Little Red Caboose Part II - Rhythm Activity

Before beginning this activity, print out, laminate, and cut out the caboose and train pictures. Also, have on hand the drums from the Drum Fun activity.

Once children are able to competently sing and add the claps to Little Red Caboose, have them sit on the floor. Sing Little Red Caboose. As you sing, lay the pictures on the floor in the order shown on the Little Red Caboose Map. Do not add the drums at this time. Ask the children to sing the song with you while you point to the pictures.

Ask the children if anything is missing that could be represented. (Claps) The children may or may not come up with the answer.  Sing the song again and lay a drum card in it's proper place (see map). Do this for only the first two phrases. At the third phrase, have the children tell you how many drums to put where.

Sing the song and clap on the drums. Turn one drum over so the blank side faces up. Remind the children that this is a silent beat and to audiate that beat when you reach it. Sing the song and audiate the silent beat.

Choose a child to turn over another drum card. Sing. Repeat until all drums are "silent."

Phase II: Allow children to turn over the caboose and train cards and audiate those portions of the song.

Phase III: Lay out the caboose, train, and drum pictures and give a hand drum to one child. Ask the child to play the drum on the "drums." Remove the sets of three drums (phrases 2 and 4) and replace them with tambourine pictures. Hand a tambourine to another child. Ask the child with the drum, "Do you know when to play your drum?" Ask the child with the tambourine, "Do you know when to play the tambourine?" While the rest of the children sing, allow the drum and tambourine players an opportunity to play their parts. Repeat with other children.

Once students are competent at this activity, allow them to turn pictures over and audiate those beats.

Phase IV: Give small groups of children a set of picture cards. Let them create and play their own instumentations, including silent beats and audiated phrases.