Adelaide Elementary Iconic Notation and Drum Cirlces

I had the pleasure of visiting Shanda Stenger at Adelaide Elementary a week or so ago.  While I was there she was working on rhythmic notation, playing and composition with her kids.  I had so much fun watching what she was doing. 


She gathered her 5th graders together in a circle.  Each student was given a beat card with 4 hearts that represented 4 beats.  They were also given a bag of popsicle sticks and asked to compose a 4 beat pattern using ta-ah, ta, ti-ti, and rest.  They could put them in any order they wanted to, but they had to use all 4 beats. 

 I loved they way they notated a half-note (ta-ah) by putting the popsicle stick through both hearts.

After everyone had finished their composition Shanda divided the class by #'s (1-4) and asked each number to get an instrument of a different kind.  Ex:  1's got a drum, 2's got a metal, 3's got a wood, and 4's got a shaker. 

Shanda was using this time as an assessment to see who understood how to create a pattern using the specified beats and rhythm types and if they could also play it.  Once everyone had an instrument she would ask a student to play their beat pattern for the class and then the class would play it with them.  She did this 4 times and at the end of 4 times she assigned each instrument part to follow one of the students who had just played their example and they layered the beat patterns.  It was sooo great!  What a great opportunity to assess as well!

Something to remember when you are assessing your students on a skill you have taught...the more you make it about a game or fun, the more they will forget they are on the spot and the more engaged they will be in the process.  Remember that Cindy Lauper song....Girls Just Wanna Have Fun?  Well let's just say,  Kids Just Wanna Have Fun!