A Round of Rhythm

This curriculum unit focuses on making percussion music using Afro-Caribbean and Latin rhythms. Students will make simple hand percussion instruments, study musicians in their historical context, and play percussion music in the ensemble of a drum circle. In addition to experimenting with rhythm instruments and music performance, students will also learn how to facilitate a drum circle as a community practice.
A Round of Rhythm is intended for use alongside a high school Spanish language classroom, specifically with students of the School District of Philadelphia in mind. As of October, 2016, half of Philadelphia public school students are African-American, another 20% of our students are Hispanic, and still more identified as multi-racial. This unit, then, provides educators with supplemental materials relevant to the cultural heritage of our population, and will allow students to explore the close relationship between cultures and the arts.