YEAR 9 INTEGRATED STUDIES UNIT PLAN LEARNERS: 19 Students. 2 non- music background students. YEAR LEVEL: 9 DURATION: 4 weeks (Term 2, wks 7-10) Topic: Musical Styles Designer: Henry South Overview Students will further explore the fundamental elements of style in music; Melody, Rhythm, Harmony, Timbre and Texture. They will learn theoretical concepts that they can apply to their own musical development. Students will explore different styles of music, ranging from art music to jazz, pop and contemporary and view its evolution through time through a series of YouTube clips and worksheets. Students will be expected to participate in class activities centred on theoretical concepts, rhythm exercises and melodic dictation and aural exercises. Students will learn how composers and musicians manipulate elements of music to create compositions. Upon completion of the unit, students will produce a short musical excerpt to be accompanied by a 150 summary of how they implemented a musical element (Melody, Harmony, Timbre, Rhythm, Texture) in their piece and how they created their musical excerpt. Students will choose an element of style and they will compose using their choice of media, a short musical example in that genre. Students will be expected to make the necessary adjustments of style and pulse to suit that specific genre. Students may choose from a number of styles covered throughout the topic. Students will be provided with opportunities to compose, arrange and improvise on ICT programs throughout the unit in order to help them achieve the final assessment. Topics covered throughout the unit include: Melody: Students participate in games to familiarise themselves with the clefs (treble and bass). Students look at melody in classical music (single lesson), as well as in pop music (vocal song). Students will compose their own vocal song, divided into two lessons. A single lesson working out the lyrics (12 bar blues style) and another single recording the vocal track. Harmony: Students are introduced to classical harmony and associated terms (cadences, I- IV- V progressions). They participate in a class activity where they compose lyrics to accompany a 12 bar blues pattern. Students work out a bass line to their 12 bar blues composition (single lesson). Rhythm: Rhythmic dictation games. Rhythm bingo game and/or rhythm billionaire (double lesson). Single lesson looking at the function of rhythm in African drumming (using Powerpoint to display to students). Single lesson adding a rhythmic line to 12 bar blues Presentations and Conclusion: In the final week of term students present their twelve bar blues to the rest of the class. They must read out their 150- word summary to the class and then play the piece to the class. The other students will be provided with a feedback form which they must complete with a grade. Teacher to collect student feedback forms. Students work will then be handed in to the teacher for marking.
Pre- Requisites Students are familiar with simple time signatures and the Major and Minor (natural, harmonic and melodic) scales, they know how to write key signatures and use both the treble and bass clefs. Students have a general understanding of the principles of music and know how to compose rhythmic and melodic examples using ICT programs such as Sibelius. Students are familiar with programs like Sibelius and Garage Band and can use these programs to create short musical examples in a given genre. Desired Results By the end of the five- week unit students will acquire a general understanding of the elements of Music and how they are manipulated to create musical examples in various genres. Students will further develop their understanding of music and style and will apply these to further understand their own experiences of music. Students will be able to apply the knowledge they learn in class to produce authentic musical examples in a given style and genre. They will be able to show how these musical examples use rhythmic elements and apply these to a specific genre (12 bar blues pattern). Students will explore Melody, Harmony and Rhythm through a series of games, activities and aural activities that seek to refine and develop their skills. Students will further develop their aural skills through a series of small in class exercises and online activities that they may complete in their spare time. AC STRANDS ADDRESSED Improvise and arrange music, using aural recognition of texture, dynamics and expression to manipulate the elements of music to explore personal style in composition and performance (ACAMUM099) Manipulate combinations of the elements of music in a range of styles, using technology and notation (ACAMUM100) Plan and organise compositions with an understanding of style and convention, including drawing upon Australian music by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists (ACAMUM102) Evaluate a range of music and compositions to inform and refine their own compositions and performances (ACAMUR104)
Assessment Evidence Performance Tasks: 1. Students upon completion of the unit will produce a short musical excerpt (2-3 minutes) using the 12 bar blues pattern. The music must use rhythmic, harmonic and melodic elements of the genre. (Summative) Due Date: last lesson of week 10 (30%) 2. Students will accompany their musical excerpt with a written summary (150 words) of their 12 bar blues composition and how they have used elements of melody, harmony and rhythm to compose their piece. (Summative) Due Date: last lesson of week 10 (15%) 3. Students will complete a series of worksheets and quizzes throughout the unit. (Formative) Due Date: Students will submit a folder with all worksheets at the end of the unit. Last lesson week 10. (20%) 4. Students will participate in class activities, games and discussions. (Group) Due Date: On-going throughout unit. (35%) Other Evidence: Students will view a series of short clips giving examples of different genres and how they implement elements of music. Students will participate in on- line discussion boards about these clips and how they compare to our own ideas about music. Students will participate in a short quiz at the end of the unit to see whether they can identify different rhythmic and melodic patterns. Students will participate in practical activities including rhythm games, melodic dictation exercises and composition activities. Learning Activities: Week 7 Melody: Students participate in games to familiarise themselves with the clefs (treble and bass). Students look at melody in classical music (single lesson), as well as in pop music (vocal song). Students will compose their own vocal song, divided into two lessons. A single lesson working out the lyrics (12 bar blues style) and another single recording the vocal track. Students participate in a word spelling game where they must familiarise themselves with both the treble and the bass clefs to write words. Students will be provided with a sheet which outlines the rules of the game (Make a Powerpoint slide as well to display at the front of the class). Students form two teams which will compete against each in the game. 1 point for fastest to finish, 2 points for correct answer. Have rewards ready for winning students. Hand out assignment sheets for 12 bar blues composition this lesson WITH RUBRIC. Resources: Interactive whiteboard, whiteboard markers, Powerpoint presentation prepared, cheat sheet for game and assignment sheet for 12 bar blues composition, Rewards.
Lesson 2: Single lesson: Tuesday, Lesson 3 (45 mins) Students listen to an example of a 12 bar blues (choose one). Explain to students how 12 bar blues originated and that it is mostly a sad song (minor make sure students know these terms). Explain to students that we are going to compose a 12 bar blues and go through with class and write the lyrics for a 12 bar blues. Play the piano and encourage students to sing along. Students to create and inspire the lyrics. Students to have their own lyrics (individual) written/typed in a word document by next lesson. Resources: YouTube clip downloaded, interactive whiteboard, whiteboard markers, assignment sheets, piano. Lesson 3: Single lesson: Thursday, Lesson 1 (45 mins) Workshop student 12 bar blues compositions. Get individual students to come to the front and sing/say their lyrics in rhythm. Other students to provide written feedback to the students using a feedback/comments form. Resources: Interactive whiteboard, whiteboard markers, feedback/comment sheets for students. Week 8 Harmony: Students are introduced to classical harmony and associated terms (cadences, I- IV- V progressions). They participate in a class activity where they use their lyrics to accompany a 12 bar blues pattern. Students work out a bass line to their 12 bar blues composition (single lesson). Start off by playing students a perfect cadence. Has anyone heard that before? What does it sound like? What would that be if it were part of a sentence? A full stop?. Play students a plagal cadence. What does that remind you of? Anyone go to church? It s a bit like an Amen right?. Students participate in an aural game to recognise whether the cadence is perfect or plagal. Rewards for the quickest students to match their pairs. Students to write draft of a bass line for their 12 bar blues composition on manuscript and bring to next lesson. Resources: Interactive whiteboards, whiteboard markers, computers or personal devices, cue cards for cadences game, worksheet with musical example of a bass line for a 12 bar blues Lesson 2: Single lesson: Tuesday, Lesson 3 Students write their bass line into Sibelius and add the lyrics. Scaffold students if necessary and provide students with a cheat sheet for Sibelius shortcuts. Resources: Interactive whiteboard, whiteboard markers, cheat sheet for Sibelius, computers or personal devices to write ostinatos. Lesson 3: Listening activity. Play a I- IV- V- I progression to students. Has anyone ever heard that chord progression before, or played it even?. Go through the chords together and provide examples from pieces where the progression has been used and/or elaborated. Students to complete a worksheet where they must identify the key and label the chords. Resources: interactive whiteboard, worksheets and handouts, personal devices or other ICT. Week 9
Rhythm: Rhythmic dictation games. Rhythm bingo game and/or rhythm billionaire (double lesson). Single lesson looking at the function of rhythm in African drumming (using Powerpoint to display to students). Single lesson adding a rhythmic line to 12 bar blues Students participate in rhythm games where they must identify rhythmic patterns and time signatures to successfully participate in the game. Students play Rhythmic bingo and Rhythm billionaire. Provide students with worksheets that detail the rules of the game and how the point system is organised. Have the rules and points displayed in a Powerpoint presentation in front of the class. Resources: handout on rules/scoring system of the games, interactive whiteboard, whiteboard markers, computers or personal devices. Powerpoint presentation prepared before class. Worksheet on rhythmic ostinato. Go through a rhythmic ostinato pattern with students. Students to have a rhythmic ostinato prepared by next lesson for their 12 bar blues Lesson 2: Single lesson: Tuesday, Lesson 3 (45 mins) Students to use this lesson to add their rhythmic pattern to their existing 12 bar blues Worksheet for HW on African drumming. What was its purpose? Why was it so important?. Resources: worksheet on African drumming, computers or personal devices, interactive whiteboard, whiteboard markers. Lesson 3: Single lesson: Thursday, Lesson 1 (45 mins) Lesson on African drumming. Use a YouTube clip to demonstrate to students. Have a Prezi presentation ready to go through with the students. Have them follow along on their own laptops. Remind students that presentations begin next week. Hand out a time sheet with students names and days on it (Have this prepared well in advance). Resources: interactive whiteboard, Prezi presentation on African drumming, personal devices or other ICT. Week 10 Presentations and Conclusion: In the final week of term students present their twelve bar blues to the rest of the class. They must read out their 150- word summary to the class and then play the piece to the class. The other students will be provided with a feedback form which they must complete with a grade and return to the students. Students work will then be handed in to the teacher for marking. Students to present their compositions to the class with their written summaries. Presentations will be video recorded and peer assessed by students using feedback forms and a rubric that will be provided to students. Students will then save their compositions to the desktop and provide a paper copy of their written summaries. Resources: feedback and comment sheets as well as rubrics for all students, interactive whiteboard, computers or personal devices. Rubric and comment sheet for assessor. Lesson 2: Single lesson: Tuesday, Lesson 3 (45 mins)
Continue with student presentations. Make sure that all students are completing their written feedback and assigning grades to each student on their Resources: feedback and comment sheets as well as rubrics for all students, interactive whiteboard, computers or personal devices. Rubric and comment sheet for assessor Lesson 3: Single lesson: Thursday, Lesson 1 (45 mins) Continue presentations if not all students have finished their presentations. If time permits time signature game and/or rhythm games. Resources: Interactive whiteboard, whiteboard markers. Resources: YouTube clips, internet Interactive whiteboard Whiteboard markers Pens, pencils and paper Worksheets, handouts Quiz and assignment sheet Computers and personal devices Sibelius and Garage Band Rubric and Feedback/comment sheets for presentations Prezi presentations Teacher Evaluation Did the students enjoy the topic? Did they participate in activities and discussions? Were they able to apply the knowledge learned during the unit to successfully complete their assignments and complete in- class activities? Did they successfully complete all the worksheets and quiz and hand these in on time? Were students engaged in the learning? Were they off task or distracted? How can the unit be altered? Different activities? ICT exercises? Extension exercises?