​Completing the Meter Using Number Reasoning 
Connections: Math/Addition/Reasoning
Students will be able to complete, create, and improvise rhythms in meters of 2, 3, and 4.
Students will be able to use barlines to organize rhythms into meters of 2, 3, and 4.

Procedure:

Review familiar rhythms and meter with students. Play or keep a steady beat for students as they improvise rhythms (and if possible, use rhythm syllables) over top of the beat - first, rhythms of 2-beat durations, then 3, then 4. 

On the board, allow students to take turns writing rhythms in different meters. A time-saving option is to use pre-cut magnetic rhythms (or non-magnetic, if you prefer to use the floor) for students to pick from and arrange in appropriate patterns, performing them as a whole class as they are completed. Next, provide a meter and only some of the rhythm to fill the bars. Allow students to take turns completing the bars while being mindful of the rhythms already taking up certain beats. Discuss why some rhythms would work and others would not (2-beat vs. 1-beat rhythms). Next, write or arrange rhythms into longer lines and have students add barlines according to meter. As always, allow students to perform the completed rhythms. 

Now that you've modeled completing the rhythms, it's the students' turn. Pass out the sheets for students to complete individually or in partners by adding bar lines to separate rhythms into appropriate meters, then writing in rhythms of their choice on the back. You may scaffold this by helping students write in counts of beats so that they are sure of the number of beats per measure and the total number of beats in the line. Students should perform at least one of their lines of rhythm for the class, or present the rhythm for the class to perform. 

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