Rhythm and Pulse Lesson Plan - Year 2 Lesson 5

In the fifth lesson of the Rhythm & Pulse series for Year 2 students, the aim is to reinforce their understanding of rhythm and pulse and to improve their aural memory through internalising rhythms and phrases. The key vocabulary for this lesson includes 'rhythm', 'pulse', and 'actions'. The main activities are centred around interactive games and action songs that encourage children to engage with musical concepts in a playful manner. One of the activities involves the game 'Diddle Diddle Dumpling', where children substitute words of the chant with specific actions, such as tapping a foot or clapping hands. As they become more confident, they attempt to perform the sequence independently.

The lesson continues with teaching the action song 'Ding Dong', where children nod their heads and clap their hands to specific words in the song, eventually combining the two actions. Another game, 'Bow Wow Wow', has the children perform a series of actions while standing in a circle with a partner, such as clapping hands and walking past their partner without turning around. This activity is followed by a creative exercise where the class composes a piece using rhythm notation from the 'Bow Wow Wow' song, dividing into groups to tap the pulse, rhythm, and a chosen ostinato. The lesson concludes with a performance and appraisal session, where the children critique their own and their peers' performances, focusing on maintaining a steady pulse and accurate rhythm. The plenary unwinds with the song 'Tony Chestnut'. This lesson aligns with the National Curriculum, covering the understanding and exploration of duration, expressive use of voices, musical notation, sound experimentation and combination, and group performance.