as Bow, Wow, Wow and Ring around the
Rosy.
Lesson content:
 • Review of du and du-de, using the song Ring around the Rosy.
• Students play the rhythms on a percussion instrument.
• Students sing du, du-de rhythms, this time using the song Bow, Wow,
Wow.
• Why is there a moment where we pat the pulse but don’t sing any
rhythms?
• Introduction to rests as moments to breath (similar to talking)
• Teacher plays du and du-de rhythms on a percussion instrument while
students count the number of times the teacher played a rest (brief
pause).
• Activity: Students play du and du-de rhythms, but including rests this
time.

4. Percussion instruments as accompaniment

Behavioral Objective: Students will be able to perform quarter and eighth

note patterns to accompany singing games.
Assessment/Evaluation: Quiz: Students will perform rhythmic patterns that
fit one of the singing games learned in the previous unit.
Prior Knowledge and activator: Keep a steady pulse, Gordon’s du du-de
syllables, basic information about the percussion family, understand rests,
and singing games such as Bow, Wow, Wow, Ring around the Rosy, and
Johnny Works with One Hammer.
Lesson content:
• Review of all the material covered so far, using percussion instruments.
• Students sing several singing games while teacher plays du, du-de and
rests on a percussion instrument.
• (Quiz) Students take turns to perform several patterns on a percussion
instrument of their choice, while the rest of the class sings and moves
to it.