I D E A S T H E G R E A T L I S T O F C E N T E R S

[Pages:13]THE GREAT LIST OF CENTERS IDEAS

So you're thinking about starting centers? Or you've already started but you need some new ideas? Either way, you're making a great decision. Centers provide choice, differentiation, and allow students to feel more in control of their learning. Plus, they can talk during centers so you won't have to spend the whole day telling them to be quiet! This PDF includes a ton of different centers ideas organized by category. Some activities will fit into multiple categories. If they are underlined, that means that you can click on it to read a blog, watch a video, or see an example of that activity.

(c) 2022 R. Davis,

RHYTHM CENTERS

Popsicle sticks: Have students use popsicle sticks to build stick notation rhythm.

Rhythm cards: Print out rhythm manipulatives (free here!) and have students make rhythms. Here's a few way to use them:

Notation: Notate a song that you have been learning in class. Partner dictation: Have students get into partners. One person says a rhythm and the other makes it with the cards. Stump your partner: Make a rhythm so hard your partner can't read it. Composition + play: Make a rhythm and play on instruments. Practice writing: Make the pattern, then draw on white board or paper. Time signatures: Practice making rhythms in different time signatures.

Kaboom: Write rhythms on cards or popsicle sticks (or print them out here). Students take turns pulling out a card and reading it. If they get it right, they keep it. If it's wrong, they put it back. If they get a Kaboom! They put them all back.

Roll a rhythm: Assign each number on a die to a rhythm (1-- quarter notes, 2-- eighth notes, etc). Have students roll the die to create a rhythm. With the older kids, you can have them create a measure in a certain meter. Students can also do this as a race-- the first one with 4 measures (without going over) is the winner.

Flashcards: Have students put flashcards with rhythm patterns together to create bigger rhythms. They can clap them or play them on instruments. Get free flashcards here.

Body percussion: Have students create a body percussion routine in a group or solo. You can practice ostinati and have them do the movements along with a song you've learned, or on its own. Then they can transfer to instruments!

(c) 2022 R. Davis,

RHYTHM CENTERS

Instruments: Have students learn a song you've been learning on the xylophones, or just the rhythm on rhythm sticks. Print out the words with the rhythm and the letters. Then you can move on to giving them the notes on the staff. Then they can learn unfamiliar patterns. (Note: This is typically one of our centers every time with a different song each time)

Ostinati: Have students create an ostinato to go along with a song you've been learning.

Memory: Print out cards with the rhythms you've been learning. There should be two of each card. Put them face down on the floor, then have students try to find matches.

Play alongs: Youtube is full of rhythm play alongs that are fun and free. If you have devices, you can have a few that students can choose from. Or set this station next to your board and you can have all the students learn the same one. Just type "rhythm play along" into the Youtube browser, and you'll find plenty!

Sounds on beats: If your students aren't reading yet, they can use a beat chart (free, here) and some bingo chips or mini erasers to create rhythms of songs or rhythms that they make up.

Word sorts: Give students cards with words on them and have them sort them by the rhythm (dolphin=eighth notes). They can sort cards into a bucket, or write their answers onto a piece of paper. Grab candy rhythm sort here or ocean animals here.

Picture composition: Give kids words or pictures to create a pattern, then have them find the matching rhythm to put underneath. See an example here.

(c) 2022 R. Davis,

SOLFEGE CENTERS

Chrome Music Lab song maker: Use Song Maker to create solfege patterns. Students just click on the box to make a pattern. It's color coded with the boomwhackers (yay).

Composition: All you have to say is "Just use yellow and dark green" and students will be able to make sol mi patterns. Song notation: Have students figure out a song that you've been working on in class Task cards: Use task cards to guide students as they make different solfege patterns. Just have them match the picture on the card. Get them here.

Notating: Give students a staff (you can print and laminate) and bingo chips or mini erasers. They can notate patterns that they come up with or notate a song.

Dictation: Give the students the supplies from above. Have them work in partners and make up patterns for each other.

Whiteboard: Have students draw their notes on the staff on whiteboards or laminated treble clefs. Writing is completely different than bingo chips, so don't skip this step!

Matching games: Have students match the notes on the staff with the solfa patterns. Check them out here.

Memory: Print out two of every solfege pattern (or do the notes on the staff and the matching solfa pattern) on thick paper. Have them face down. Students take turns looking for matches.

Xylophones: Give students solfa patterns to play on the xylophones! Or have them make up solfa patterns to play on the xylophones.

(c) 2022 R. Davis,

SOLFEGE CENTERS

Manipulatives: Print and cut out little cards that say the solfa you've been working on (so "sol" and "mi). Have students arrange them and sing them. Or have them arrange them and play on the xylophone. Or have them arrange them and write them on the staff! Get ready made (themed!) ones here. Roll a melody: Assign each solfa a number and have students roll a die. Whichever number they land on is the next note in their composition.

(c) 2022 R. Davis,

TREBLE CLEF CENTERS

Treble clef toss: Make a large treble clef (you can draw this on chart paper and laminate). Have students toss bean bags onto the staff, then name the note they landed on. Alternatively, you can have them pull out a card with a note and try to get the bean bag to land on that space or line.

Easter eggs: Put those left over Easter eggs to work! Draw treble clef notes on one half of the egg and the matching letter on the other. Separate and have students match them. It's tedious, but you only have to do it once. Pro tip: Use a skinny Sharpie and cover it with clear nail polish to prevent rubbing off due to use.

Memory: Print out two of every treble clef note (or do the notes on the staff and the matching letter) on thick paper. Have them face down. Students take turns looking for matches.

Bingo chips/minierasers: Give students laminated staves, bingo chips or mini erasers, and a bucket or envelope that has letters in it. Pull out a letter and put it on the staff. Then you can switch to dry erase markers and have students draw them on the staff.

Bingo chips/minierasers words: Give students laminated staves, bingo chips or mini erasers, and a bucket or envelope that has words in it-- only using the letters A-G. Pull out a word and put it on the staff. Then you can switch to dry erase markers and have students draw them on the staff.

Notate a song: Give students a staff, something to write with, and a copy of a song you've been learning with the rhythm and letters. Have them notate the song on the staff.

(c) 2022 R. Davis,

TREBLE CLEF CENTERS

Manipulatives: Print and cut out little cards that say the letters of the treble clef. Have students arrange them and notate them. Or have them arrange them and play on the xylophone. You can also add rhythm manipulatives and have them create whole songs. Roll a melody: Assign each letter a number and have students roll a die. Whichever number they land on is the next note in their composition. Battleship: Each student gets a file folder with 2 staves. On one, they draw 3 "battleships". They take turns guessing where the other students' battleship is. The second staff is for recording answers so they don't guess the same answer multiple times. Get more instructions on how to make this here. Go Fish: Each student gets 7 cards. The take turns asking other students if they have a letter that they need. If the other student has it, they give it to them. If not, they "go fish" and draw a card. Get a ready-made set here. Flashcards: Give students flashcards with patterns on the staff (or just one note) and have them arrange them and play on the xylophone. Story time: Write a quick story and have some of the words replaced with notes on the staff. Students must fill in the missing letters with the notes on the staff.

(c) 2022 R. Davis,

INSTRUMENTS OF THE ORCHESTRA

Memory: Print out pictures of instruments and names of instruments. Put them on the floor upside down. Have students take turns trying to find matches. Most matches at the end wins!

Headbands: Print out cards with names of instruments. Have a student hold a card up to their head without looking. The other students give hints about what instrument it is (it's in the brass family, it is made of metal, etc). The student holding the card has to try to guess.

Drawing: Have students draw pictures of the instruments! The can create their own little one page infographics and the instrument families.

Sort by family: Print out pictures of the instruments. Then have boxes with the names of the families. Have students sort the instruments into the separate boxes by family. Alternatively, they can do this on paper and write their answers to turn in.

Color by family: Print out a page with many instruments and have the students color code them-- blue for strings, red for brass, yellow for woodwind, and green for percussion.

Color what you hear: Have students listen to a piece and color the instruments that they hear while listening.

Matching games: Have students match the instrument to the name and family with these matching games. Click here to check them out.

(c) 2022 R. Davis,

 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download