Need an Engaging Rhythm Play-Along for Elementary Music?

March is Women’s History Month in the United States, and it is a wonderful opportunity to introduce students to influential female artists while reinforcing important music skills. If you are looking for a high-energy rhythm activity that works with multiple grade levels, this new Shakira Rhythm Play-Along might be a great addition to your classroom this month.

This rhythm play-along features a medley of three popular songs by Shakira:

• Try Everything

• Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)

• Zoo

Shakira is a Colombian singer, songwriter, and performer known for blending Latin pop, rock, and world music influences in her music. Her global career and cultural impact make her a great artist to explore during Women’s History Month.

Rhythm Concepts Included in the Video

One of the goals of this play-along is to make it flexible for different elementary grade levels. The video includes alternative rhythm patterns, allowing teachers to select the level that best fits their students.

🎶The rhythms included are:

• Whole notes and whole rests

• Half notes and half rests

• Quarter notes

• Eighth notes

• Dotted quarter notes

• Dotted eighth–sixteenth combinations

• Accents

• Dynamic markings

There is also a dance party section, giving students a chance to move and celebrate the music between rhythm rounds.

Classroom Manipulatives to Support the Activity

To help students practice and internalize the rhythm patterns before or after watching the video, I created printable manipulatives that match the rhythms used in the play-along.

📎These include:

• A PowerPoint file and a PDF file for practicing the patterns

• A set of 10 fun facts about Shakira for discussion

You can find the manipulatives here:
https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/extras

These resources can be used for:

• Warm-ups before the video

• Small-group rhythm centers

• Call-and-response rhythm practice

• Discussion about Women’s History Month and influential artists

🎥 Access the video here.

Coming Soon: A Body Percussion Version

If you teach younger elementary students, a body percussion play-along video will be released soon. This version is designed specifically for primary grades, allowing students to experience the music through movement and simple body percussion patterns.

The body percussion activity will also include matching manipulatives so students can visually explore the rhythm patterns before performing them.