LESSON 2: MUSIC

Overview:

Students will perform music to support/enhance the expressive qualities of their planned theater production. Students will work together to create or select, prepare and present their music, with each student in a group choosing and performing a musical part based on the evaluation of their personal music skills.

Outcomes:

1) Students will sing songs from memory, songs they wish to learn or songs they
create representingsignificant aspects of community, regional area or state. Songs
will be selected to fit the theater production, with one or more musical numbers
chosen based on what mood or expressive quality students want to portray in each
of the five scenes of the theater production.

2) Songs will be sung with attention to dynamics, tempo, rhythmic elements,
melody, form and expressive qualities.

3) Students will identify the use of each song (the purpose of the song, what it
communicates, where it is from) and how it relates to the theater production.

Lesson Contents:

Materials Needed
Disciplinary Concepts
Vocabulary
Preparation
Resources
Assessment
Evaluation

Materials Needed:

Expressive Qualities Chart and Planning Guide from Task 3 of the ACT'98 Performance Assessment Package

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Disciplinary Concepts:

1)Students have a large repertoire of songs they already know that can be used to
support and enhance their theater production.

2)Students are capable of selecting and/or improvising songs that communicate different aspects of community, regional area or state.

3)Students will perform using expressive qualities of music to convey mood.

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Vocabulary:

ostinato, ostinato pattern
improvise
accompany
notation
tone color
dynamics
tempo
rhythm
melody
form
expressive qualities
solo

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Preparation:

1)A Cavalcade of Song
A) Select a group of songs that children have already learned. This is a great
opportunity to review favorites from community, region, area or state. Try
to include eight or more songs on your list.
B) Name the experience to generate more enthusiasm- A Cavalcade of Songs
or __________ School SongFest.
*Your list of songs should represent a varied repertoire. You've probably
taught songs that reflect the cultural roots of your students, as well as
other populations in the U.S. and Minnesota. This is an excellent
opportunity to showcase song you've taught in prior years to help
students remember and to build their repertoire of known songs.
*A work song such asJohn Henrycommunicates information about the
history of the railroad, the social context of the worker, and how music
was used to help laborers do hard tasks together. Skip to My Lou is a song
that people in an earlier time sang to entertain themselves in an era
before electricity. It also places everyday life into a song. The song Happy
Birthdayand how it is used in this country communicates the importance
of the individual and his or her special day. It tells us a little about how
we celebrate.
C) In addition to singing as a full class, listen to students sing solos, duets,
trios and quartets. At the intermediate level, students should sing alone.

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Resources:
DeBeer, Sara. Open Ears: Musical Adventures for a New Generation.
Ellipsis Kids, 1995. 20 Lunber Rd., Roslyn, NY 11576.

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Assessment:
1) Cooperative Group learning techniques:Students will form small groups to
discuss plans and choose song that communicate important aspects of community
region, area or state. Teacher may ask each group to report, moving from group to
group to gather student input.

2) Random checks can be made of Expressive Qualities Chart and Planning guide.

3) Feedback through coaching while students are notating their songs. Circulate and
ask for demonstrations as the work progresses.

4) Audiotape and/or video of singing for later assessment by teacher and student.

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Evaluation:

Did students:

1) Sing songs in a group and as a solo following criteria from the performance
assessment package feedback checklist?

2) Learn important aspects of community through the songs they sing?

3) Understand and use elements and expressive qualities of the art form?

4) Notate the pattern using a music reading system?

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