Kathryn Morgan

Objective: Students will learn about sixteenth notes in order to identify, say and read rhythms
including eighth notes, quarter notes and sixteenth notes.

PreTest/Post-Test: The pretest will include a google form that the students in the third grade
classes will take. The pretest will be multiple choice where videos of myself saying and tapping
a rhythm are embedded in the form. Students will watch and pick the rhythm that was said. We
will use the same test at the end to assess the students' learning.

Lesson Plan Objectives:

● Preparing sixteenth notes through repertoire
● Identifying a new rhythm
● Echoing sixteenth notes using neutral syllables
● Echoing sixteenth notes using tika tika
● Reading sixteenth notes using icons
● Reading sixteenth notes using notation

Reflection
For my student impact project my cooperating teacher and I decided that I would
prepare and teach third graders what a sixteenth note is. With a virtual setting finding a way to
assess students was a bit challenging. I decided to do a google form for students to fill out.
Within this form students would watch a video of myself saying a rhythm and then select from
multiple choice which rhythm I said. I chose to have the students watch a video instead of me
saying the rhythms over the computer so the students could watch the video as many times as
they needed to. This also allowed students who weren’t able to be in class that day complete
the assignment. For those students who struggled with the technological aspect of having
multiple links open, I had them just open the google form and I would say the rhythm for them
so they could answer the question without watching the video.
The students had very high results in the pretest. One thing that was interesting was that
the percentage of students who got the answer correct increased later in the questions. The
highest percentage of students answered question 4 correctly. This may be because students
had heard the tikatika rhythm in the first 3 questions and may have figured it out by the time
they got to question 4.
It was very important to get sixteenth notes in the student's ear. I did this by selecting
repertoire that included sixteenth note rhythms. Almost all of the students' repertoire since our
pretest on September 21st included sixteenth notes. This way the students heard the rhythm
used in multiple different ways.
My cooperating teacher assisted me in my lesson planning, explaining that it was
important to introduce the pattern and the way we say it with a word they know and can relate it
too. Hence jack o'lantern and mississippi. This way we could get the pattern in their ear before
introducing something new. We also wanted to make sure we reached all of the different types
of learners. We did this by having visuals, by speaking the rhythms and through movement, for
example marching the beat and tapping the rhythm at the same time.
 I was very impressed how quickly the students picked up the rhythms. I was able to
assess their progress by having students help me analyze phrases of the songs that included
sixteenth notes. By having activities where they show me on their fingers which rhythm pattern I
am saying. If I were to have had more time or do it a little differently I would have loved to have
the students write down the rhythms. For example I would say a rhythm and they would write it
down on their white board and show it to me. Another activity that I would have done if we had
more time would be something a bit more hands on. Another activity I would have done would
be one where we could have students read rhythms individually. One way my cooperating
teacher and I discussed doing this would be to have a spinner with the students names on it. As
the spinner is going we would sing pick a pick a pumpkin and whoever's name it lands upon
would then choose a rhythm on the board and read the rhythm. This is a more intimidating
game to play virtually but would be a great way to informally assess student learning.
We completed the post test again during class. The percentage of the students who got
correct answers went up which was very exciting! Overall the students learned what sixteenth
notes are and can now read and echo rhythm patterns including sixteenth notes.