ARGENTINA

Lesson 8

Teaching Artist: Juan Manuel Trujillo, Hery Paz
Two puppets presenting the flag of Argentina.

SUMMARY

This is the eighth and final lesson from the Alegría Musical Course. Students will visit Argentina with puppets Pepe and Tito to learn about the traditions of chacarera and tango music. Then students will perform tango and chacarera rhythms as an ensemble.

OBJECTIVE

  • Summarize important information about the culture, history, and geography of Argentina.

  • Create traditional chacarera and tango beats.

MATERIALS

EXPLORE

  1. Distribute the Alegría Musical: Latin American Stories Travel Diary. Allow students a moment to personalize the diary. Tell students they will use the diary as they travel through Latin America with puppets Pepe and Tito, drawing and recording important facts about another culture. 

  2. Show the All About Argentina video. Ask students to remember key geographical and cultural elements discussed in the video. Ask: Where is the country located on a map? What does its flag look like? Is Argentina a small or large country? What is Argentina’s national sport? Which language is spoken in Argentina?

  3. Allow time for students to draw and write in their diary, recalling information they learned from the video.

LEARN

  1. Introduce Tango Music, and explain that just as chacarera music has an accompanying dance, so does tango music. Tango music and dance are very playful and energetic. Ask students to recall which instruments are used to play tango music (bandoneón, violin, piano, double bass, guitar, drum kit, vocalists/singers).

  2. Explain that the bandoneón is an instrument similar to the accordion, which uses bellows to pump air through the instrument much like how you might pump an inflatable mattress. The musician pumps the bellows while pressing keys and buttons on the bandoneón to change the sounds the instrument makes. View the Bandoneón Demonstration Video to see the instrument in action.

  3. Use the Tango Rhythm Instructional Video to learn the beat as a class. Explain that the rhythm is important to both tango music and tango dance steps. The beat can be broken down into four smaller parts, with claps as follows:

    Beat 1 2 3 4

    a) Clap Rest Clap Rest

    b) Clap Rest Clap Clap

    c) Clap Hold Hold Hold

    d) Clap Clap Clap Rest

    Students can try to use their feet to improvise a tango dance, replacing a clap with a step for the above rhythm.

  4. Use the Chacarera Rhythm Instructional Video to practice as a class. It may be helpful to practice each half of the chacarera rhythm separately: 

    1) Both, (rest), Left, Right, Left 

    2) Both, Right, Left, Right, Left

    Note that both halves are similar, except 2) has a note that replaces the rest in 1)

PERFORM+SHARE

Create a one minute video of students clapping the tango or chacarera beats. Share the video on the S’Cool Sounds Padlet.