Wired Family Reunion

Wired Family Reunion

Brief Description: The students will identify and explain the instruments of the orchestra.

Approximate time required: 90 min. (two 45 min. sessions)

Standard Course of Study Goals and Objectives

Music
6.04 Identify visually and aurally a variety of instruments including many orchestra and band instruments, and instruments from various cultures.

Technology
1.4 Describe the use of Acceptable Use Policy (AUP).
2.1 Use technology tools to collect, analyze, and display data.

English Language Arts
1.04 Use word reference materials (e.g., glossary, dictionary, thesaurus, on-line reference tools) to identify and comprehend unknown words.
2.03 Read a variety of texts, such as non-fiction

Teacher's Lesson Goals/Objectives:

The student will learn the instruments of the orchestra and their families.
The student will conduct online research to gather data on the instruments and their families.
The student will present the information learned to the class.

Materials/Resources Needed:

computer with Internet access for each student;
website requires "Shockwave" software to be installed (ask tech support)
website: http://www.playmusic.org
pictures of musical instruments;
computer hooked to projection system (if available);
copy of the Acceptable Use Policy for the school/county;
individual instrument worksheet for each student.

Bass	Bass Drum	Bassoon	Brass	Cello
Clarinet	Cymbals	Flute	Oboe	Percussion
Snare	String Family	Timpani	Triangle	Trombone
Trumpet	Tuba	Viola	Violin	Woodwind
		Xylophone

Pre Activities: The teacher will need to be familiar with the web site.

Activities:

1. The teacher will need to explain the Acceptable Use Policy to the students.

2. Explain the instruments of the orchestra showing a picture of each family.

3. On the computer hooked to projection system, the teacher will visit http://playmusic.org and will show the features of the web site.

4. Go to the French Horn page within the site, and give the information on that instrument.

5. Have the students ask questions about the French Horn

6. Pass out the worksheets. Each worksheet is about a different instrument.

7. The students will need to be guided through the first 5 steps of the worksheet.

8. The students will answer the questions on their worksheet regarding the instrument

Closure: The following class period, the students will present the information they gathered from http://playmusic.org about their assigned instrument.

Assessment:

Observation: Students will be demonstrating their understanding of the AUP during their time on the computer. This will be assessed by teacher monitoring.
Pencil Paper Test: Instrument worksheet (attached) will determine if they gathered the information correctly.

taken from http:www.carteretcountyschools.org/staffdev/trlp/artmusicvoss.htm

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A Simple Melody

Lesson Overview:

Students will learn the notes of the treble clef staff, play simple melodies, and complete a short melodic composition. They will then create lyrics by using poetry with the same rhythm (beats) as the music they created. Students will also be asked to perform the piece alone or with another student.

Length of Lesson:

Four 45-minute periods

Instructional Objectives:

Students will:

apply prior knowledge of rhythmic concepts in their short compositions.
compose lyrics through poetry rhyming.
compose, on classroom instruments, a short melody that uses Middle C, D, E, F, and G.
identify the letter names of the lines and spaces in treble clef.
play, on classroom instruments, written melodies that use Middle C, D, E, F, and G.
play the compositions of their classmates.
use patterns in writing poetry that match the rhythm of the tune composed.

Supplies:

Projector
Pencils/pens
Staff paper
Transparencies for overhead projectors (one per student)
Classroom instruments such as keyboards or xylophones

Instructional Plan:

Warm Up
Students should already be familiar with the notes of the treble clef. (See the previous lesson in this unit, First Rhythmic Composition.)

To introduce the concept of melody, play two pitches and have students identify which pitch is higher and which is lower.

Students will be given staff paper and asked to number the lines and spaces of the treble clef. With a partner, students will label the letter names of the lines and spaces. Remind students to label Middle C and D below the staff and the G and A above the staff.

Developmental Activity
The next activity should be done on a fresh sheet of staff paper so that the information can be added to the students’ notes. Instruct students to complete the following:

At the beginning of two staves, draw a treble clef.
Divide the two staves into two equal measures (four measures total).
In the first measure, draw two half notes: Middle C and D.
In the second measure, draw two half notes: Middle C and E.
In the third measure, draw two half notes: Middle C and F.
In the fourth measure, draw two half notes: Middle C and G.
The intervals in each measure should now be labeled: a second, a third, a fourth, and a fifth.
To illustrate simple leading tones that will provide a cadence or ending using these five notes, use “D to Middle C” or “G to Middle C.”

Guided Practice
Display the notes of simple melodies that use Middle C, D, E, F, and G. (Examples could include: “Hot Cross Buns,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” or “Lightly Row.”) These melodies can be written on the board, on the overhead, on bulletin-board sized staff paper, or on a dry-wipe staff board. Distribute classroom instruments to the students and ask them to play the displayed melody.

Independent Activity
Ask students to compose an eight-measure melodic composition in 4/4 time using the Assignment Checklist provided. Have the students set up their staff paper so that no more than four measures and no less than two measures are included per staff line.

Students can copy their compositions onto overhead sheets so that they can be seen and played by other students.

Ask students to repeat the exercise from the beginning of the lesson, using the G on the second line as the lowest note instead of middle C. Tell the students to draw in half notes that are a second, a third, a fourth, and fifth above G.

Ask students to create a rhyming poem with the same rhythm as their composition. They should use their own sheet music and place the words underneath, as lyrics are often written on sheet music. Students can perform their piece by playing the music and singing or accompanying another student while they sing.

Assessment:

Evaluate student work using the Assessment Checklist provided. This checklist should be shared with the students.

Extensions:

Melodic dictation: Dictate a four-beat melody within the fifth of Middle C to G. Tell students to notate the melody.

Mnemonic devices: Divide students into pairs or small groups, and instruct them to make up a mnemonic device to help them remember the letter names of the treble clef lines and spaces (i.e., Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge, FACE, etc.).

Go on to the next lesson in this unit, Set a Poem to Music, in which students will choose a favorite poem, set it to a rhythmic meter, and assign an original melody to the rhythm.

Sources:

Web:

Online Poetry Classroom
http://www.onlinepoetryclassroom.org/index.cfm

Authors:

Leslie Thomas, Teacher
Thomas Pullen Arts Magnet School
Landover, MD

* The above lesson plan was taken from www.marcopolo-education.org

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