CURRICULUM PROGRAMS

DRUMMING UP CHARACTER (DUC)

"Drumming Up Character" is a powerful, multi-disciplinary curriculum for character education combining ensemble drumming, dancing, character rap songs, and the performing arts. Designed to fulfill state and national educational standards for learning, this unique program also includes reading, writing, and creative arts activities designed to build critical thinking skills.

Dancing Drum developed Drumming Up Character during a summer program with at-risk youth in Southern California. The challenge was to create a curriculum that would engage and inspire students grades K-8 to learn about good character and how to become a better person. That summer, the upbeat and fun style of the Drumming Up Character program created an environment where learning about good character was a "cool" thing to do. Students eagerly embraced the exciting music, and they worked together to learn the character raps, rhythms, and dances for their performance on Family Night.

The program was such a tremendous success that we decided to write a curriculum book that would enable other teachers to implement Drumming Up Character at their schools. The goal was to create a straight-forward and accessible approach so that anybody, even teachers without a background in music education, could implement the program. Since the first publication, hundreds of schools nationwide and internationally have successfully implemented Drumming Up Character with their students.

Video: Drumming Up Character

in New Orleans

PROFILES IN CHARACTER

Each Character Chapter features a "Profile in Character", including:

SELF-CONTROL

Jane Goodall

FAIRNESS
Susan B. Anthony

CARING
Maria Montessori

RESPONSIBILITY
Franklin D. Roosevelt

RESPECT
Cesar Chavez

CITIZENSHIP
Wangari Maathai

COURAGE
Martin Luther King

TRUSTWORTHINESS
Sacagawea

PERSEVERANCE
The Wright Brothers

INTEGRITY
Abraham Lincoln

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ADINKRA SYMBOLS

Each character is paired with an Adinkra symbol - a traditional, West African system for communicating the values of a community. For example, the Adinkra below shows two crocodiles that share one stomach. It is a reminder that, despite our differences, we all musi share the same world and learn to live together in peace. It represents the character of Citizenship.

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“Drumming Up Character” was awarded approval for Social Content Compliance from the California Department of Education. This means that the Drumming Up Character book, CD, and DVD adhere to state educational standards for portraying democratic values, cultural pluralism, and the diversity of our population by emphasizing people in a variety of important roles.

CURRICULUM MATERIALS

The Drumming Up Character Teacher’s Guide includes:

A TEACHER'S "HOW TO" with 50+ pages on:
• Dancing Drum's Rhythm Phonics method
• Leading drumming activities in the classroom
• Leading dancing and singing activities
• Implementing a performance-based program

CHARACTER CURRICULUM
• 10 Character Chapters
• 10 Profiles in Character (historical biographies)
• 10 Character in Action activities
• 10 Character Raps
• 10 Character Rhythms, with Rhythm Phonics and standard notations
• 100+ Photos & Illustrations
• Vocabulary Synonyms & Antonyms
• Reading Comprehension questions
• Performance Invitation & Certificate of Achievement
• Teacher's Key & Bibliography

MULTI-MEDIA
• CD with 21 music tracks, with and without lyrics
• DVD with full instructions for all rhythms and dances

The Drumming Up Character Student Workbook includes:

• 10 Character Chapters
• 10 Profiles in Character
• 10 Character in Action activities
• 10 Character Raps
• 10 Character Rhythms
• Photos & Illustrations

• Adinkra Symbols and Interpretations
• Vocabulary Synonyms & Antonyms
• Reading Comprehension questions