grades9*12! melodicintervals!(lamp)! pikehighschool!! 10 ... · ! 4! objectives’ ’ •...
TRANSCRIPT
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Jerico Hughes Grades 9-‐12
Melodic Intervals (LAMP) Pike High School
10/14/14-‐12/05/14
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Table of Contents
Title Page Purpose of Project
Objectives Vocabulary
Project Timeline Lesson Plans
Supplemental Items Student Assessment Tools
Technology Differentiation/Accommodation
Pre-‐Test/Post-‐Test Pre-‐Test/Post-‐Test Graphs
Narratives Rubric
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Purpose of the Project The purpose of this project was to give students the skills to visually and aurally identify melodic intervals. Students learned how to count the number of half steps between two pitches and correlate that number to the appropriate interval. Students were responsible for knowing all perfect, major and minor intervals. The students were also expected to be able to create the specified interval by drawing the correct pitch melodically after the first. The students were taught to complete these two skills by using the keyboard to identify the correct number of half steps and then correlating the number of half steps to a chart distinguishing the different intervals. These skills are associated with National Standard five. The students were reading and notating music by identifying the interval and also notating the correct pitch. Aside from the visual aspect of this project, the students also learned to aurally identify major and perfect intervals. The purpose of this part of the project was to cultivate the students’ independent musical skills, which have direct implications on the ensemble as a whole. While sight-‐reading, too often high school singers simply guess when they get to a larger interval. The purpose of including an aural portion of the project was to give the students the practical skills that are needed to be successful choristers. This concept is associated with National Standard 6. The students listened to and analyzed music by actively hearing the intervals and analyzing the aural information in order to produce the correct interval. All in all, it is vitally important to me as a choral educator to provide students with the skills and experiences needed in order for them to be successful independent musicians.
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Objectives
• Students will be able to accurately define an interval in music. o National Standard 5, 8. Students will use their music reading and
notating skills along with their understanding of language to accurately define what an interval is.
o This will be assessed through their ability to write the definition in their own words.
• Students will be able to visually identify perfect, major, and minor melodic intervals.
o National Standard 5. Students will use their music literacy skills to identify the interval between two given pitches.
o This will be assessed through the students’ ability to accurately label many melodic intervals written on the staff.
• Students will be able to correctly notate perfect, major, and minor melodic intervals with the first pitch given.
o National Standard 5. Students will use their music literacy to identify the pitch given and correctly notate a second pitch to create the specified interval.
o This will be assessed through a written examination in which students notate a second pitch to create the correct melodic interval.
• Students will be able to aurally identify all major and perfect melodic intervals.
o National Standard 6. Students will listen to and analyze the melodic intervals demonstrated on the piano and then be able to identify them.
o This will be assessed through an aural portion on the examination in which the students write the interval that is demonstrated for them.
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Vocabulary
Interval: The distant between two pitches. The space between two pitches. The difference between two pitches. Melodic: Pitches sounded in succession of one another. Serious of pitches. Harmonic: Pitches sounded at the same time. More than one pitch played or sung on top of each other. Ascending Interval: Two pitches in which the second is higher than the first. Descending Interval: Two pitches in which the second is lower than the first.
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Unit Timeline Date Day Procedure/Activity 10/14 0 Pre-‐test 10/27 1 Introduction/Review of keyboard
Connection to notes on staff to notes on keyboard Introduction of an interval
10/29 2 Review definition of an interval Discuss how to count number of half using the piano keyboard Practice counting half steps using board races
10/31 3 Review how to find the number of half steps Compare finding half steps to finding the number portion of the interval Practice finding half steps vs. the number of the interval using supplemental interval worksheet
11/4 4 Review all content thus far Introduction to half step/interval chart
11/6 5 Discuss strategies for memorizing half step/interval chart Practice completing the half step/interval chart Practice finding the interval by using number of half steps and the half step/interval chart
11/12 6 Review how to create and use the half step/interval chart using the supplemental interval handout
11/13 7 Introduce aural identification of intervals Introduce how to aurally identify a P4 and a P5
11/15 8 Review how to aurally identify the P4 and P5 Introduce how to aurally identify a M3, M2
11/18 9 Review how to aurally indentify P4, P5, M3 & M2 Introduce how to aurally identify M6, M7 and P8
11/20 10 Review how to aurally identify all major and perfect intervals Review half step/interval chart
12/4 11 Review all content thus far (cognitive and psychomotor) Introduce/Practice interval notation
12/5 12 Post-‐test
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Encores Lesson Plan 10/27 LAMP Project Day 1 Objectives
• Students will be able to accurately label the notes on the keyboard and correlate the notes on the staff to the notes on the keyboard. (NS 5)
• Students will be able to accurately define an interval in their own words. (NS 5,8)
Materials
• Blank keyboard worksheets Procedure
• Discuss the steps of labeling the keyboard o “D is the dog with two black ears” o White keys first o All sharp keys to the right o All flat keys to the left o Should be mostly review for this ensemble
• Review the notes on the staff and relate them to the notes on the keyboard o Practice reading note on the staff and identifying its location on the
piano keyboard • Discuss the definition of an interval, in terms of music.
o Interval: Distance between two notes. Musical difference of two pitches. Space between pitches.
o Students will write a definition in their own terms on the back of the keyboard worksheet.
• Review concepts of the day o Steps of labeling the keyboard o Correlation between notes on staff and keyboard o Definition of an interval
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Encores Lesson Plan 10/29 LAMP Project Day 2 Objectives
• Students will be able to accurately provide a personal definition of an interval. (NS 5,8)
• Students will be able to accurately count the number of half steps between two pitches on the keyboard (NS 5,8)
• Students will be able to count the number of half steps between two notes on the musical staff (NS 5,8)
Procedure
• Review definition of an interval. o Student led-‐ allow multiple students to provide a definition. o In music, how do we define an interval?
! Distance between two pitches. o Discuss ascending vs. descending intervals
! Ascending: Melodic interval in which the second pitch is higher than the first.
! Descending: Melodic interval in which the second pitch is lower than the first.
• Students will practice finding notes on the keyboard and counting the number of half steps in between them.
o Every white and black note counts as a half step. o DON’T COUNT THE NOTE YOU START ON!
• Students will practice reading two notes on the staff and using the keyboard to count the number of half steps between them.
o Reminder: DON’T COUNT THE NOTE YOU START ON. o Use keyboard for students to use for visual clarification
• Review all concepts of the day. o Definition of an interval o Counting half steps using the keyboard
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Encores Lesson Plan 10/31 LAMP Project Day 3 Objectives
• Students will be able accurately count the number of half steps between two pitches. (NS 5,8)
• Students will be able to accurately label the number portion of an interval. (Not the quality just the number of the interval) (NS 5)
• Students will understand the difference between the number of half steps and the number of the interval. Students will display their understanding of this concept by completing a portion of a worksheet. (NS 5,8)
Materials
• Supplemental Interval Worksheet Procedure
• Students will review how to find the number of half steps between two pitches using the keyboard.
o DO NOT COUNT THE NOTE YOU START ON! o Students will practice this as a class
• Students will discuss how to find the number portion of the interval by counting alphabetically from one note to the other.
o Students are encouraged to use their fingers o Explain how this idea relates to finding the number of half steps
! Half Steps: DON’T count the note you start with ! Number of Interval: DO count the note you start with
• Administer Supplemental Interval Worksheet o Students complete the first two lines indicating both the number of
half steps in the interval and separately, the number for the interval itself.
• Review of content of the day o How to find the number of half steps in an interval o How to find the number of the interval itself.
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Encores Lesson Plan 11/4 LAMP Project Day 4 Objectives
• Students will review how to label the notes of the keyboard, how to find the number of half steps between two pitches and how to find the number of the interval itself. (NS 5,8)
• Students will be introduced to the half step/interval chart (NS 8) Materials
• Teacher copy of half step/interval chart Procedure
• Students will review all of the content they have learned thus far o How to label the notes on the keyboard o How to count the number of half steps between two notes using the
keyboard o How to find the number of the interval itself o How to define an interval
• Students will practice counting number of half steps using an interval they find personally challenging in their repertoire
• Students will be introduced to the half step/interval chart o Chart will be drawn on the whiteboard for students to copy in their
notes o Discuss tricks in memorizing the chart
! Left column-‐ numerical order ! Right column-‐ first identify perfect intervals
• Fill in the rest using ‘little m, big M’ and doubling each number
o Students will practice duplicating this chart on a scrap piece of paper • Review content of the day
o Students will discuss the how to duplicate the half step/interval chart
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Encores Lesson Plan 11/6 LAMP Project Day 5 Objectives
• Students will review strategies for memorizing half step/interval chart (NS 8) • Students will be able to accurately complete a chart displaying the number of
half steps and the correlating interval (NS 8) • Students will be able to accurately identify intervals using the half
step/interval chart (NS 5,8) Procedure
• Students will review the half step/interval chart o Discuss steps in filling out the chart
! Left column first ! Perfect intervals in right column ! Alternating m and M along with doubled numerical order
• Students will practice completing the half step/interval chart on their own • Students will review how to count the number of half steps between two
pitches o DON’T COUNT THE NOTE YOU START WITH
• Students will practice finding the interval by counting the number of half steps and using the half step/interval chart
o Students will practice this skill using the Supplemental Interval Worksheet
o Check for student progress through informal assessment
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Encores Lesson Plan 11/12 LAMP Project Day 6 Objectives
• Students will be able to accurately and independently duplicate the half step/interval chart (NS 8)
• Students will be able to accurately identify all major, minor and perfect intervals using the number of half steps and the half step/interval chart (NS 5,8)
Materials
• Supplemental Interval Handout/Review Sheet Procedure
• Students will review the steps to filling out the half step/interval chart o Students will practice completing the chart on a scrap piece of paper
with a partner • Administer Supplemental Interval Handout
o Students will check their work using the handout • Students will review handout and discuss reminders at the bottom of the page
o When do we count the note we start on? • Students will finish the Supplemental Interval Worksheet using the
Supplemental Interval Handout and their prior knowledge o Partners will check each others work to hold each other accountable
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Encores Lesson Plan 11/13 LAMP Project Day 7
Objectives
• Students will be able to aurally identify a P4 and a P5 (NS 6) Materials
• Piano/Keyboard Procedure
• Quick review of half step/interval chart • Introduction of aural identification of intervals
o In music we can not only indentify intervals on the staff but also aurally by associating what we hear to what we already know.
• Discuss how to aurally identify the P4 and P5 o P4
! Sol to Do ! Here Comes the Bride
o P5 ! Do to Sol (relation to pitch ladder) ! Star Wars, Twinkle Twinkle, ABC’s
• Practice singing the intervals and making the connection from what they hear to what it feels like
o Practicing using solfege and lyrics to songs mentioned above • Practice identifying P4 and P5
o Only include these two intervals • If time practice distinguishing P4 and P5 from any other interval • Review how to aurally identify P4 and P5
o Make connection to number of half steps and keyboard
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Encores Lesson Plan 11/15 LAMP Project Day 8 Objectives
• Students will be able to aurally identify P4 and P5 with very few mistakes (NS 6)
• Students will be able to aurally identify a M3 and a M2 (NS 6) Materials
• Piano/Keyboard Procedure
• Students will review the songs that are used to hear a P4 & P5, along with the solfege syllables
o P4-‐ Here Come the Bride (Sol to Do) o P5-‐ Twinkle, ABC’s, Star Wars (Do to Sol)
• Students will discuss how to distinguish a M2 and a M3 aurally o M2
! Do to Re ! Whole step ! Scale #1
o M3 ! Do to Mi ! Connection to pitch ladder (major triad)
• Practice singing the intervals using solfege o Also review P4 and P5
• Practice aurally distinguishing all four of these intervals o M2, M3, P4 and P5
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Encores Lesson Plan 11/18 LAMP Project Day 9 Objectives
• Students will be able to aurally identify a P4, P5, M3 & M2 with few mistakes (NS 6)
• Students will be able to aurally identify a M6 and M7 (NS 6) Materials
• Piano/Keyboard Procedure
• Students will review the songs/solfege associated with the P4, P5, M3 & M2 o Students will practice aurally distinguishing these intervals from each
other • Students will discuss how to aurally identify a M6, M7 and P8
o M6 ! Do to La ! NBC theme
o M7 ! Do to Ti ! Maria from Westside Story
o P8/Octave ! Do to Do ! Somewhere Over the Rainbow, Christmas Song
• Students will practice aurally identifying these three intervals o M6, M7 and P8
• Students will practice aurally identifying all major and perfect intervals o Have students sing each interval to start o Correlate the interval to how many half steps using the half
step/interval chart
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Encores Lesson Plan 11/20 LAMP Project Day 10 Objectives
• Students will be able to aurally identify all major and perfect intervals with few mistakes (NS 6)
• Students will be able to accurately duplicate the half step/interval chart (NS 8)
Materials
• Piano/Keyboard Procedure
• Students will review each of the major and perfect intervals and discuss the solfege/song connection associated with each
o Student led. What song do we use to identify a ____? o Assess student understanding through participation in discussion
• Students will practice aurally identifying all major and perfect intervals o Students are allowed to quietly sing the interval before answering o Students should hold the number of the interval up with their fingers
• Students will review how to duplicate the half step/interval chart o Students will practice duplicating this chart on the back of the
Supplemental Interval Handout • Review all content before Fall Break
o Labeling the keyboard o Definition of an interval o Finding half steps vs. number of the interval o Aurally identifying intervals
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Encores Lesson Plan 12/4 LAMP Project Day 11 Objectives
• Students will review/refresh past knowledge learned in this unit. (NS 5,6,8) • Students will be able to accurately notate all major, minor, and perfect
ascending intervals by adding the second note above the note given. (NS 5,8) Materials
• Piano/Keyboard Procedure
• Students will review all content from unit o Labeling the keyboard o Definition of an interval o Finding half steps vs. number of the interval o Aurally identifying intervals
• Students will discuss how to find the second note of an ascending interval o Identify the name of the note given. o Locate the number of half steps in the designated interval using the
half step/interval chart o Using the keyboard, count up from the note given the exact amount of
necessary half steps o Notate the note found after the note given on the staff
• Practice notating intervals by using the Supplemental Interval Worksheet o Students should complete entire front page of this worksheet by this
point o Have students work in small groups to check work and discuss
content more in depth • Practice aurally identifying major and perfect intervals for the remainder of
the time o Listen for students singing/humming to loudly o Be sure to include all major and perfect intervals at least twice
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Name______________________________
Interval Worksheet Define an interval ____________________________________________________________________________ An interval has both a __________ and a _____________. Below is a chart representing the number of half steps and the correlating interval with its quality. (m= minor, M=Major, P=Perfect)
Number of Half Steps Interval (with quality) 1 m2 2 M2 3 m3 4 M3 5 P4 6 Tritone 7 P5 8 m6 9 M6 10 m7 11 M7 12 Octave
Reminders:
• When finding the number of half steps we do NOT count the note we start with.
• When finding the number of the interval we DO count the note we start with.
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SUPPLIMENTAL INTERVAL WORKSHEET/ASSESSMENT TOOL
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Aural Identification Rubric Hypothetical Quiz/Rubric
Name the interval played for you on the piano. Students will be assessed in their ability to accurately identify the melodic interval demonstrated on the piano. Each answer should include both a letter (m, M or P) and a number (2-‐8). 4 Points Per Interval Possible Unsatisfactory-‐
0 pts Basic-‐.5 pts Proficient-‐1 pt Distinguished-‐
2 pts Number of Interval (0-‐2)
No numerical value included
Numerical value at least present
Numerical value within one integer of correct interval
Student correctly identifies numerical interval
Quality of Interval (1-‐5)
No musical quality is included
Quality at least present
Correct quality included (2 pts)
Correct quality included (2 pts)
Teacher Use Interval 1 Interval 2 Interval 3 Interval 4 Interval 5
Total:_________
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Technology Usage Due to the short amounts of time I knew I was going to have with the ensemble each day, to complete my LAMP project, I did not exclusively use technology in the classroom. I did however use web-‐based resources to compile worksheets and handouts for students. Aside from resources for student benefit I also used a music notating software to create assessments and other instructional tools. As I look back at my unit plan and reflect on how it went, I can think of ways that I could have included more technology. In the future, I could include listening examples of the songs that I used to associate to the intervals. For example Star Wars, Maria, Here Comes the Bride, and so on. Also, if the resources were available in my future circumstance, I could also include MacGamut or similar music software in which intervals could be drilled on an independent basis.
Differentiation and Accommodation Hypothetical Inclusion
To my knowledge there were no students with IEPs or 504’s in the ensemble however there were a few students that scored exceptionally high on the pre-‐test. For these higher ability students I challenged them with higher thinking skills like the difference between a minor third and an augmented second or even the tritone, which I left out of my unit entirely. Giving these higher ability students the opportunity to grow their knowledge and skill base, as well as the other students for that matter, is important. At the same time, this subtle inclusion of higher thinking, was implemented without distracting or taking away from other students’ learning. In the future, were I to have students on the spectrum, I would spend more time singing the songs used to distinguish the intervals in order to activate prior knowledge before learning how to write or read them. Along with this, I could also accommodate assessments to be verbal instead of written. With a verbal assessment the students would answer questions by singing the song title with the distinguishable interval or saying the interval itself.
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Graphs
Pre Test/Post Test Individual Comparison
Written Interval Identification
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Post Test
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Interval Notation
Aural Interval Identification
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Definition of an Interval
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Unit Narrative
This project was a very exiting learning experience for me. Having written so
many unit curriculum plans at Ball State, I was exited to finally get the opportunity
to actually implement the idea instead of just hypothetically write about it. In this
unit I planned to develop strong skills in both national standard five; reading and
notating music, and six; listening to, analyzing and describing music. The students
developed in their ability to not only read music but also notate it. Students learned
to identify notes on the staff by note names and also learned the notes of the
keyboard and their relation to the notes on the staff. Aside from this, students had to
complete measures of music using the correct rhythm and the correct pitch. These
developments in music literacy and music notation will help to build the students’
independent musicianship. It is my goal as a music educator to provide for students
the skills that will assist them in continuing as a musician in any capacity. That is not
to say that all students should be prepared to study music in college after graduating
from my program, but it does mean that they are given the ability to at least turn
dots on the page into music.
As previously mentioned in this summary, there were no students with
disabilities, IEP’s or 504’s in the ensemble in which I completed my project. For this
reason I did not include specific ways in which I could accommodate for students
with disabilities but hypothetically, there are a few things I could have done in order
to accommodate. Were I needed to make accommodations for various learning
disabilities I could spend much more time singing the songs that were then going to
be used to identify intervals aurally. Students could also be given the option to take
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a verbal exam in which they speak the answers or even provide the title of the song
used to identify the interval instead of the interval itself. These accommodations
could make the playing field more even for students with learning disabilities. Along
with these things I could modify the number of intervals I included in each lesson, or
the amount of content I covered in each class session. Spending more time on units
would give students with disabilities the time needed to fully comprehend the
material. I did however accommodate for a few students who scored exceptionally
high on the pre test. For these students I would chat with them about higher
thinking skills in terms of intervals. Some of these conversations included the
tritone, or the difference between the different enharmonic spellings of intervals.
This was a good opportunity for students of varying developmental needs to
continue growing in independent ways.
In this unit students were able to practice authentic, critical thinking skills,
which are important in the “real world” after high school. Students practice multi-‐
step problem solving skills. When identifying a written interval students had to go
through many steps in order to find the answer. It is important that students
practice following a problem through many steps in order to reach an answer. Also
students practiced activating prior knowledge in this lesson. When aurally
identifying intervals, students used their understanding of various melodies in order
to choose the correct interval. Activating prior knowledge is essential in life past
high school. Students need to practice using knowledge, skills, or experiences in
their past to help solve problems in the present. Students also learned the
importance of teamwork and holding each other accountable. There were times that
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partners or small groups were used in order for students to check their work with a
peer. It is important that this comradery is not only built for ensemble purposes but
also for students to practice working with others.
Throughout this unit I used a variety of instructional strategies. One of these
strategies was standard full-‐class lecture. I understand that this is not the most
preferred instructional strategy, and definitely not one of my favorites, but some of
the content included in the unit lent itself nicely to verbal explanation with visual
examples for further clarification. When using lecture as an instructional strategy I
try and keep my pacing rather quick in order for students to feel motivated to stay
engaged. Aside from lecture, discussion was an instructional strategy that I
frequently used. Asking students questions and providing answers for their own is a
good way to allow students to make personal gains towards independent mastery of
the content. Much of this unit was taught by simply talking with the students and
cultivating a learning environment that was seemingly conversational. Another
instructional strategy I used in this unit was spiral curriculum. I started the
curriculum with very basic knowledge that we then built upon and dug deeper into.
It is effect when students can start with something simple in which they gain
confidence to propel them into more challenge concepts. All in all I thought the
spiral curriculum aspect of the project was one of its most successful components.
Assessment Narrative
Throughout my unit plan there were formal and informal assessments.
Because there were no students on the spectrum, I did not make any
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accommodations to assessments to account for students with disabilities. However
were there to have been students with disabilities accommodations would have
been made. Limiting the amount of intervals included on the exam or allowing
students to take a verbal exam are ways that I could accommodate students with
disabilities.
I think the assessment domain of this unit plan were well thought out,
created, and implemented. The design of the pre test was meant to be kept short,
simple, and direct. There were five questions for each of the content areas included.
These questions required students to fill in the blank, and also notate music. The
aural portion of the test included the students listening to an example played for
them and identifying the interval. Lastly there was a final short answer question in
which students were asked to provide a definition. Aside from the pre test and post
test the Supplemental Interval Worksheet was used to informally assess students’
understanding of content. This worksheet was given to me by my cooperating
teacher and included similar questions to that on the pre test and post test. This
worksheet was then used in class to monitor students understanding of the content
matter. This worksheet then doubled as a study guide for the post test. A
psychomotor rubric/assessment was included in this project but was not actually
implemented as a part of the lesson. Due to the fact that I am a student teacher and
do not have the liberty to add additional assignments that impact student grades, I
chose to not include this quiz in the unit. In the future, I will use this rubric and
assessment, or one like it, in order to formally or informally assess students’
development of skills.
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Instructional Narrative
Throughout this unit directions were given to students quickly and clearly.
Due to the fact that I did not have much time with the ensemble each day to finish
this plan, I had to keep a quick pace. Nonetheless, I was able to still clearly and
effectively communicate directions to students. Aside from clear communication the
differences in students’ ability and learning style was included in this lesson. For
many of the concepts included in this unit, I included both verbal explanations and
visual examples for students to better understand. The students were also given
resources in which they could practice the kinesthetic means of learning the
material. While there were a few students that initially excelled in all of the content
matter, there were also a few students with very little prior musical experiences
that were terrified to even try and learn the information. While this is not accounted
for in a lesson plans or anything, I spoke to students in this situation in a very
positive and relational tone. This accommodation for students in varying stages of
understanding or experience is important in order for these students not to get
discouraged.
One way in which students were able to connect the content of the unit to
real-‐life situations is by isolating intervals within their repertoire. By having
students isolate some of the trickiest intervals in their repertoire they are seeing
how this information can be applied in future, real-‐life musical situations. Students
also developed in their problem solving skills and their ability to work with others.
Both of these are important skills for students to build for after high school.
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The criteria for me LAMP project was that students have the ability to
visually and aurally identify and also notate major, perfect, and minor intervals.
Along with this the students were also expected to be able to define an interval in
writing. Students were informed of this criterion through verbal explanations and
practice in class. This criterion was then assessed using various forms of informal
and formal assessment. Overall, I was pleased with the instruction of this unit. There
are definitely minor aspects of the unit that I would change for future use, but all in
all I thought the instruction of the material went very well.
Results/Interpretation Narrative
As expected, the students performed very poorly on the pre test. Not many
students had any exposure to the content before this unit. With that being said the
average score out of 20 on the pre test was 6 (30%). In particular, the students
performed terribly on the aural portion of the exam. Even for those few students
that did have music theory experience had very limited experience in aurally
identifying intervals. Because the students scored so low on this portion I planned to
spend the bulk of my instructional time on this psychomotor skill. Since the students
mostly performed the best on the visual identification and definition portions of the
unit, I decided to start with these concepts to build confidence and momentum. The
pre test also showed me trends that many students had in notating idiosyncrasies or
common mistakes. This information guiding my instruction and influenced
examples that were included.
Overall the students performed much better collectively and individually on
the post test than on the pre test. While the average score on the pre test was 6/20
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the average score on the post test was 17/20. Given that the content of the unit was
not simply memorizing information, I expected for the average of the post test to be
slightly less than perfect, nonetheless an eleven point increase in the average score
show a huge improvement in the students’ mastery of the material.
Based on the results of the post test I think the instruction of the aural
identification of intervals was very successful. Students were able to accurately and
aurally identify all major and perfect intervals by the end of the unit. After reviewing
the other portions of the exam it is clear that I should have spent more time getting
the students to accurately notate the correct interval. Because I knew that the
students had so much trouble with the aural identification portion on the pre test, I
spent much time drilling this information and neglected to keep an effective balance
of all aspects of the content.
Final Statement
All in all, I really enjoyed seeing this project start as an idea and end in
student benefit and musical development. From this project I have learned how to
effectively plan a unit based upon a central concept or idea. Along with this, I have
learned how to incorporate this plan within a higher-‐level performance ensemble.
In the future I will definitely include a similar unit plan in my curriculum. I think it is
a good idea to cycle through the same concepts every three or four years so that as
the students progress through the program, they are learning new musical concepts
each year. This project has also had implications on my ability to effectively plan on
a macro level, using an initial assessment as a guiding force. Spanning out the
material in a timely yet strategic way was quite the learning experience. In the
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future I could definitely see myself implementing this very unit plan in my own
classroom. With modifications, this unit plan could be even more effective for my
own choral students.
Aside from future teaching implications, this project was a success because
the students learned something new and ultimately developed their independent
musicianship. While student teaching is essentially for the benefit of the apprentice
teacher, it is still important for the students to grow from the experience with the
student teacher. After reviewing test scores and having many independent
conversations concerning what individuals learned from the project, I definitely
think that the students benefited from the instruction and inclusion of the content. I
hope that the students find the skills and knowledge useful in their future musical
endeavors.
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LAMP Project Rubric
Unsatisfactory Basic Proficient Distinguished Instructional Effectiveness (Proficient)
Students show no improvement in understanding of content or development of psychomotor skills
Students show some improvement in understanding of content or development of psychomotor skills
Students shows substantial improvement in understanding of content or development of psychomotor skills
Students completely master content and psychomotor development
Quality of Assessments (Proficient)
Assessments are incomplete, invalid, and/or unreliable
Assessments include a limited scope of question types
Assessments include wide range of question types and are valid and reliable
Assessment are valid, reliable, diverse and cross-‐curricular
Planning (Distinguished)
No planning included in project or unit plan
Vague planning included throughout project and unit plan
Planning well thought-‐out and clearly articulated on detailed lesson plans
Planning well thought-‐out, detailed and incorporates reference to national standards
Preparation (Distinguished)
No preparation is evident in project. Many aspects of project missing
Preparation evident. A few missing components of the project
Preparation very clear. All components included in their entirety
Project includes all necessary requirements and is well formatted and presented within the project
Rationale: According to this rubric I gave myself a proficient in terms of instructional effectiveness. While I think that the students definitely improved upon their understanding and skills, I would not say that they all completely mastered the content or psychomotor skills. Along with this I gave myself a proficient in terms of quality of assessment. The assessments I created, both formal and informal, were effective but I could have expanded the type of questions included just a bit. In terms of planning and preparation I gave myself a distinguished. All lesson plans
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were well thought out and detailed. Because I had a limited time each day to complete the project, it was that much more important for me to be proactive and plan effectively ahead of time in order to efficiently utilize time. For this project I was very prepared with resources collected along the way to compile in this document.