Do the cup game for “Favorite Rag”

Learn about Scott Joplin

Teach “Maple Leaf Rag”

Learn the choreography for “Maple Leaf Rag”

Do the choreography for “Maple Leaf Rag”

Play Poison Rhythm

Play Poison Rhythm.
if these rhythms are new to your students, teach the rhythm names that you use.

Play Along with the animated rhythm video

Play Along with the animated rhythm video.
You could use body percussion or instruments.
Suggestion: Divide the class into 2 groups and give each group a different instrument.
sticks/drum). Play 16 beats on each instrument.

Teach “Let’s Catch a Rooster”

Read the rhythms using rhythm names. This song uses all the new rhythms that have been taught in fourth grade. Sing the melody using note names or solfa. Teach the melody by rote if your students are not sight-singing fluently. When the melody is learned in unison, try it as a round. Try the round first in two parts and when students are good at this, try it in three and then four parts. The round is recorded in two parts.

Play the game “Let’s Catch a Rooster”

Watch to see how the kids play the game.

Game Directions: You can play the game as a chase game or try this variant. Form two circles - inside, outside. Choose two racers who leave the circles and hide somewhere in the classroom. Place a rubber chicken in the middle of the inside circle. The teacher now creates a hole in the outside circle and a hole in the inside circle by moving two students apart. Sing the song. At the end of the song, the two racers try to be the first to find the opening in the outside circle and get through it and then the opening to the inside circle to pick up the rubber chicken. The racer who gets to the chicken first wins. It’s kind of like racing through a maze.

Sort the rhythm for “Let’s Catch a Rooster”

Choose unpitched instruments and play “Let’s Catch a Rooster” on instruments

Choose unpitched instruments and play the round on instruments. Another way to use instruments with the song would be to choose a different instrument for each rhythm found in the song.

For example:
sixteenth notes (tika-tika): woodblock
eighth-two sixteenth notes (ti-tika): jingle tap
two eighth notes (ti-ti): triangle
quarter notes (ta): hand drum or conga

Optional: Use the Song as the Theme and Create a B Section

Create a rhythm composition with the rhythm composition tool. This could be a class composition or could be created by small groups of students.
Decide how to perform the rhythm composition. You could use body percussion or rhythm instruments.

Decide on a form for your composition.
For example:
A - sing the song. B - perform the rhythm composition. A - sing the song

Have students discuss the performance.
I wondered...
I noticed...
Discuss how you might perform it if you were to perform it a second time.