Kelsi Trest

Student Teaching Spring 2015

Pennfield Middle School & High School

Lesson #7
Unit Title: A Reintroduction of Counting in Beginning Band
Lesson Title: Learning a System of Clapping
Grade Level: 5th or 6th grade beginning band
Subjects Integrated: Music and dance
Objectives: To learn a standardized system of clapping that better enables the students to count
and understand note lengths
Materials: A worksheet of rhythm examples
Learning Activities
a) Instructional Materials: The students will need to have a list of rhythmic examples
b) Procedures: First the worksheet will be given to the students. As a class we will
discuss and write the counting for the individual measures below the notes. The clapping
system will then be demonstrated. First the whole note will be used by clapping and then
sliding your hand up on arm to your shoulder taking a total of four counts. The students
will repeat and model each demonstration after it is presented. Next will be a half note
using the same motion but stopping at your elbow after two counts. A quarter note is one
single clap. A rest can be depicted by the motion made by rebounding a clap. The
students should be walked through a few of the exercises using this clap-ping system.
They should be able to recognize the motions and sound and per-form them as a group.
c) Instructional Groups: The students should feel free to ask questions
d) Discussion: Individuals will also be asked to clap a rhythm by themselves to show
their understanding of the system
e) Assessment: The students will be formatively assessed during class both while
performing with the group and as an individual.
Closure
a) The lesson will end by assigning a few unused exercises from the page for homework.
The students should both write i the counting and be able to clap them for the class the
following lesson.
b) The lesson will be evaluated by how well and quickly the students understand and
grasp the concepts presented.
Standards
ART.M.I.6.5: Sight read basic melodies in treble or bass clef, using combinations of
whole, half, quarter, and eighth notes and rests; in simple meter.