Students will develop an understanding of the defining role of rhythm in Native music. Students will also have the opportunity to identify and practice specific rhythms.

1. Chart Organizer for Dance Types (Dance and Song Rituals of Six Nations Reserve, Ontario)
2. Some Percussion Instruments
3. Recordings of Native Song
4. Hat
5. List of Rhythms with their corresponding titles

1. Have students sit on the floor in a circle and ask why they believe that this act is central to Native culture. Possible Questions include:
   1. Who is visibly the most important person here?
   2. Where does the circle end and begin?

*The idea is to get the students to understand that the circle is to promote respect for each person, and each persons ideas. Sitting in a circle, places everyone (including teacher) at the same level, and in eye contact of every other person. This may be incorporated into future lessons.

1. To practice working within the circle begin a discussion about some recent event or situation that is important to the students lives. Emphasize the fact that each persons views are important and must be respected and listened to without interruption. Responses from peers can be in opposition, but must not be destructive. The teacher will have to act as a referee for the first attempts at this style of communicating.
2. Ask students to describe what motion they hear in the Native music. Play a recording at this time having them focus on the driving force of the music (the percussion instruments!). This section will act as a partial review and transition into the lesson.
3. Play a specific type of Iroquois song (e.g. Hunting) and ask the students to listen to and identify the main rhythmic cell. They should try to record this cell in rhythmic notation. Repetition may be necessary! *Iroquois is necessary as that is the Native Group to which the rhythmic cells originate! Students should be made aware of this!
4. Ensure that everyone has successfully transcribed the rhythm, and then have them tap it out (It will be very useful if you have a wealth of percussive instruments to distribute them at this time. It will enhance the students' enjoyment!). Do this several times to ensure that everyone understands the rhythm.
5. Repeat the same process with a contrasting type of song, noting the differences in the rhythm.
6. Lead a discussion on why this may be. Students should come up with the idea that each type of song may have a different rhythm associated with it.
7. Tell the class that you are gong to learn some of the rhythmic patterns so that they will be able to identify a song type just by focusing on the rhythm.
8. Distribute the chart organizers and tell students that they have already done the work for the first two boxes. Have them write in the titles and the rhythmic cells.
9. Provide the title for the next one.
10. Tell the students that you will beat out the rhythm, and they should beat it back. Begin!
11. Next, you will beat the rhythm, and they should try to write it down. Repeat this process until everyone has the correct rhythm.
12. Ask one student to pick a rhythm out of a hat. The hat should be stuffed with pieces of paper that have a rhythm and the type of song written on them. Repeat steps 8 through 10. The student who selects the rhythm assumes the teaching role for that section and should be guided to model the teachers example from step 11.
13. Repeat step 11 until each chart is complete.
14. Split the class in half, and have each student test the group by tapping out a rhythm. The group should tap the rhythm back and then the peer sitting to the left should identify its title, followed by the tapping of the rhythm. (This will secure the rhythmic knowledge for the students).
15. As an entire class, play some Native songs, asking students to identify the type, supporting their conclusions with rhythmic reasoning. Each student should have an opportunity to complete this task.
16. Split students into groups of 4.
17. Each group should select 2 or 3 different types of rhythms, put them together consecutively, rehearse them, and play them for the class.
18. The class can then try to differentiate between the rhythms, and identify the song types used by the group.

1. Circle Participation and Cooperation.
2. Chart Organizers.
3. Rhythmic Clapping Accuracy.
4. Justification of Song Type.
5. Group Work and Cohesiveness.

1. Introduction to the Circle and Native Rhythms.
2. Group Testing.
3. Group Compositions.