Grade 3 Lesson 2

Objectives/Understanding Statements
• Students will identify and define whole, half, quarter, and paired eighth notes.
• Students will identify and define whole, half, and quarter rests.
• Students will count and perform rhythms consisting of whole, half, quarter, their corresponding
rests, and paired eighth notes.
• Students will identify and define the following musical symbols: treble clef, staff, lines/spaces

Standards
Virginia Music Standards of Learning
2.1 The student will read and notate music, including
2. using the musical alphabet to notate melodic patterns;
4. reading and notating rhythmic patterns that include half notes, half rests, whole
notes, and whole rests; and
5. using basic music symbols.

Procedure
• Review staff, treble clef, lines, and spaces
• Worksheet
• Review answers as a class
• Introduce whole, half, quarter, and paired eighth notes
• What is a steady beat? What are rhythms?
• Whole note=four beats (begin drawing note tree), clap for four counts
• Half note=2 beats
• Quarter note=1 beat
• Eighth note=half a beat
• Ask a student to volunteer to provide a steady beat
• Use an instrument (violin) to demonstrate note values
• Introduce whole, half, and quarter rests
• Connect rests to corresponding note values
• Half rest looks like hat
• Whole rest looks like a hole
• Practice identifying all rhythms
• Mystery rhythm game
• Go through each of the cards and practice with the class first
• 3-4 music stands hold different rhythm cards
• Play one of the rhythms and have the students guess which one it was
• Review Brahms activity
• Brahms background
• Review activity movements
• Practice with music
• Act out story
Assessment
• Teacher will assess students’ abilities to identify and define whole, half, quarter, and paired
eighth notes as well as whole, half, and quarter rests by
• Teacher will assess students’ abilities to count and perform rhythms consisting of whole, half,
quarter, their corresponding rests, and paired eighth notes by
• Teacher will assess students’ abilities to identify and define musical symbols such as the staff,
treble clef, and lines/spaces by evaluating their responses to related questions.

Materials
• Review worksheet
• Pencils
• Smart Board
• Blank staff: https://musiciselementary.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/
MIE1118_Staff_Paper_Single.jpg
• Rhythm cards

Adaptations
• Size: Worksheet (smaller print) - Rhythm cards (medium print) - Smart Board (large print)
• Color: Use different colored markers for each note/rest value.
• Pacing: Teacher will monitor the progress of the class by asking questions to check for
understanding and will adjust instruction accordingly.
• Modality: Division of beats by drawing note tree on the board (visual), Clapping and
performing rhythms (kinesthetic), verbal instruction and demonstration of rhythms (aural)

Extensions
This lesson could be extended by having the students use the notes and rhythms learned to
compose their own two measure song. The student could notate their compositions and the
teacher would play them for the class.