Lesson Five:

Writing Rhythms Worksheet

Grade: 4
Objective: Fourth Grade students can recognize and write eighth sixteenth sixteenth and
sixteenth sixteenth eighth rhythms.
Standard: MU:Cr2.1.4b Use standard and/or iconic notation and/or recording technology to
document personal rhythmic, melodic, and simple harmonic musical ideas.
Materials: Worksheet

Warm Up
Students will echo rhythms containing the concept from teacher on pats and claps.
Rhythm Bank:

● “Do you guys remember these rhythms?”

○ Eighth sixteenth sixteenth and sixteenth sixteenth eighth rhythms are displayed on
the board
● “What are they? (class answers) Yeah! Do you remember which one is which? How can
we tell?
○ Class discusses how to differentiate and how to see the eighths and sixteenths in
the notation
● “How do we say those rhythms? Let’s start with this one” (taka di, ta dimi)
● “Can we practice writing them? Let’s all come up to the board and practice, grab a
marker!” (or use individual white boards if available)
○ Teacher walks class through how to draw the rhythms and where each rhythmic
syllable is in the rhythm
● “Let’s do this worksheet!”
○ Teacher walks class through worksheet, asking guiding questions as students fill it
out on their own
■ How can we tell the difference between the rhythms
■ How many beats does this rhythm get?
■ How many beats are in the measure you get to compose?
 ● Let’s turn in the worksheet! I bet you guys did so well getting this down! I’m so excited
to see the measures you created!

Assessment (POST ASSESSMENT): Can students write eighth sixteenth sixteenth and sixteenth
sixteenth eighth rhythms? Students fill out a worksheet for the teacher to assess.
 Writing Rhythms Worksheet

Can you write the eighth sixteenth sixteenth rhythm? Write it on the staff!

Can you write the sixteenth sixteenth eighth rhythm? Write it on the staff!

Can you write TA DIMI? Can you write TAKA DI?

Can you make up your own measure using these rhythms?

 Lesson Six
Cripple Creek Revisited

Grade 4

Standards: MU:Cr2.1.4a Demonstrate selected and organized musical ideas for an

improvisation, arrangement, or composition to express intent, and explain connection purpose
and context.
MU:Cr2.1.4b Use standard and/or iconic notation and/or recording technology to document
personal rhythmic, melodic, and simple harmonic musical ideas.

Objectives: Fourth grade students can compose a four bar rhythmic phrase in 2/4 using at least
one eighth sixteenth sixteenth or sixteenth sixteenth eighth rhythm

Materials: Hand drums, rhythm sticks, egg shakers (rhythmic instruments)

 Warm Up
Students will say rhythms displayed on rhythm cards using rhythmic syllables.
Rhythm Cards:

Activity One
Reteach Cripple Creek, show notation and circle new rhythms

● “Do you guys remember Cripple Creek? Let’s sing it together and pat the beat”
○ Class and teacher sing it together and go over any parts students forgot
● “What rhythms did we hear in there? (waits for response) Did we hear any sixteenth
sixteenth eighth rhythms? Let’s sing it one time and see if you notice any.”
● “Where did you hear those rhythms? Let’s look at the music and see if you were right”
○ Teacher shows notation and identifies the sixteenth sixteenth eighth rhythms with
the class
● “What other rhythms does this song use? What rhythmic syllable is that again?”
○ Teacher writes rhythms and rhythmic syllable (takadimi system) on board

Activity Two

Students compose four bars of rhythms including at least one eighth sixteenth sixteenth or
sixteenth sixteenth eighth rhythm in groups of three to go over the B section of Cripple Creek.

● “Last time we sang Cripple Creek we did something different during the middle section.
What did we do? (improvised) Yeah! This time instead of improvising we’re going to
compose. What’s the difference between improvising and composing? (wait for response)
● “Yeah! Instead of making it up as we go, composing is when you plan it out ahead of
time so you can perform it over and over again the same way. Do you think you can write
down your compositions? You can use symbols, notation, or the rhythmic syllables. The
notation and syllables are up on the board for you to see!”
● “I’m going to challenge you to use only rhythms from the song and you have to use one
of our new rhythms at least once. Does that sound like something you can do? We wrote
them all down on the board so you can use that to help you out.”
● “Let’s pick some instruments and then get into groups of three to compose during the
middle section. How many measures are there for you to compose? (4) How many beats
 are in each measure? (2) So you’ll need to compose 8 total beats! Each of the rhythms on
the board is one beat long so you can use 8 of those.”
○ Cripple creek sheet music with a blank middle section is shown on the board. 2
four backing track is played while students work
○ Teacher moves around the room and listens to each group to give help and keep
everyone on task
● “Let’s share what we have! We’ll sing the first part then listen to the composition then
sing the second part. Who wants to go first?”
○ Class sings and shares compositions, and the teacher asks questions about what
they came up with after each group goes.

Assessment (POST ASSESSMENT): Can students compose four bars in 2/4 using one of the
new rhythms? Teacher observes.

Great job today guys! I loved all your compositions

 Lesson Seven Part 1
Learn “Simple Gifts,” WMP

Grade: 4
Standards: MU:Pr6.1.5a Perform music, alone or with others, with expression, technical
accuracy, and appropriate interpretation.
MU:Pr4.2.4b When analyzing selected music, read and perform using iconic and/or standard
notation.
Objective: Fourth grade students can identify sixteenth sixteenth eighth and eighth sixteenth
sixteenth rhythms in “Simple Gifts” using notation.
Materials:
 Warm Up
Students will come up to the board and write the rhythmic syllables above rhythm cards.

● “We’re going to learn a new song today! It goes like this”

○ Teacher sings “Simple Gifts”
● “What are the three gifts in the song? Listen again. What does the song say will be our
delight? How does the song say we’ll come round right? Listen one more time”
● “This song has a lot of words so I’m going to put the lyrics up on the screen to help you
out”
● “Let’s do some echoing!”
○ Teacher and class echo every two bars, repeating as necessary
● “I’m going to sing part but I’m going to leave a word out for you to fill in”
○ Teacher leaves off last line of phrase for students to fill in, repeat as necessary
● “I’m going to leave out a couple of words this time. Do you think you can fill them in?
○ Teacher does two bars, class sings next two bars
● “Let’s sing it in our heads! If you need to use the words that’s ok, if you want a challenge
try doing it from memory!”
○ Class audiates song
● “Was there anything you had trouble remembering? Could you sing the melody in your
head and the words?”
○ Repeat any problem parts
● “Let’s sing the whole thing all together!”
● “This song has one of our new rhythms in it a couple times. Can anyone guess where?
Let’s sing it and pat the beat to see if you can figure it out”
● “Any guesses? Let’s look at the sheet music to see if you were right!”
○ Teacher puts complete notation on board, class checks their guesses and identifies
where the concept is in the piece.
● “Great job! Now that we’ve spotted those new rhythms, let’s sing it one more time!”

Assessment: Can students identify concept in notation? Teacher calls on students to circle it on
board. Can students sing “Simple Gifts” accurately? Teacher observes.
 Lesson Seven Part 2
WMP with “Simple Gifts”
Objectives: Students can play “Simple Gifts” on xylophone, students can create their own
arrangement of “Simple Gifts”
Standards: MU:Cr2.1.4a Demonstrate selected and organized musical ideas for an
improvisation, arrangement, or composition to express intent, and explain connection to purpose
and context.
MU:Pr6.1.5a Perform music, alone or with others, with expression, technical accuracy, and
appropriate interpretation.
Materials: Xylophones, notation, various percussion instruments (whatever is on hand)

● Attentive Listening
○ “We just learned one version of “Simple Gifts” but there’s lots of versions of this
song! One of the most well known ones is from a ballet by a composer named
Aaron Copland. Let’s listen to this one and I want you to think about what
different instruments you can hear.”
■ Class listens to Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring” and tries to
identify the instruments
○ “Let’s listen again and this see if you can hear how many times the piece speeds
up or slows down”
■ Class listens again this time for tempo changes
● Engaged Listening
○ “Can you hum along this time?”
■ Class listens and hums
● Integrated
○ “The song Simple Gifts was originally composed in 1848 by a man named Elder
Joseph Brackett in New Hampshire. He was a Shaker. Does anyone know what a
Shaker is? It’s a religion! It’s a kind of Chrisitanity and Shakers really value a
simple life. That fits with the song doesn’t it? Does anyone remember who
composed the version we just listened to? Aaron Copland! Aaron Copland was an
American composer who was born in 1900. This piece is a part of a ballet about a
pioneer family. Now it’s most well known as an orchestra piece. The music for the
ballet was composed in 1944.”
○ https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/resources-for-educators/classroom-reso
urces/media-and-interactives/media/dance/martha-graham--appalachian-spring/
○ “Let’s watch part of the original ballet!”
■ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM5-CsI713g
● “Simple Gifts” starts at 17min
● Enactive
 ○ “We already learned how to sing this song, let’s learn how to play it on
xylophones! Was the whole song fast in the version we just listened to? (no)
When was it slowest? (At the end) That’s the part we’re going to learn first!”
○ “Let’s start by saying the note names out loud and patting the rhythms. I’ll write
the note names above the notation to help you out. Let’s start with just the line”
■ Students pat rhythms on and say note names slowly but in time.
○ “Can we find all those notes on the xylophone? Let’s go one note at a time”
■ Teacher calls out note names one at a time to make sure everyone can find
them on the xylophone
○ “Let’s try playing it in time! Keep saying the note names and we’ll go slow!”
■ Class plays and says note names slowly, repeat as necessary
○ Repeat for each line, stringing together each line until class can play whole song.
If possible, speed up, if not keep it slow.
● Creative
○ “Did the version we just listened to have only one instrument playing the whole
time? (no) No it didn’t! It had lots of instruments playing! Can we add some other
instruments in? (Let students choose from what is available, mostly percussion)
Does anyone have any ideas of some that would sound good with our xylophone
part? Where would those fit? How do we want to work that in with the song?
Should we do the xylophone part twice? Do we want to do it once fast and once
slow like in the one we listened to? Is there a place where we can use the new
rhythm we learned?”
■ Students give ideas for new parts using different instruments to create a
class arrangement of the “Simple Gifts” melody, teacher facilitates and
helps students to notate their ideas on the board, pushes students to
employ concept in their arrangement
○ “Let’s perform our arrangement!”

Assessment: Can students create their own arrangement of “Simple Gifts?” Teacher observes

“That was so great guys! There are lots of versions of this piece out there and I’m so happy I got
to help you make one too!”
 Lesson Eight
“The Jolly Miller” Revisited
Warm up: While a backing track is playing, pat rhythms shown on rhythm cards by the teacher
Rhythm cards:

Grade Level: 4
Objectives: Fourth grade students can identify the eighth sixteenth sixteenth and sixteenth
sixteenth eighth rhythms in “The Jolly Miller”
Standards: MU:Pr6.1.5a Perform music, alone or with others, with expression, technical
accuracy, and appropriate interpretation.
Materials: Chairs

Warm Up
The class will echo on measure rhythms containing the concept on rhythm sticks. Then the
teacher will play one measure of rhythm on rhythm sticks and one at a time the students will
echo the measure and add their own measure of rhythm in response. The teacher will go around
the room until every student has echoed and improvised.

Activity 1
● “Do you remember “The Jolly Miller”? Let’s sing it together!
● “Some of those rhythms sound pretty familiar right? Can we sing it again and can you
listen for our new rhythm? Someone remind me what that new rhythm is.”
○ Class sings it again listening for the concept
● “Where do you think you heard it? Let’s check!”
○ Teacher displays notation on the board.
● “Do you see the new rhythm? Can someone come up and circle it in the music”
○ Teacher calls on volunteer(s) to circle new rhythm in notation
● “Let’s sing it one more time!”
Assessment: can students identify the eighth sixteenth sixteenth and sixteenth sixteenth eighth
rhythms in “The Jolly Miller”
Activity 2
● “Can we play a game with this song? Here’s how it’s going to go:”
○ One person stands in the middle while one the others march in time in a circle
around this person, one for fewer chair or other item to sit on than people are on
the outside of the circle
○ After the song ends, the students on the outside sit down, the last person standing
is the new “miller” in the middle
 Lesson Nine
“Old Betty Larkin”
Grade Level: 4
Objectives: Students can identify the sixteenth sixteenth eighth and eighth sixteenth rhythms in
“Old Betty Larkin” and accurately sing the song using rhythmic syllables
Standards: Standards: MU:Pr6.1.5a Perform music, alone or with others, with expression,
technical accuracy, and appropriate interpretation.
Materials:

Warm up: Students will identify rhythmic syllables from rhythms teacher shares on rhythm
cards
 Activity One
● “We’re going to learn a new song today guys! It’s called ‘Old Betty Larkin’ and it has a
game that goes with it!”
● “Listen to me sing it first and see if you can hear how many times it says ‘Old Betty
Larkin’
○ Teacher sings song, class listens for how many time ‘Old Betty Larkin’ is said
● “I’m going to sing it one more time, see if you can tell me what Old Betty Larkin is
doing”
● “Let’s do some echoing!”
○ Teacher sings each line and students echo, repeating as necessary
● “Awesome job! This time I’m going to leave off a word at the end of the line and you fill
it for me”
○ Teacher leaves off the last word of each line for students to fill in
● “Great! This time I’m going to leave off a few more words, see if you can fill them in for
me!”
○ Teacher leaves off last measure of each two measure phrase
● “Amazing! Can we sing the song in our heads? Let’s try it! Was there anything you
forgot?”
○ Class audiates song, then teacher addresses any parts the students forgot
● “Let’s sing it all together!”
○ Assessment: Can class sing “Old Betty Larkin?” Teacher observes
● “Here’s what this song looks like! Do you recognize any of the rhythms?”
○ Teacher puts notation on the board, students identify rhythms
● “Let’s go through and mark these rhythms with their rhythmic syllable”
○ Teacher guides class through identifying each rhythm and marking them with its
syllable, drawing attention to the concept
● “Instead of the words can we sing the syllables instead? Let’s give it a try!”
○ Class sings ‘Old Betty Larkin on rhythmic syllables
Assessment: Can identify the rhythmic syllables for each rhythm and sing “Old Betty Larkin” on
rhythmic syllables? Teacher observes
● “Great job! Are you ready to play the game?”
Activity Two
● “Here’s how the game works:”
○ Students get into partners with one or two people left over (depending on if it is
an odd or even numbered class)
○ The whole class sings the song during the game
○ The partners skip around the room together, while the leftover people skip by
themselves. At the end of the song, the leftover students ‘steal’ a partner from
 someone else. The now partner-less students take the place of the previous ones
and skip around looking for a partner to steal

Lesson Ten
San Serefin- WMP
Grade Level: Four
Objectives: Students can identify the eighth sixteenth sixteenth rhythm in notation and its
corresponding lyrics, students can create lyrics that match the prompt and style of the song.
Standards: Standards: MU:Cr2.1.4a Demonstrate selected and organized musical ideas for an
improvisation, arrangement, or composition to express intent, and explain connection to purpose
and context.
MU:Pr6.1.5a Perform music, alone or with others, with expression, technical accuracy, and
appropriate interpretation.
MU:Cr1.1.4a Improvise rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ideas, and explain connection to
specific purpose and context (such as social and cultural).
Materials:
 Warm Up
Students read rhythm cards and play rhythms on rhythm sticks. The warm up begins with the
whole class reading rhythms and ends with the teacher observing each student reading and
playing rhythms to ensure everyone can read and play the eighth sixteenth sixteenth and
sixteenth sixteenth eighth concept.
Rhythm Cards:

POST ASSESSMENT CHART:

Student Could they Two eighth Four Eighth Sixteenth

Name read and play notes sixteenths sixteenth sixteenth
the: Quarter sixteenth eighth
note (Y/N)

● “We’re going to learn a new song today! It’s called San Serafin!”
● Attentive Listening-https://kodaly.hnu.edu/song.cfm?id=934
○ “Let’s listen to it first and see if you hear how many times they sing “San Sarafin”
○ “Let’s listen one more time and see if you can figure out what language it might
be in.”
● Engaged Listening
○ “Can you hum along while we listen to it this time?”
● Integrated
○ “This is a children’s song from Mexico but different versions of it are sung in lots
of Spanish speaking countries. This version of it is from Puerto Rico! Let’s find
Mexico and Puerto Rico on a map. This version of the song is about listening and
different occupations. In the first part the singer gives an action for other people to
do and in the second part they say a job and the other people act out what the job
is. Here’s a video of some people singing the song and playing the game!
https://youtu.be/i1VSAegysZ8 Let’s look at the lyrics in Spanish and in English!
 ■ Teacher puts up both set of lyrics as well as notation
○ “Do you see any rhythms you recognize? Do you see our new rhythm in there?
Where?”
■ Assessment: Can students identify sixteenth eighth eighth in written
notation? Teacher calls on volunteers to point out the rhythm
● Enactive Listening
○ “Let’s learn to sing it in Spanish, you can use the notation to help you!”
■ “I’ll sing a line then you sing it back!”
● Teacher sings a phrase and students echo, repeat as necessary
■ “Can you fill in the word I leave off?”
■ “I’m going to leave off a couple words this time, can you fill them in for
me?”
■ “Let’s sing it in our heads? Did you forget anything? Let’s go back and
check!”
■ “Let’s sing it all together!”
■ “What words get our new rhythm?”
● Assessment: Can students sing “San Sererin” accurately and
identity the lyrics that match the eighth sixteenth sixteenth rhythm?
Teacher observes
● Create
○ “This song uses different professions in the second part. Can we come up with our
own lyrics that fit? What other jobs could we use? What action could we do to
represent that job
■ Class comes up with other jobs and actions that fit in the second part,
teacher facilitates
○ “Those are some great ideas! Let’s put those in. We’ll sing the first part in Spanish
then we’ll do the lyrics and actions you came up with. We’ll switch between the
parts until we sing all of your ideas!”
Post Assessment: Students learned to write eighth sixteenth sixteenth and sixteenth sixteenth
eighth rhythms in standard notation and identify the rhythms based on their rhythmic syllable.
See lesson five worksheet.

Students will compose their own music using eighth sixteenth sixteenth and sixteenth sixteenth
eighth rhythms and write them down using standard notation, symbols, or rhythmic syllables.
See lesson six compositions.

Students can read and play rhythmic phrases containing the concept. See lesson 10 warm up.

Student Could they Two eighth Four Eighth Sixteenth

Name read and play notes sixteenths sixteenth sixteenth
the: Quarter sixteenth eighth
note (Y/N)

Student Name Could student notate eighth sixteenth

sixteenth and sixteenth sixteenth eighth
rhythms (Y/N)