The College of Wooster

MUSC 342: Pre-K and Elementary Methods

Rhythm in Chattanooga Choo-Choo
Date: Wednesday, December 23, 2015 @ 7:00pm
Grade: Third Grade
Concepts:
Rhythm
Melody
Content Standards:

1PR: Sing a varied repertoire with accurate rhythm and pitch individually and with
others.
3PR: Use the head voice to produce a light, clear sound while maintain
appropriate posture.
7PR: Read, write, and perform using eighth notes, quarter notes, half notes, and
quarter rests in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meter.

Prerequisites:

Students must be able to keep a steady beat.

Students must be able to differentiate between quarter notes, eighth notes, and
sixteenth notes.
Students must recall mnemonic rhythm devices.
Students must be able to sing in their head voice with appropriate posture.

Objectives:
Students use the ta/ti-ti chant system to read rhythms.
Materials:

Piano for instructor starting pitch if necessary

Chattanooga Choo-Choo Score
Notated Rhythm for Chattanooga Choo-Choo on a single PowerPoint slide
SMART Board for Notated Rhythm

Alexandra Piepenbrink

Procedures:
1. Prepare the SMART Board with the notated rhythm for Chattanooga ChooChoo
2. Greet the students.
3. Ask the students to form a circle.
4. Prepare students to echo rhythmic patterns.
a. Students, I am going to say some patterns using ta, ti-ti, and tika-tika. I
would like you to echo my patterns.
5. Ask students to keep a steady beat on their laps with spider fingers.
6. Demonstrate rhythmic patterns for the students to echo while maintaining a
steady beat. Repeat each step as 1-2 times or as needed.
a. mm. 1 (tika-tika, tika-tika, tika-tika, ti- ti)
b. mm. 2 (tika-tika, tika-tika, ti-ti, ta)
c. mm. 3 (ta, ta, tika-tika, ti-ti)
d. mm. 4 (ta, ta, ti-ti, ta)
e. mm. 5 (ta, ta, tika-tika, ti-ti)
f. mm. 6 (ta, ta, ti-ti, ta)
g. mm. 1-2 without repeat
h. mm. 1-2 with repeat
i. mm. 3-4
j. mm. 3-6
k. mm. 1-6 with repeat
7. Ask the students to form a semi-circle in front of the SMART Board.
8. Ask students to keep a steady beat on their laps with spider fingers.
9. Students will maintain a steady beat while chanting the mnemonic rhythm
devices for the notation displayed on the SMART Board.
10. Students will remain in a semi circle.
11. Prepare students to sing.
a. Students, this morning on my way to school, I had to stop at a train
crossing. It reminded me of a song I would like to share with you.
12. Ask students to keep a steady beat on their laps with spider fingers.
13. Instructor sings Chattanooga Choo-Choo in its entirety.
14. Prepare students to echo melodic patterns.
a. Students, will you be my echo?
15. Demonstrate rhythmic patterns for the students to echo while maintaining a
steady beat. Repeat each step as 1-2 times or as needed.
a. mm. 1 (Chattanooga, Chattanooga, Chattanooga Choo-Choo)
b. mm. 2 (Chattanooga, Chattanooga Choo-Choo Train)
c. mm. 3 (Oh That Chattanooga Choo-Choo)
d. mm. 4 (Oh That Choo-Choo Train)
e. mm. 5 (Oh That Chattanooga Choo-Choo)
f. mm. 6 (Oh That Choo-Choo Train)
g. mm. 1-2 without repeat
h. mm. 1-2 with repeat
i. mm. 3-4

Alexandra Piepenbrink

j. mm. 3-6
k. mm. 1-6 with repeat
16. Students sing Chattanooga Choo-Choo in its entirety without instructor aid.
17. Ask students to stand up and spread themselves out in the room. Students must
at least an arms length away from any other student.
18. Instructor taps a steady beat on the hand drum and asks students to walk to the
steady beat.
19. Students sing Chattanooga Choo-Choo while walking to the quarter notes.
Repeat if necessary.
20. Students sing Chattanooga Choo-Choo while walking to the eighth notes.
Repeat if necessary.
21. Students sing Chattanooga Choo-Choo while walking to the sixteenth notes.
Repeat if necessary.
22. Instructor continues to tap a steady beat and asks students to walk back to their
seats. When the last student is seated, the steady beat stops.
23. Students are dismissed.

Adaptations:
All students are typically developing and have no physical limitations, therefore
no adaptations will be necessary for this lesson.

Assessment:
Isolate small groups of students (2-3 students) to perform one of the notated
rhythms together as a group and check for accuracy.
Watch students as they walk around the room and assess if they are subdividing
each beat correctly.

Reflection:

Were my instructions clear and easy to follow?

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What went well in the lesson?

Alexandra Piepenbrink

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What could be improved upon in the lesson?
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Which students excelled?
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Which students need additional help/practice?

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Alexandra Piepenbrink