Music Math Centers

Every year I do a "Rhythm Is Math" Unit with 3rd grade. We get pretty in depth and involved with rhythms and seeing how math is connected to music. I like doing it with 3rd because I can start talking fractions with them since they start learning more about them then. This year I am doing a rotation of centers that helps them practice working with rhythms and math. I also included a teacher center where I can do a quick informal assessment to see how students are doing individually.  Below are some pictures and explanations of the centers I have that help them use these skills.

1. Pumpkin Math Match:
I found these foam pumpkins at a local craft store. The orange pumpkins have musical math equations on them and the yellow pumpkins have numerical values on them. Students need to add up the number of beats on the orange pumpkins and match them with the correct yellow pumpkin. I include an answer key for them to check their answers to see if they were correct. I also include a sheet that reminds them of the note and rest values as well.

2. Rhythm Jenga
I found this idea on Pinterest. I took a Jenga game and stuck address labels with rhythms on them. Students play it like Jenga, but before they stack it they must say the rhythm.

NOTE: I know this doesn't have a musical math element to it, but I wanted a center or two where they are actually practicing rhythms. Which also gives them a brain break from the math equations.

3. Teacher Center:

I have this center where students come to me to do a small informal assessment. On the paws I have written notes and rests (quarter note, quarter rest, pair of eighth notes, 4 sixteenth notes, half note, half rest, whole note, and whole rest). I randomly draw two to have the students add up the beats for the two. They draw each note in a provided blank on the paper, and then write the answer. 

 4. Busted!
Another great Pinterest find! It comes from the mastermind of Steph at "Stay Tuned!"  My students have LOVED this game. It has inspired me to create other forms of Busted! to practice pitch names as well. With this one, students use it to practicing saying rhythms. But this round, I am asking students to also declare to the group how many beats each stick has on it.

5. SmartBoard: Music Madness!

I don't know about the rest of you, BUT I LOVE Artie Almeida's resources. Last year I bought her Music Madness Interactive Board games. And my students have LOVED it. I am having them use the game "An Apple A Day" which is a game where they need to know note values to play, again having them practice their music math skills.

6. Fishing For Rhythms:

I got these cute fish from Lakeshore Learning that is probably supposed to be used for calendar dates or something like that. BUT, of course as music teachers, we get creative and see it as a tool for something else! I wrote notes and rests on them again. Each student takes a turn and "fishes" for 2-5 fish, line them up and they race to write down the correct answer. If they get the answer right first, they get a point. I have them use whiteboards to write their answer. They keep track of their points here as well by squaring off a part of the whiteboard and doing tally marks. Like the Pumpkin Rhythms, I included a note and rest values sheet to help them do the math quickly if needed.

Here's some logistics on how I run the centers:
I see students 30 minutes each time, I have students spend 10-12 minutes at each center, which allows me for 2 centers a day. Which then takes a total of 3 days to complete. It takes about a week to get each student through, but I love doing centers because I feel many students learn by doing. So I see a lot of value of doing a centers-based approach. I also love including a teacher center so that I can do a quick review with students who are struggling and challenge the students more who need the extra challenge.

Structuring A Centers-Based Approach for Recorder

This year my goal for the school year was to begin implementing more of a centers-based approach to my instruction, but I knew that I would be too overwhelmed to do it with all grades, so I decided to focus on my 4th graders to help them with their recorder.

The reason for starting there was that I felt I never had enough time to do it all! Ain't that the truth...Never enough time to do recorder and doing whole group instruction, test for recorder (I do Recorder Karate), and teach new concepts (time signatures, key signatures, and other music vocabulary.) To design lessons that were whole group instruction for each would be ridiculous and I didn't have time for that! Then I started wondering, does it all have to be whole group instruction with me in the front delivering lessons all the time...? Of COURSE not! There are so many wonderful activities, technology, etc that can teach the material for you and kids can learn a new concept independently! So last year I came up with this plan or how I would structure lessons and I love how it's going so far!

***Something to keep in mind.... I see the same group of kids every other day for 30 minutes.***

Lesson 1: Teach Day--This is where I give whole class instruction to teach certain skills, new terms and symbols, play through songs together as a class, split into groups for additional group practice times, etc.

Lesson 2-4: Centers Rotations (3 days, 2 centers/day, approx 10-12 minutes at each center) The centers I use are as follows...

• SmartBoard Center
• Pitch Name Center
• iPad Center
• Rhythm Center
• Group Practice Center
• Teacher Center

*NOTE: Each center would switch out and change each time we'd do a new round of centers. I have blog posts that share ones I've been creating.  Also note that kids are split according to what belt they are currently working on

**The Teacher Center was where I could give more individualized instruction for kids. It was a help time if they needed it, but if they did not need my help, I used it as additional testing time for those kids who cruised!

Lesson 5: Testing Day--This is when I would have kids do group practice for the day and I would go from group to group to hear kids play songs and pass to the next level (if they were ready). If students were not ready, then they used the day as practice.


What I found to be crucial to success was to have expectations VERY clear from the beginning, laying out what they need to accomplish at each center (some centers would sometimes require kids to turn in something-so that held them accountable). Clear directions for each center are also very important.

The students are thriving in this structure! I found kids are motivated to do the activities at the center (it honestly feels like "free time" for them) and they are excited to come to ME for help and instruction. And they are satisfied that if they are not ready to test yet, they know what they need to do to prepare and work towards testing day! Students advance rapidly when I am able to give them more individual instruction (almost like private lessons), plus being able to give them the time to work on skills and to test if they are ready is a bonus.



As a side note...

When beginning recorder I found this quote that has been driving their practice time and our whole approach to recorder...I mean how many of these little guys think that when they pick up the recorder they are going to be like Mozart and be an immediate virtuoso?! Then reality sinks in and oh my goodness...this was a lot harder than I originally thought. So kids now have this quote in the back of their minds driving them through those hard times.

"In this room we don't do easy. We make easy happen through hard work and learning."
      -- found on venspired.com by Krissy Venosdale

So when kids struggle and they say things like "This is too hard!" I affirm them and say, "YES! It is! But with your hard work, you are making easy happen!"  It's fun to start looking back to the beginning and remind the kids, remember how hard it was to hold the recorder at first?! Is it easier now? YES! Because you did the hard work! I love it! It's teaching them what you need to do to be successful on an instrument. Practice! Practice! Practice!

Bottle Cap Rhythms

I'm in center creation mode! My 4th graders are in the midst of Recorder Karate for the remainder of the school year and I am approaching how they learn recorder through a centers-based classroom. It is my hope to one day begin implementing the same approach with other grade levels when learning about a certain concept that they have time to work in centers to independently learn said concept.

SO-I am a Pinterest freak! I love finding new ideas and using them or modifying for my use in my classroom. I found a picture of Bottle Cap Rhythms on Pinterest, but it only linked to a picture. So, to whomever thought of this, THANK YOU! I am excited for my students to use them as part of their centers this week!

How to make:

1.  Bottle Caps:
Where did you get all those bottle caps?

• I sent an email out to the staff here at school requesting that any bottle cap that they use that they would send them my way.
• I slowly collected them for a month, and I have MORE than enough. I'm going to save extras for other possible centers ideas with pitch names or music symbols, etc.

2. Labels:

• I used the typical Garage Sale dot stickers from Office Depot to write the rhythms, time signatures, and bar lines on.
• They fit PERFECTLY onto water and pop/soda caps.

3.  Storage:

• I used your typical pencil box to store all the bottle caps and directions in. I used a half sheet to print directions and notation values onto.

How To Play

It's pretty straight forward, I created some directions for kids with the backside showing the notes they can use and their values.

Directions:

1.  Choose a Time Signature and place in front.
2.  Create rhythms using the bottle caps as notation.
3.  Use Bar Lines to separate measures.
4.  Use the Double Bar Line to finish your rhythm.
5.  Make sure that each Measure (space between the bar lines) has the correct number of beats that matches your time signature.
6.  Clap and Say your rhythm.
7.  Play again!



*I will be adding a step for recorder where kids choose a pitch and play the rhythm on the their recorder.

Notation side of directions with the values to assist kids in accurately grouping notes into measures.

Example of a created rhythm for students to clap and say/play.

Busted! Treble and Bass Clef Versions

This summer I came across a rhythm game on Pinterest called Busted! It seemed really fun and SUPER easy to make!  All I needed was some color craft sticks. It's a game where kids go around the circle and take turns pulling a stick from a cup/jar and say the rhythm on the stick. It's cumulative, so each time they pulled a stick, they had to start with their first one and say all that they had in order. Well, if someone pulled a Busted! stick, they needed to put all the rhythm sticks back into the cup and start all over. You play the game until all sticks are out.

**See the original pin here from Stay Tuned! by Steph.  Great blog!  Thank you for the inspiration for another version!

So, I was sitting around my house on the multiple snow days we had this year (count 'em: 6 snow days!) We've only had 1 in the past 5 years!  I digress...back to my inspiration.

My students LOVE Busted! So, I thought, HEY!  ...why not create a pitch name one both for Treble and Bass Clef?!  So, I did!  I love it when I get a clever moment.

It essentially is played the same, but instead of saying all the rhythms, kids pull a stick and say the pitch name, and they need to go back and each one in a row. When a Busted! stick is pulled, then all the pitch name sticks are returned to the cup.

Game directions:

Treble Triumph

Hey all!  Have I got another great game for you! It comes from a resources I shared about a year ago called Match Mine. This resource is filled with so many ways to play the same game.  It's basically like Musical Battleship. You can do instruments (classroom or orchestra), rhythms, form, key signatures, orff bar set-ups, symbols, intervals, solfege, etc...this list goes on and on!

Materials: Match Mine book (for game board and pieces) click here for where to purchase; file folders, paper clip, and a means to store materials (I used a small ziploc for the game pieces, and a large one to hold it all, and then a magazine box to store ALL the game boards.
NOTE: The game boards are on white cardstock and the game pieces are in two colors for the players printed on colored cardstock for durability. Plus the pieces take some time to cut out and prep for the game. So plan for plenty of time to make materials!

In this game I was having students practice identifying pitches on the staff with 3rd graders. I use the Freddie the Frog books by Sharon Burch. If you are unfamiliar with Freddie the Frog, please check it out at www.freddiethefrog.com. There are so many wonderful things that are in these books! I highly recommend them! In 3rd grade I am having the kids practice all the notes on "Treble Clef Island," but also learn the age old tricks (F-A-C-E and Every Good Boy Does Fine) to assist them in identifying pitches. It is my hope that these kiddos know their pitch names well so that in 4th grade they are prepared for recorder.

So here's how you play!
1. Students need to set-up their game boards with the file folders acting as a barrier, using the paperclip to hold the top together.
2. They then need to lay on their bellies to be sure not to peek over the top!
3. Decide who will be the "Sender" and who will be the "Receiver."
4. The "Sender" places their pieces randomly on the game board (which is really the music staff) and then they need to tell their partner where to place their pieces. "Put your 1st one on line note E...Put your next one on space note A...etc."
5. The receiver then needs to place their pieces in the correct spots.
6. When they are finished they compare boards...hopefully the Sender was clear and correct on where to put things, and the Receiver knew where to place theirs and they Match! If they do not match, they need to figure out where they made mistakes.
7. They then switch jobs and play again.

The challenge with this game is not only knowing where their notes are, but also in communicating them correctly and clearly! This resource comes from one that my ELL teachers shared with me. With how high my ELL population is, I try to do activities that helps develop their language skills (which in turn helps English speakers with their communication skills as well!)

My students really enjoyed playing this game and when walking around, they really seemed to understand where the pitches were, but I found myself assisting on how to communicate to the partner clearly so they could have their game boards match at the end. This is a game that I did when I felt students could practice their knowledge of pitch names independently. It could work well as a center for kids to play together. This would also be a great game to use as a review prior to any assessment as well.

Cupcake Rhythms

My student teacher and I have been working on teaching 2nd grade the correct names of notes and rests (Quarter Note, Whole Note, etc.)  Instead of "Ta" and "Ta-a-a-a."

This year my goal is to move towards have a centers-based classroom approach where kids are doing more application of what they are learning after some direct or whole-class instruction.  Basically, I wanted to provide more differentiation for my students.  (Ooo!  An educational buzz-word!  I feel so smart and "teachery!")  Over the summer I began collecting items that I thought would work well for a centers activity.  These cupcakes were one of those items.

It's a very simple activity.  Match the name of the note with the picture of the note.  Done!  I made 4 sets with the stack that I purchased from Lakeshore Learning.  Here is what one set looks like:

So, I wrote the name of the note on the top and drew the symbol on the bottom.  I then cut them apart and laminated them (for longevity!).  Here's what it looks like cut apart:

 

ALSO...I thought that this could work well as a tool for an assessment.  (Which might be nice for special ed students as a way of identifying the term with the symbol with manipulatives vs. writing.)

 

 

I'm excited for the kiddos to use them!