Lesson Plan: Down the River

Brett Beaman
Ms. Finger
MUSE 150
Peer Teaching #2
Content and Achievement Standards
Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
a. Sing independently, on pitch and in rhythm, with appropriate timbre, diction, and
posture while maintaining a steady tempo
Class Goals/Objectives
Develop students sense of pitch and rhythm
Strengthen students confidence in singing
Materials
Copy of Down the River p. 223; piano; assessment form (exit ticket)
Procedures
1. Instructor will greet the students and ask them, nicely, to sit up in their chairs with proper
posture.
a. Prompt: Good afternoon! How is everyone today? Great! Can everyone sit up in
their chairs in proper singing posture for me? Thank you!
2. Students and the instructor will discuss rivers
a. Questions: How many of you live near a river? What is a river chantey?
i. A song with alternating solo and chorus, of a kind originally sung by
sailors while performing physical labor together.
3. Students will keep a steady beat while the instructor models the song (with dynamics)
a. Prompt: Today, I am going to sing a river chantey called Down the River. Now
keep a steady beat for me and listen as I model the song.
b. Question: What did you notice about the song? Would you say some parts were
softer and became louder?
4. Instructor will introduce the concept of dynamics, particularly crescendo.
a. Question: What is it called to sing softer? What is it called to sing louder? What
is the term for beginning quiet and growing louder?
5. Students will keep a steady beat and learn the song, with melody, in four, four measure
phrases (with dynamics)
a. Prompt: Lets get a steady beat going and learn this song together!
6. Students will continue to learn the song by adding the phrases together (with dynamics)
a. Prompt: Lets add a few of the phrases together.
7. Students will keep a steady beat while the instructor models the song again, but with the
descant (with dynamics)
a. Prompt: Im going to model the song once more. This time I want you to listen
and tell me what I did differently.
8. Instructor will ask students what was different
a. Question: What did I do differently? Would you say I sang the melody higher?
Does anyone know what that is called?
9. Instructor will explain the descant
a. Question: Does anyone know what is a descant?

Lesson Plan: Down the River

i. an independent treble melody usually sung or played above a basic
melody.
10. Students will keep a steady beat and learn the descant in two, four measure phrases
a. Prompt: Lets go through this song once more, this time with the descant!
11. Students will keep a steady beat and sing the melody and descant together
a. Prompt: Lets sing both the melody and the descant!
i. This side of the room sing the melody, the other side sing the descant
ii. Lets switch
12. Students will stand up and move while singing the song
a. Prompt: Lets all stand up and form a circle. As you sing, I want you to walk
clockwise. As you are singing and walking, imagine that youre one of the sailors
singing this chantey as youre sailing down the Ohio!
13. Students will be able to accurately perform Down the River without the aid of the
instructor
Assessment of Goals and Objectives
Assessment of singing skills will be informal by walking around, as well as standing in the
center of the circle, while listening to each of the students as they sing the song. The assessment
over dynamics and descants will be formal by having each student fill out a written exit ticket.
Follow Up Lesson
Future lessons will focus on other songs that have a descant as well as a few other sea or river
shanties that from the time period currently discussed in history class.