Classroom Music Lesson plan

How can completely different songs be similar?

John Brewer

Grade: 6 general music class

What Learners will

Be able to do (behavioral): By the end of the 4 classes students will be able too
perform their own lyrical interpretations over a verse of a song of their choice or a short
Garage Band composition that relates to the prior songs of the lesson based on none
musical thematic significance with a success rate of 80%.
Understand (cognitive): Students will have perspective on the fact that the similar
significance and meaning can be expressed through 4 completely different songs.
Encounter (experimental): Students will write their lyrical interpretations relating
their feelings to the similar expressions and emotions conveyed through these different
styles of music.
Construct meaning (constructivist): Students will discover that regardless of
genre, time period, composer, and musical presentation in general, music can express
similar meaning and significance.

Focusing Question:
In what ways will students make connections between similar song
meanings, regardless of musical interpretation and presentation?

Materials:
School provided ipads, YouTube links, https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=hs0VjhNWqn8 (Ives: Variations on America)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weLbgF-f_u4 (Jay-Z and Alicia Keys Empire
State of Mind:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye5BuYf8q4o (Lynyrd Skynyrd: Sweet Home
Alabama)
Garage Band
Classroom Smart board

Assessment
Formative: During class the teacher will take note to the original answers the
students have given from the Homework assignment and see how they are changing as
the lesson moves on. The teacher will take note of how their ideas evolve from original
list on the Ives: Variations on America to the listening of the other songs and what the
groups come up with, all the way to the final similarity discussion to see if the students
are getting closer to discovering that similar ideas and meanings can be expressed in
different musical ways.

Summative: At the End of the first lesson the teacher will see based on the
final similarity list if the students have gotten the gist of the lesson or not. If not the
teacher will help the students by putting down other key similarities they may have
missed. This way, the students have a good foundation to create the final project. The
teacher will take notes on the students final performances and lyrics to see if they are
similar in meaning and significance to the first 3 songs. The students must relate their
lyrics to 1, a love or appreciation of their background, and 2, where they are from and
how that has shaped them.

Integrative: Throughout the lessons entirety the teacher will keep a journal on
how the students respond to the information presented in order to enhance the
sequencing. The teacher will reflect on notes in the journal for the next time they teach
the same material. This way, the teacher can eliminate confusing things and better the
presentation process.

Process
Partner: (Honor their world by beginning with an experience
students bring to the classroom. Include time for students to collaborate and
respond through sharing and discussion)
Students will listen to Ives: Variations on America for home work and write down
3 things on their Ipads as to what they felt while listening to the song and then what they
think the meaning of the song may be. The class will have an open-ended discussion with
the teacher about what they came up with, and the teacher will write down ideas they
present on the smart.

Present: (Sequence the lesson steps. Take the learning from

their world to the world of the classroom. Present the information
and allow time for students to practice and respond. Engage
critical thinking, problem posing, and problem solving.)
The class will listen to New York State of Mind by Jay-z and Alicia Keys and the
students will list three things they felt while listening to the song and what they think the
song may mean. Directly after, the class will listen to Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd
Skynyrd and students will write down 3 things on their Ipads about what they felt while
listening and what they song might mean.
Next, the students will break into groups and discuss what they have written
down. Their goal will be to make none musical connections between the three songs, as
well as any type of difference between the three songs. Each group will have a scribe and
they will record the ideas that each groups comes up with.
After the group work is down, the class will have a discussion where the teacher
asks each group what the scribe has written down. The teacher will take 1-2 examples of
similarities and differences from each group and put them on the smart board underneath
the original set of ideas they had about the Variations on America. The class will then
look to find similar things that have popped up in both categories about all three songs.
The teacher will circle the similarities that the individual students point out and make a
new list of what the teacher has circled when the students cant find any more
similarities. If the students miss key similarities, the teacher will be put them on the list.
For example, strong appreciation of back ground and where the composers are from and

how it has shaped them and their music are very important connections for the students to
make. The teacher will then send the list to all of the students Ipads.

Personalize: (Make the learning personal to the students.

Provide opportunities for students to create and be musicians.
Encourage original thinking and innovation.)
For the Reminder of class, the teacher will explain a new assignment to the
students. The students are to go on their Ipads or computers and research the meanings of
each of the three songs and why the artists wrote them. Then the students will compare
and contrast the list the teacher has sent them with the information they find on their own
and make more connections between the songs. Finally the students will find a song of
their choice and write their own lyrics to a verse of it in the form of a rap or just over the
same melody. The students may also write a short Garage Band composition instead to
accompany their rap or singing if they would like. The composition, cannot be more then
15-20 seconds long, the song excerpt may not be more then 15-20 seconds long. The
students interpretations should embody the same ideas or similar ideas and meanings of
the prior three songs. If the students choose a song rather then write the Garage Band
composition, they will need to find an instrumental version of their song that is playable
through a YouTube clip and pinpoint the part that they will use to accompany them. This
way the teacher can play the song in class for the student and they can sing or rap over
the track without the original lyrics. The students will have two in class periods and
Homework days to complete the Assignment

Perform: (Communicate and share the new learning as

students perform through concert presentation, demonstration, or
exhibition.)
The next class will consist of the students performing their lyrical interpretations
for the class and the teacher. The other students may not make comments on the musical
performance or content so that no student is discouraged from performing, the audience
may only clap for each other after each performance is over. The students will send the
teacher the lyrics prior to the performance so that the teacher may read along and take
notes while the students perform. After the performances, the class will discuss what they
thought the over all interpretation was. The teacher will lead them to making the
realization that similar ideas and meanings can be presented in different musical ways.