4th Grade Center List:

1. Busted

2. Silly Socks

3. Rhythm Catepiller

4. Basketball Shots

5. Fishing for Matches

Explanation of Activity:

1. In a container are a set of 25 sticks. 20 with four beat rhythms, and 5 with the word
BUSTED! on them. Players take turns pulling sticks our of the container and clapping them.
As the players pull sticks they add them to the previous ones to create a longer chain of
rhythms to be clapped together. When a player pulls a BUSTED! stick, then they have to
put all of their sticks (except the BUSTED! stick) but in the container. The game ends when
all the sticks have been pulled. The player with the most sticks wins.

2. The the washing machine are 16 pairs of socks and three pairs of underwear. Each sock
pair has one sock with two solfege syllables written on it and another sock with the
corresponding notes (in the key of C) written on a staff. For example, If one sock says “sol
mi”, then the matching sock will have “G E” written on a staff. (The colored patterns on the
socks do not match to make sure students are looking at the musical notation and not the
colors for matches.) The underwear are set up the same way, but have three notes instead
of two. Players start the game by having three socks in front of them. They take turns
pulling out socks until they are able to match their three socks in front of them. When a
sock is pulled out of the machine, the student should sing the pitches on it before finding
the match or putting it back. Having a small xylophone or glockenspiel alongside the game
will help the students get the pitches.

3. The game includes a multitude of colored ovals with rhythm syllables written on them. Each
oval should encompass only a single full beat. Students take ovals and create chains of
rhythmic syllables to create a whole rhythmic idea. The whole caterpillar should be a
multiple of four. Students them clap the rhythm they have created. Then they can take their
caterpillar apart and create a new one.

4. This game requires a short basketball net with underlying net to catch the balls, and 7 balls
labeled A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Students take turns drawing cards that have a written
melody on a staff of 2-8 notes that spell out a word. The students must read the word and
can then find the corresponding balls and shoot them in the order of the notes. If no shots
are missed, they get a point. First to five wins.

5. In the middle of a small hula hoop are one color of fish with letters A, B, C, D, E, F, and G,
(or solfege do, re, mi, fa, sol, la, ti, do’ can be used), and fish of another color with the
musical notation for those letters. Each fish has a paperclip attached to the mouth.
Students take turns fishing, with a finishing pole with a magnet on the end, for matches.

Objectives of Activity:

1. Students Will Be Able To… correctly clap the rhythms on the sticks. SWBAT connect four
beat rhythm patterns together to create longer chains. SWBAT correctly clap the longer
chains of rhythms.

2. SWBAT accurately read the notes on a staff. SWBAT understand which notes are which
solfege syllable in the key of C. SWBAT accurately connect solfege syllables to their
musically notated equivalent.

3. SWBAT understand that typical phrases come in multiples of four. SWBAT create various
length rhythms out of single beat pieces. SWBAT accurately clap the rhythmic chains they
have created.

4. SWBAT accurately read the notes on a staff. SWBAT connect the string of note names
together to read an English word.

5. SWBAT accurately read the notes on a staff.