💃 Shakira Medley Body Percussion Play-Along (Younger Elementary Edition)

If you enjoyed last week’s rhythm play-along featuring a Shakira medley, this week’s extension brings that same music into a movement-based, body percussion experience designed especially for younger elementary students.

This activity gives students a chance to feel the rhythm through movement while reinforcing note values, rests, and musical expression—all while celebrating Women’s History Month and engaging with music they recognize and love.

🎶 What Makes This Version Different?

This body percussion play-along is intentionally designed for younger learners who benefit from movement and kinesthetic learning. Each rhythm is paired with a clear, engaging motion:

• Quarter Notes → Stomp (or stamp) your feet and jump. Alternative: Tap your knees if you cannot jumo or stomp

• Half Notes → Step-slide Alternative: Tap and slide hands on the lap.

• Whole Notes → Snap (or flick fingers in the air)

• Whole Rests → Wave hands in the air

• Half Rests → Whisper “shh… shh…”

• Syncopated Chant → Wave fists in the air

💡 Quick teacher note: You may notice I use both “stamp” and “stomp.”
“Stamp” comes from older English usage, while “stomp” is more commonly used today—both are correct and interchangeable, so feel free to use whichever language fits your classroom!

🧠 Why This Works

This activity supports:

• Beat and rhythm recognition

• Understanding note/rest values

• Gross motor (non-locomotor) movement skills

• Ensemble participation and turn-taking

• Connecting movement to musical structure

It’s especially effective for students who need multi-sensory learning experiences.

🎲 How I Teach It (Student-Led & Engaging!)

One of my favorite ways to introduce the manipulatives is by using
👉 Wheel of Names https://wheelofnames.com/

Here’s how it works in my classroom:

1. Add all student names to the wheel

2. Spin twice (or use the beta feature with two wheels!)

3. The selected students come to the board

4. They look at a slide and determine the correct body percussion movement

5. Once successful, the entire class joins in

6. Repeat until all slides are explored

After practicing with the manipulatives, we:
➡️ Play the Shakira Body Percussion Play-Along video
➡️ Perform the movements together with the music

🌎 Extend the Learning

This lesson pairs beautifully with last week’s Rhythm Play-Along (https://youtu.be/aRYoRpQ_1MM), giving you:

✔️ A rhythm-focused activity
✔️ A movement-based activity
✔️ A way to differentiate across grade levels
✔️ A meaningful connection to women in music

Plus, both sets include 10 fun facts about Shakira, helping you integrate a bit of music history and culture into your lesson.

📥 Grab the Free Manipulatives

The Body Percussion Manipulatives are available for free here:
👉 https://buymeacoffee.com/elmusedtech/extras