Instrumental - Year 3 Lesson 4

The fourth lesson in the Year 3 Instrumental Compositions & Activities series is designed to enhance students' musical skills through engaging with tuned percussion instruments. The learning objectives include playing pulse and rhythm with precision, internalising rhythms and melodies, creating layers of sound using ostinatos, and improving group performance and appraisal skills. The lesson utilises various resources such as chime bars, xylophones, and beaters, with notes C, D, E, G, and A, as well as activity and notation sheets to guide the students.

Main activities of the lesson involve a mix of practical exercises and group work. Students start by playing along to a drum pattern, then revisit the song 'Engine Engine Number Nine', tapping and playing the pulse and rhythm on tuned instruments. They also work on internalising the rhythm before adding a tuned ostinato. Group work is strongly emphasised, with children divided into mixed-ability teams to complete a series of tasks that culminate in a group performance. The lesson concludes with an appraisal of the performances and a discussion on individual learning styles, whether visual or aural. The plenary activity involves singing 'Goodbye Everyone' with instrumental accompaniment, reinforcing the concepts learned during the session.