Encourage tinkering with ideas, relationships, connections. Set up situations where students have to find information not readily available in school texts. Provide opportunity for students to design open-ended explorations of the concept. Provide multiple options so students can plan a unique "proof" of learning.
Create melody to play with complex meter.
Objective: To encourage students to create their own musical experiences using complex meter.
Activity: 1) Divide students into groups of three--have students create four measures of pattern in meter of five using body percussion and non-pitched instruments--contrast on accented, unaccented beats (using 2 & 3, or 3 & 2). 2) Give students one minute to decide which "job" they will perform. (Tell them that the teacher will assign the jobs if they haven't decided among themselves within that time frame.) Jobs: a) Play accented beat. b) Play unaccented beat(s). c) Add a melody with recorder using G pentatonic to go with meter. d) Tell students to prepare their creations for class performance.
