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46328…

The purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to Latin

American geography, instruments, and rhythms.
Essential Question: How does understanding the structure and
context of music inform a response? (Responding: Analyze)
Name the four areas of Latin America.
Recognize three Latin American instruments: the surdo,
timbales, and guira.
Read, clap, then play a syncopated rhythm.

Materials
Normal Pencils
45 min Large Coffee Can Bongo
instructions
Large Five Gallon Drum with
NCCAS: Cn10.0.7a,
Drumstick instructions
Cn11.0.7a, Cr2.1.7b, Sambalero
Medium Twine Tub Drum
Pr4.2.7b, Re7.2.7a
instructions
World Percussion: Latin America
Extended
Project Book
15 min
Instruments
Percussion Instruments

1 . Introduction to Latin America 1 min

Welcome your students to the class.

Have Sambalero playing as they enter the classroom.
Print out the project books so they are ready to give out in this first session of the
project.
Project books are available from the worksheets button in all projects in lesson 1
Take attendance if needed.
In tomorrow's lesson, the students will be creating their own drums. Please look at
the materials needed for preparation purposes by downloading the instructions
from Worksheets.
Worksheets can be given to students to take home and prepare resources for the
next lesson.
Alternatively, the instructions can be used by the teacher in his/her preparation for
the next lesson.

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2 . Project Overview 3 min

Welcome students to the Latin Percussion project.

Briefly cover the overview of each session of the project on slides 1 and 2.
Ask students what they know about these different styles of music and the countries
mentioned.
Give out project books shown on slide 3.

3 . Where is Latin America? 7 min

Using the DRAW tool, invite students to identify countries on the world map (slide 1)
they believe are part of Latin America.
Compare student responses to the Latin American map (slide 2) and discuss the
results.
Call attention to non-highlighted countries on the Latin American map (slide 2).
These countries, not considered part of Latin American, speak languages other than
Spanish or Portuguese.
Use the DRAW tool to draw lines separating Mexico from Central America and
Central America from South America.
Latin America is subdivided into four regions--North America (Mexico), Caribbean,
Central America, and South America (slide 3).
Ask students to share any historical knowledge they have about these regions (such
as European Conquest, indigenous people - Aztecs, Mayans, Incas, and so on).
Using page 5 of the project book, have students label (and color) the four regions of
Latin America.

4 . Latin American Music 7 min

Listen to the four tracks displayed on the screen.

Compare and contrast the different musical elements in each piece.
Music from this region of the world is highly varied. Discuss the tempos, timbres,
instrumentation, and rhythms of each piece.
As students listen to each style, ask if there are any repeated rhythmic patterns.
Using the DRAW tool, teacher or student(s) write down on the screen specific
rhythmic patterns heard in the tracks.
The samba, salsa, and merengue will be the focus for this project.

Variation: Invite students to describe personal emotional and/or intellectual responses to

these pieces of music.

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5 . Latin American Instruments 10 min

As part of this project, students will be introduced to new instruments they may
never have encountered before.
Watch the three short videos on the surdo, timbales, and guira.
The surdo is used primarily in Samba music, the timbales are used in Salsa music,
and the guira is used in Merengue music
Ask students if they have ever seen these instruments before and, if so, where.
Have students make brief notes about each instrument in their project book (page
23).

6 . Latin Rhythms and Syncopation 9 min

Now that students have been introduced to the sounds and instruments of the
samba, salsa, and merengue, have them play some of the foundational rhythms of
those styles using percussion instruments.
Many Latin American pieces use syncopated rhythms.
Ask students if they can define the term syncopation.
Syncopation: Placement of rhythms or accents where they wouldn't normally occur,
such as on the weak beats or off-beats.
Playing layered syncopated rhythms can be difficult. To help students meet this
challenge, we have provided a verbal phrase for each of the two-measure rhythm
patterns in the project.
Using slide 1, have students say the phrases on the screen one at a time.
Divide the class into 3 groups, having each group take turns saying (chanting) their
assigned phrase. (Make sure students articulate the accent marks accurately, as
accents are critical in creating authentic Latin rhythms.)
Layer in the phrases group by group until all three groups are saying their phrases at
the same time. Transfer the patterns onto percussion instruments.
Repeat this process for slides 2 and 3.
For an additional challenge, use the backing track at the bottom of the screen.

7 . Project Goals 4 min

Review the project goals and grading rubric with students.

Discuss the grading rubric on slide 7 and show students how they can earn a high
grade for the project.
Each piece (samba, salsa, and merengue), is divided into four rhythm parts, but is
played together as a class.
Note: As in all the Quaver projects, feel free to adapt the materials based on the
needs and time available. You may wish to cover only the samba, then cover another
style later in the year.

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8 . Journal Page 2 min

Invite students to write any new information they have learned about Latin America,
surdo, guira, and timbales on the journal page 23 in their project books.
Remind them that in the next session they will be creating drums to use in all of the
three styles.
How does understanding the structure and context of music inform a response?
(Essential Question)

9 . In today's lesson, we learned to... 2 min

Click on the bullet points to highlight and review the learning objectives.
How does understanding the structure and context of music inform a response?
(Essential Question)

10 . Latin Rhythms 15 min

Use technology to create Latin rhythm patterns.

Have students translate the patterns from Screen 6 into one measure in QBackBeat
Lite.
Each line on the screen can be a new drum part.
Invite students to create a fourth part that complements the other three parts.

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