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Methods:
- Have students sit on the floor in a circle and ask
why they believe that this act is central to Native
culture. Possible Questions include:
- Who is visibly the most important person
here?
- Where does the circle end and begin?
*The idea is to get the students to understand that the
circle is to promote respect for each person, and each
persons ideas. Sitting in a circle, places everyone
(including teacher) at the same level, and in eye contact of
every other person. This may be incorporated into future
lessons.
- To practice working within the circle begin a
discussion about some recent event or situation that is
important to the students lives. Emphasize the fact that
each persons views are important and must be respected
and listened to without interruption. Responses from
peers can be in opposition, but must not be destructive.
The teacher will have to act as a referee for the first
attempts at this style of communicating.
- Ask students to describe what motion they hear in the
Native music. Play a recording at this time having them
focus on the driving force of the music (the percussion
instruments!). This section will act as a partial review
and transition into the lesson.
- Play a specific type of Iroquois song (e.g. Hunting)
and ask the students to listen to and identify the main
rhythmic cell. They should try to record this cell in
rhythmic notation. Repetition may be necessary! *Iroquois
is necessary as that is the Native Group to which the
rhythmic cells originate! Students should be made aware
of this!
- Ensure that everyone has successfully transcribed the
rhythm, and then have them tap it out (It will be very
useful if you have a wealth of percussive instruments to
distribute them at this time. It will enhance the
students' enjoyment!). Do this several times to ensure
that everyone understands the rhythm.
- Repeat the same process with a contrasting type of
song, noting the differences in the rhythm.
- Lead a discussion on why this may be. Students should
come up with the idea that each type of song may have a
different rhythm associated with it.
- Tell the class that you are gong to learn some of the
rhythmic patterns so that they will be able to identify a
song type just by focusing on the rhythm.
- Distribute the chart organizers and tell students
that they have already done the work for the first two
boxes. Have them write in the titles and the rhythmic
cells.
- Provide the title for the next one.
- Tell the students that you will beat out the rhythm,
and they should beat it back. Begin!
- Next, you will beat the rhythm, and they should try
to write it down. Repeat this process until everyone has
the correct rhythm.
- Ask one student to pick a rhythm out of a hat. The
hat should be stuffed with pieces of paper that have a
rhythm and the type of song written on them. Repeat steps
8 through 10. The student who selects the rhythm assumes
the teaching role for that section and should be guided
to model the teachers example from step 11.
- Repeat step 11 until each chart is complete.
- Split the class in half, and have each student test
the group by tapping out a rhythm. The group should tap
the rhythm back and then the peer sitting to the left
should identify its title, followed by the tapping of the
rhythm. (This will secure the rhythmic knowledge for the
students).
- As an entire class, play some Native songs, asking
students to identify the type, supporting their
conclusions with rhythmic reasoning. Each student should
have an opportunity to complete this task.
- Split students into groups of 4.
- Each group should select 2 or 3 different types of
rhythms, put them together consecutively, rehearse them,
and play them for the class.
- The class can then try to differentiate between the
rhythms, and identify the song types used by the
group.
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