These red, bouncy playground balls will help my students learn musical concepts in many ways. First, they can bounce the ball to the beat of different kinds of music. They will experience fast and slow tempos as well as gradual changes in tempos. They can read 2-4 measure rhythms and bounce the balls to match those rhythms. They can compose their own rhythms and play these rhythms along with recorded music or with their classmates.
Beat awareness and rhythm reading aren't the only things my students can use these playground balls for.
They can also bounce and roll the balls to different music to show the form, or structure, of the music. They can create their own routines to show the form of different kinds of music. We can put these balls on a plastic bucket and use dowel sticks to play the balls with sticks while reading longer, more complex rhythms. Finally, we can use these balls in numerous singing games in our classroom.
More than half of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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