Exploratorium
Exploratorium: Science Snacks: Falling Rhythm
An engineering design process project for students to create a regular rhythm of beats by spacing weights along a string and then dropping the string.
Other
The Basics of Reading Music
This site is an overview of how to read music. The basics of notation such as note and rest values, the names of lines and spaces of both treble and bass clefs, etc. are covered. Includes downloadable audio files.
Quia
Quia: Rhythm
Try these review activities in your music class! Chose from four games: matching, concentration, flashcards, or a word search. Vocabulary words on the topic of musical rhythm are used in these exercises.
BBC
Bbc: Bitesize: Music of Africa
This site is a part of the About Music site of the BBC, and this interactive site lets you explore various parts of Africa, their music, their instruments, their sounds. Requires Real Player.
Quia
Quia: Musical Elements
A great matching game to reinforce music vocabulary and an understanding of the elements of music.
PBS
Pbs: The Lowdown: A Rhythm Etic
Rock out to a musical demonstration of math involved in constructing rhythms from groups of beats in this video from KQED. In the accompanying classroom activity, students consider how the note durations comprising a measure in 3/4 time...
Frontiers Media
Frontier: So You Think You Can't Dance?
Believe it or not, even babies can feel the beat of a rhythm. However, science has documented the first case of a person who could not dance to the beat. His name is Mathieu, and he is an intelligent, talented - even musical - guy with...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: I Know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
This lesson teaches students to sing along to a cumulative song, maintain a steady beat while singing, and create movements that go with the song's rhythm.
PBS
Wgbh: Peep and the Big Wide World: Games: Sounds Like Fun!
Cleverly animated game that alerts young learners to the musical sounds all around them in their everyday environments. A useful exercise in helping children understand sound patterns and repetitive beats and the meaning of start and...
Other
Music Theory First Aid for Struggling Students
This site provides music theory information on such topics as rhythm, intervals, scales, chords, etc. Also, there is a fine section which describes the basic concepts of form and structure.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Bo Diddley
Creator of the "Bo Diddley beat", this rock & roller was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. Here is a brief biographical sketch of his life.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Life's Little Questions: Can You Beat Jet Lag
Explore the human body's need for a normal cycle of dark and light and apply this to an understanding of biological clocks in other animals. Test the effect of light on the development of mealworm larvae into adults.
ArtsNow
Arts Now Learning: Rhythmic Experiences [Pdf]
In this lesson. students will learn that musical symbols have numerical values as they divide beats and meters, perform and create rhythm patterns, and practice operations with fractions.
PBS
Pbs: Jazz and Math: Improvisation Permutations
This instructional activity deals primarily with the number of rhythmic combinations that can be found in a four beat measure of music. Students will learn through trial and error and derive a mathematical formula to calculate the number...
ArtsNow
Arts Now Learning: The Sound of Numbers [Pdf]
In this lesson plan, students will explore numbers and their relationships through rhythm and learn how every aspect of music can be described mathematically.
PBS
Pbs Learning Media: Math + Arts: Musical Fractions
For this lesson, students will explore fractions through rhythmic sequences. Media sources and teaching materials are included.
Other
Guitar Land: Music 10: Note Values and Rhythms
An overview of the value of notes. Includes many examples of rhythms and tempos.
Other
Metronome Online
This free online metronome is ideal for anyone who does not have a metronome. It allows you to choose any tempo so you can practice at a steady pace.
Phil Tulga
Phil Tulga: Unifix Drum Machine
Get creative making your own beat patterns with this fun interactive unifix drum machine. Simply click the yellow squares wherever you like and then hit the play button. You can also choose from example drum patterns.
OpenStax
Open Stax: Catherine Schmidt Jones: Syncopation
Understand what syncopation means by reading about it at this web page. Includes audio examples and written examples that help to make this type of rhythm easier to understand.
PBS
Pbs Kids: Sid the Science Kid: Sandbox Symphony
Make an interesting musical composition by choosing from a menu of traditional and nontraditonal instruments.
Dallas Symphony Orchestra
Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Snare Drum
Use this resource to learn about the percussion family of instruments, especially the snare drum. Find out how it helps the orchestra make music. Use RealAudio or Windows Media Player to listen to the snare drum by itself and with the...
Other
Music You Can Read Polly Wolly Doodle
This site provides information about the song "Polly Wolly Doodle." Includes downloadable PDF files on topics such as beats and rhythm. Also gives good ideas and questions for learning about the song.
Other
Vic Firth: Educator's Resource Library
This website is a cornucopia of resources for percussion instruction. There are videos, audiocasts, podcasts, interviews with talented percussionists. Please check out this website is you are interested in any aspect of percussion.