Unit 3: South America (Instrumental lessons)

Learning about the history and features of Latin America music, performing a salsa style song and playing from staff notation; performing a mini carnival using a range of performance techniques including song, dance, tuned and untuned musical instruments.

Choose your lesson

Lesson 1: Vamos, let's go!

Learning to perform rhythms accurately using untuned percussion instruments and vocals, combining the key rhythms used in salsa music

Learning Objective

To learn, perform and combine the key rhythms used in salsa music

Lesson 2: History of Latin music

Discovering the importance of music and dance to Latin American culture. Learning about the history of latin music, children begin to appreciate and understand the wide range of South American music types including rumba, cha-cha-cha, samba and tango.

Learning Objective

To understand the history and key features of latin music

Lesson 3: Salsa melodies

In pairs, pupils create their own melodies using tuned percussion instruments to perform alongside the main song 'Vamos, lets go!'

Learning Objective

To identify the pitch of notes from staff notation, and play them accurately

Lesson 4: Melodic composition

Composing salsa melodies; working on aspects of prior tuned percussion learning, including playing technique, understanding of rhythmic notation and pitch notation, and understanding of the history/context of the music.

Learning Objective

To compose and notate a salsa-inspired melody

Lesson 5: Carnival spirit

The unit culminates with a celebration of the Latin American tradition of carnival, where children each take different roles using voice, dance, tuned and untuned percussion instruments to perform their own mini carnival

Learning Objective

To confidently perform a piece of salsa music using voices, instruments, and dancing

Assess your pupils

Assessment resources for use at the start of the unit to assess where pupils are in their learning and at the end of the unit to assess progress. Go to assessment resources
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