Rhythm and Pulse Lesson Plan - Year 6 Lesson 2

In the second lesson of a series for Year 6 students on Rhythm & Pulse, the objective is to cultivate musicality through clapping routines, dance movements, and singing. The lesson aims to foster creativity in rhythm patterns and actions while maintaining a steady pulse. Students are encouraged to learn and perform dance moves and actions to songs, and to sing with precise diction and in harmonious two-part arrangements. The key vocabulary for this lesson includes terms such as rhythm, pulse, sequence, routine, and create, which are essential for understanding the musical concepts being taught.

The main activities of the lesson involve students partnering up to devise their own clapping and movement sequences set to music with a reliable beat or to the rhythm provided by a drum. They are given the opportunity to showcase their original routines to the class, with an emphasis on originality and complexity. The lesson plan includes engaging clapping games and teaches students to sing the songs "Bow Wow Wow" and "John Kanaka" in two parts, which can be interwoven as partner songs. The plenary session involves a discussion about the students' favourite musical games and the skills they are developing, encouraging the use of musical terminology. The lesson concludes with the interactive pulse game "Goodbye Mary," where students create and share actions in time with the music. This lesson aligns with the National Curriculum, promoting ensemble performance and exploration of musical elements such as duration and texture.