Unit Plan 3 (Grade 3 Music): Rhythm Patterns Review

Focus: Read, perform, and create simple rhythmic patterns using iconic and standard notation, within a clear meter.

Grade Level: 3

Subject Area: Music (Rhythm • Reading • Creating)

Total Unit Duration: 1–3 sessions (3+ weeks), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students review and strengthen their understanding of rhythm patterns. They practice reading and performing simple rhythms from icons (pictures, shapes) and standard notation (quarter notes, eighth notes, rests) and connect these patterns to the meter they learned previously. Students echo, read, and perform patterns using clapping, body percussion, and classroom instruments, then move on to creating their own rhythms within a given beat framework. As they share their patterns with classmates, they explain how they organized their ideas to fit the steady beat and the structure of the measure.

Essential Questions

• What is a rhythm pattern, and how is it different from the steady beat?
• How can I read and perform rhythms from icons and from standard notation?
• How do meter and beat structure (in 2s or 3s, or 4-beat measures) help us organize rhythm patterns?
• How can I create my own rhythmic ideas that fit a given beat count or meter?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Read and perform simple rhythmic patterns (using quarter notes, paired eighth notes, and rests) from iconic and standard notation.
2. Echo and perform rhythmic patterns with a steady beat, using body percussion and classroom instruments.
3. Analyze short pieces or patterns to identify repeated rhythms and how they fit into a measure or meter (e.g., 4 beats per pattern).
4. Generate and notate their own rhythmic ideas within a given meter or number of beats (e.g., 4-beat or 8-beat patterns).
5. Perform their created patterns and briefly explain how they organized the rhythm to fit the beat and meter.

Standards Alignment — Grade 3 Music (NAfME-Aligned)

• MU:Pr4.2.3b — When analyzing selected music, read and perform rhythmic patterns and melodic phrases using iconic and standard notation.
  • Example: Reading and performing a notated melody on a recorder.
• MU:Cr1.1.3b — Generate musical ideas (such as rhythms and melodies) within a given tonality and/or meter.
  • Example: Writing a short melody in duple meter using a limited pitch set.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can read and clap simple rhythms from pictures and from music notes.
• I can keep a steady beat while performing rhythm patterns with my hands, feet, or instrument.
• I can point out repeated rhythms and show how they fit into a measure or a certain number of beats.
• I can create and write my own rhythm pattern that fits in a 4-beat or 8-beat framework.
• I can perform my created rhythm and explain how it matches the beat and meter.