Lessons with Play

Taylor Kim

Grade: Kindergarten

Subject Area: Arts Education (Music) & Language Arts

Materials:
ð Book: “I got the Rhythm” by Connie Schofield-Morrison
ð (Teacher’s resource): YouTube video on Beat Vs. Rhythm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2462p5IF3A
o “The beat stays the same”
o “The rhythm changes with the words”
ð Nursery rhymes PDF (please see attached)
ð Loose Items collected from the nature (e.g., twigs, rocks, shells, pinecones, etc).

Core Competencies:
ð Communication
• Connect and engage with others (to share and develop ideas)
• Collaborate to plan, carry out, and review constructions and activities
ð Thinking
• (Creative): Generating and developing ideas
• (Critical): Develop and design ideas
ð Personal and Social
• (Positive Personal & Cultural Identity): Personal values and choices
• (Personal Awareness & Responsibility): Well-being
• (Social Responsibility): Building relationships

Learning Standards:

KNOW DO
UNDERSTAND
(CURRICULAR (CURRICULAR
(BIG IDEAS)
CONTENT) COMPETENCY)
• Literary elements • Use Social Studies • Stories and
and devices (e.g., inquiry processes traditions about
rhythm, rhyme, and skills to ask ourselves and our
musical, and questions; gather, families reflect
poetical qualities interpret, and who we are and
of language) and analyze ideas; where we are
Language
creative texts and from
Arts
(e.g., tongue communicate • Rights, roles, and
twisters, nursery findings and responsibilities
rhymes, traditional decisions help our identify
stories) • Acknowledge and help us build
different healthy
perspectives on
 people, places, relationships with
issues, or events in others
their lives
• Music: • Experience, • Dance, drama,
beat/pulse, document, and music and visual
rhythm, tempo, share creative arts express
pitch, dynamics works in a variety meaning in unique
Arts
of ways ways
Education
• Express feelings, • People connect
(Music)
ideas, stories, to others and
observations, and share ideas
experiences through the arts
through the arts

© This is part of the ‘Beat & Rhythm’ unit. Prior to this lesson, students have already
received their lesson on the beat.

Lesson Outline: “I Got the Rhythm” by Connie Schofield-Morrison

• (Introduction):
o Show students the cover of the book, “I Got the Rhythm.” In pairs, have
students explain to each other their own definition or an example of a
‘rhythm.’ Students will share their ideas with the class.
o Point to the character. “How do you think the character is feeling? Why?
Have you ever felt like that when playing music?” Have students share
their thoughts. Tell students that they will be experiencing the same
emotion through our activity! Conduct a picture walk, if necessary.
o During reading, allow students to join in. “I caught the rhythm with my
hands. Clap. Clap” Have students repeat and clap independently or with
a partner.
• (Main Activity):
o After reading the book, allow students to choose their own way to
represent the rhythm. Have students gather in a circle to share their ideas.
o The teacher will re-read the story, while students will volunteer to complete
the sentence, “I caught the rhythm with my ________________. (Example: I
caught the rhythm with my fingers. Snap. Snap.). Allow the teacher to
demonstrate first.
o Tell students that they will be creating their own instruments using the loose
items that they collected prior to this lesson. It will consist of various items
from the nature (e.g., twigs, rocks, shells, pinecones, etc).
o Have students choose a nursery rhyme that was used prior to this lesson
(please see attached) and/or a song of their choice to represent the
rhythm using their new instrument.
• (Closure):
Allow students to share in pairs prior before allowing them to share in front of the
whole class.

Scaffolding Learning:
 • Activate students’ prior knowledge and allow students to make connections to
their previous learning
• Students will be given a lot of time to generate their ideas in pairs and as a class
prior to completing the activity
• Allow students to explore with various loose items to listen and make different
sounds prior to making their instruments.
• Follow ‘I Do – We Do – and You Do’ Model
• The teacher will check-in or conference with the students to provide additional
support and encouragement

‘Beat & Rhythm’ Assessment Rubric

Emerging Developing Proficient Extending

Beat I need direct I am learning to I can usually I can independently
teacher support to identify and identify and identify and
help me identify represent the beat represent the beat represent the beat
and represent the using a poem or a using a poem or a using a poem or a
beat using a poem song with some song. song.
or a song. support.
Rhythm I need direct I am learning to I can usually I can independently
teacher support to identify and identify and identify and
identify and represent the represent the represent the
represent the rhythm following rhythm following rhythm following the
rhythm following the the words of my the words of my words of my poem
words of my poem poem or a song poem or a song. or a song.
or a song. with some support.
Beat Vs. I need direct I have an I can usually I can independently
Rhythm teacher support to understanding, but demonstrate the demonstrate the
help me require some difference difference between
demonstrate a support to between steady steady beat and
difference between demonstrate a beat and rhythm rhythm using a
steady beat and difference between using a poem or a poem or a song.
rhythm using a steady beat and song.
poem or a song. rhythm using a
poem or a song.

Creativity Assessment Rubric

Emerging Developing Proficient Extending

Brainstorm I need direct With some With minimal I am able to
teacher support to prompting, I am support, I am able independently and
help me come up able to come up to come up with also support my
with ideas to make with a few ideas to ideas and provide friends to come up
my instrument. make my input about my with ideas and
instrument. instrument. provide input about
the creation of the
instrument.
Perseverance I need direct I am learning to stay With a few I used time
teacher support to focused and to reminders, I am productively and
help me stay on task complete my task using time happily supported
to complete my with minimal effectively and my friends during
task. teacher support. trying different the task.
ideas to complete
my task.
Self- It is difficult for me to I am learning to I am able to I can positively
Reflection receive feedback receive feedback receive feedback receive feedback
and incorporate it and incorporate and incorporate and incorporate
when representing into some of my what I learned what I learned
rhythm using my work when when representing when representing
instrument. representing rhythm rhythm using my rhythm using my
using my instrument. instrument. instrument.