Submitted by Sherry Bozorth, Washington

Idea posted March 26, 2013

Shop at thrift stores and collect blank Jenga Blocks. About four large containers of blocks will be enough for an entire classroom.

Write 4 beat rhythms on each block. For example, I have seven categories of rhythms - or the first note or rest on each block - which are whole notes, half notes, dotted half notes, whole rest, half rests, quarter rests, and two eighth notes.

JENGA BLOCK RHYTHMS:

To avoid a huge problem, put a number on the back of the block to indicate which team/group it belongs to, since it is important every team has the same blocks.

NOTE: Prepare a duplicate set of rhythm cards with magnetic tape for TE to use on the whiteboard.

WRITE on the BLOCKS:

  • whole note
  • whole rest
  • 2 half notes
  • half note & half rest
  • half note & 2 quarter notes
  • half note & 2 quarter rests
  • half note, quarter note, quarter rest
  • half note, quarter rest, quarter note
  • half note, quarter note, 2 eighth notes
  • half note, 4 eighth notes (barred together)
  • half note, quarter note, 4 sixteenth notes
  • 2 half rests
  • half rest & half note
  • half rest & 2 quarter notes
  • half rest, quarter rest, quarter note
  • half rest, quarter note, quarter rest
  • half rest, quarter note, 2 eighth notes
  • half rest, quarter rest, 2 eighth notes
  • 2 quarter notes, half note
  • 2 quarter notes, half rest
  • 4 quarter notes
  • 3 quarter notes, 1 quarter rest
  • quarter note, half note, quarter note
  • quarter note, half note, quarter rest
  • quarter note, 2 eighth notes, half note
  • quarter note, 2 eighth notes, half rest
  • quarter note, dotted half note
  • quarter rest, half note, quarter note
  • quarter rest, half note, quarter rest
  • quarter rest, 2 eighth notes, half note
  • quarter rest, 2 eighth notes, half rest
  • quarter rest, dotted half rest
  • dotted half note & quarter rest
  • dotted half note & quarter note
  • dotted half note & two eighth notes
  • 2 eighth notes, dotted half note
  • 2 eighth notes, 3 quarter notes
  • 2 eighth notes, 2 quarter notes, 1 quarter rest
  • 2 eighth notes, half note, quarter note
  • 2 eighth notes, half note, quarter rest

PROCEDURE:

Large Group Activity - Do this activity FIRST, just using the magnetic cards on the whiteboard. Have one student come up at a time to choose the rhythm card to build a rhythm line.

Building Rhythms: GROUPS

  1. Allow teams one minute to sort their blocks into groups, according to the FIRST note or rest on each block. Seven categories (put whole note & whole rest in the same group). TE also arranges the magnetic cards on the whiteboard into groups.
  2. TE claps and says one rhythm card from each section. (TE should have all the rhythm combinations written down on a sheet of paper.)
  3. Start with just 4 or 8 beat rhythms (two-four blocks), building up to 16 beat rhythms (four blocks).

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY:

Composing - Boomwhackers®

Groups build a four block (16 beat) rhythm pattern. Choose one color Boomwhacker® for each member in the group (two per person, so they can hit them together). Practice and then perform for class.

RHYTHM LANGUAGE:

This is the method I use when teaching note values. By using this type of movement while rhythm clapping, (even if this is not done vocally e.g., TE not saying the words), students can SEE the beats.

  • "hold that whole note" - TE claps once, then keeping palms together does a small circular motion to show the four beats.
  • "half note" - TE claps once and makes one small circular motion
  • "quarter" - TE claps once
  • "quarter rest" - TE gently bounces hands with palms up once to indicate a beat of silence
  • "half note dot" (dotted half note) - TE claps once and does two circular motions
  • "two eighths" - TE claps twice