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Table of Contents
Introduction
-
3
Standards
-
3
Goals
(at
least
three)
-
4
Instructional
Objectives/Targets
-
4
Pre-Assessment
5,
6
Unit
Sequence
(lessons/activities)
-
7
Introductory
Lesson
8,
9
Five
Standard
Based
Lessons
10-19
Culminating
Lesson
-
20
Assessments
21-24
Works
Cited
-
25
Teacher
(self)
Reflective
Evaluation
of
Unit
26,
Introduction:
In
this
unit,
students
will
explore
asymmetric
meters
through
creating,
performing,
responding
to,
and
connecting
to
this
content
through
a
variety
of
mediums.
Symmetric
meters
are
regularly
experienced
in
both
our
daily
music
exposure,
and
within
our
ensembles.
These
experiences
arent
disadvantageous,
however,
because
of
their
dominance
when
students
do
experience
asymmetric
meters
they
seldom
know
how
to
address
them.
When
this
occurs,
most
directors
will
teach
this
concept
through
rote
memorization,
thereby
providing
students
with
the
experience,
but
not
the
understanding.
Since
this
approach
isnt
particularly
thorough,
students
frequently
cannot
synthesize
when
it
comes
to
performing
asymmetric
meters.
If
this
unit
is
successful,
students
will
be
able
to
comprehend,
synthesize,
and
critically
evaluate
the
use
of
asymmetric
meters.
Standards:
Asymmetric
Meter
Unit
will
address
these
National
Standards:
MU:
Cr1.1.E.8a:
Compose
and
improvise
ideas
from
melodies
and
rhythmic
passages
based
on
characteristic(s)
of
music
or
text(s)
studied
in
rehearsal.
MU:
Pr6.1.E.Sa:
Demonstrate
attention
to
technical
accurate
and
expressive
qualities
in
performances
of
a
varied
repertoire
of
music.
MU:
Re7.2.E.8a:
Describe
how
understanding
context
and
the
way
the
elements
of
music
are
manipulated
inform
the
response
to
music.
MU:
Cn10.0H.8a
Demonstrate
how
interests,
knowledge,
and
skills
relate
to
personal
choices
and
intent
when
creating,
performing,
and
responding
to
music.
Goals:
1.
The
learner
will
be
able
to
perform
on
their
instrument
in
asymmetric
meters,
evidenced
by
their
ability
to
sight-read
simple
patterns.
2.
The
learner
will
understand
the
basic
principles
regarding
asymmetric
meters,
evidenced
by
composing
their
own
rhythmic
pattern
in
an
asymmetric
meter.
3.
The
learner
will
be
able
to
switch
between
symmetric
and
asymmetric
meters,
while
keeping
the
eighth
note
constant,
evidenced
by
their
performance
of
the
rehearsed
repertoire.
4.
The
learner
will
understand
the
composers
intention,
and
its
overall
musical
purpose
of
using
asymmetric
meters.
Instructional
Objectives/Targets
I
can
define
asymmetric
and
symmetric
meters.
I
can
explain
the
construction
of
a
measure
that
is
written
in
an
asymmetric
meter.
I
can
compose
four
bars
using
both
symmetric
and
asymmetric
meters.
I
can
keep
the
eighth
note
constant
while
switching
between
asymmetric
and
symmetric
meters
on
my
instruments.
I
can
switch
between
asymmetric
and
symmetric
meters
in
the
rehearsed
repertoire.
I
can
sight-read
simple
rhythms
in
asymmetric
meters.
I
can
rationalize
the
use
of
asymmetric
meters
to
convey
composers
affective
intentions.
Pre-Assessment
Before
students
can
hope
to
understand
asymmetric
meters,
they
first
must
understand
symmetric
meters.
There
are
two
types
of
symmetric
meters,
simple
and
compound.
Simple
meters
take
the
steady
beat
and
divide
it
into
two
parts,
whereas
compound
meters
divide
the
steady
beat
into
three
parts.
Asymmetric
meters
happen
when
a
composer
puts
a
simple
and
compound
division
into
the
same
measure
creating
unequal
note
beat
units.
This
pre-assessment
will
help
me
scaffold
students
learning
by
establishing
their
mastery
of
simple,
compound,
and
finally
asymmetric
meters.
These
assessments
will
be
given
as
individual
playing
tests,
and
will
provide
me
information
on
each
individuals
ability
level.
Pre-Test
Directions:
Pick
a
pitch
to
play
the
following
rhythms
on.
When
you
are
ready,
complete
the
following
steps:
1. Press
the
record
button.
a. Note:
The
previously
blinking
red
light
should
now
be
solid.
2. Clearly
state
your
name
and
the
test
you
are
doing.
a. Ex:
Ms.
Smoltz,
Test
1
3. Count
yourself
off
to
establish
tempo.
a. Ex:
One,
two,
three,
*breathe*
*play
downbeat*
4. Repeat
steps
2-3
for
each
excerpt.
a. Note:
Do
not
end
the
recording
until
all
excerpts
are
completed.
5. Push
the
record
button
when
finished.
a. Note:
The
previously
solid
red
light
should
return
to
blinking.
Test
1:
Simple
Meter
Rhythms
Test
2:
Compound
Meters
Rhythms
Test
3:
Asymmetric
Meter
Unit
Sequence
Introductory
Lesson:
Experiencing
Asymmetric
Meters
Activity:
Listening
to
different
pieces
Lesson
1:
Understanding
Asymmetric
Meters
Activity:
o Define/Experience/Dissect
Lesson
2:
Constructing
Asymmetric
Meters
Activities:
o Break
down
the
measure
o Describe
its
parts
o How
is
this
different
from
a
beat
of
compound
time
and
the
other
beats
simple
time?
o Make
your
own
Lesson
3:
Sight-Reading
in
Symmetric
and
Asymmetric
Meters
Sight-read
classmates
rhythmic
compositions
Discuss/fix
errors
Lesson
4:
Improvising
in
Symmetric
and
Asymmetric
Meters
Students
will
have
the
opportunity
to
improvise
at
any
level
they
want
over
a
2/4
and
7/8
bar.
Students
will
evaluate
the
performances
Lesson
5:
Musical
Purpose
of
Asymmetric
Meters
Play
different
excerpts,
discuss
composers
intention
How
would
you
use
this
technique?
Culminating
Lesson:
Performing
with
Exceptional
Musicality
Using
Asymmetric
Meters
Perform
Carnival
and
Fantasia
o Pieces
that
include
asymmetric
meters
Experience/Dissect/Experience
Discovery
Discussion
Middle
Modeling:
I
Do
o Rhythm
Machine
Simple
Compound
Asymmetric
Checking
for
Understanding
o What
were
the
differences
between
the
three
motions
Guided
Practice:
We
Do
o Rhythm
Machine
Simple
Compound
Asymmetric
Collaborative
and/or
Independent
Practice
o Play
excerpts
from
Carnival,
and
Fantasia.
Discuss
what
meter
they
are
in.
Closure
Assessment
o Listen
to
this
excerpt
from
Shadow
Rituals,
was
it
in
simple,
compound,
or
asymmetric
meter?
10
Middle
Modeling
o Set
metronome
one
eighth
notes
o Divide
beats
symmetrically,
then
asymmetrically
Checking
for
Understanding
o Explain
to
your
neighbor
Guided
Practice
o Play
o Variations
Collaborate
as
a
class
to
create
variations
on
these
rhythms
Collaborative
and/or
Independent
Practice
o Practice
measures
13-18
of
Fantasia
Closure
Assessment
o Evaluate
accuracy
of
measures
13-18
of
Fantasia
11
12
Checking
for
Understanding
o Perform
the
excerpt
Guided
Practice
o Make
a
rhythm
as
a
class
o Perform
rhythm
o Evaluate
performance
Collaborative
and/or
Independent
Practice
o Compose
their
own
rhythm
excerpt
Closure
Assessment
o Grade
compositions
for
accuracy
13
14
15
16
Assessment
o Assess
each
improvisation
for
accuracy
17
18
19
20
Assessments
Name:__________________________
Composition
Instructions
Make
a
four
measure
rhythmic
composition
that
includes
at
least
two
bars
of
asymmetric
meters
and
includes
a
minimum
of
two
sixteenth
note
rhythms.
Keep
in
mind
that
this
needs
to
be
playable
since
we
will
be
sharing
this
anonymously
with
the
ensemble.
Composition
Checklist
Y
N
Correct
amount
of
beats
per
measure
according
to
the
time
signature
_____
_____
At
least
two
measures
of
asymmetric
meter
_____
_____
At
least
two
sixteenth
note
patterns
_____
_____
Comments:
21
22
23
Listening
Prompts
To
be
completed
in
your
Learning
Log:
What
happens
to
the
momentum
of
the
piece
when
it
hits
an
asymmetric
meter?
What
happens
to
the
mood
of
the
piece
when
it
hits
an
asymmetric
meter?
Do
you
think
this
compositional
choice
contributes
to
the
style,
or
distracts
from
it?
Can
you
make
any
predictions
on
the
intention
of
the
piece
judged
on
its
title
and
use
of
meter?
Evaluation
Response
to
Prompt
1
was:
Comprehensive,
accurate,
and
creative
Accurate,
and
satisfactory
Inaccurate,
but
creative
Not
attempted
Response
to
Prompt
2
was:
Comprehensive,
accurate,
and
creative
Accurate,
and
satisfactory
Inaccurate,
but
creative
Not
attempted
Response
to
Prompt
3
was:
Comprehensive,
accurate,
and
creative
Accurate,
and
satisfactory
Inaccurate,
but
creative
Not
attempted
Response
to
Prompt
4
was:
Comprehensive,
accurate,
and
creative
Accurate,
and
satisfactory
Inaccurate,
but
creative
Not
attempted
Comments:
24
Works
Cited
Carnival
by
Basler
Fantasia
for
Alto
Saxophone
by
Smith
Shadow
Rituals
by
Markowski
Ride
by
Hazo
25