51ºÚÁÏ

Looking for a new style of lesson that builds rhythm-reading skills and gets students playing rhythms in time? Bring the energy of samba to your classroom! This classroom samba with a mountain explorers theme is a fun, no-prep way to get your students reading and playing rhythms together. Perfect for upper primary and lower secondary music classes!

What’s included?
A 5-section class samba piece (PowerPoint + Google Slides)
Embedded audio clips to demonstrate each rhythm
Teacher instructions with step-by-step guidance for teaching and performing
Optional printable rhythm cards for the group ostinato rhythms
Optional worksheet (use in class or as homework)

Tell me more!
The aim of this lesson is to improve students’ reading and playing of rhythms, through learning a simple samba-style piece. Students perform rhythms in different ways, sometimes as a whole class and sometimes in small groups, using call & response, ostinatos, and imitation.

Rhythms include crotchets, quavers, semiquavers and crotchet rests. The samba can be taught in 20–30 minutes or extended into a full lesson with group swaps and performances and the additional worksheet included. This activity requires no prep, no technology except your screen, and any or no percussion instruments — samba drums, untuned percussion, bucket drums, or simply clapping/body percussion. It is versatile and can just as easily be used with small groups as with large classes. Each rhythm has a Mountain Explorers theme - not too babyish for older students, but helps with learning and remembering the rhythms.

Most class drumming lessons focus on everyone playing the same, with little or no independence required and no opportunity for students to develop the skill of keeping their own beat while others play something different. Other rhythm lessons focus only on writing and have no practical element. This classroom samba activity is a fresh alternative that balances fun performance with genuine literacy skills.

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