Eric Bame

Reading and Writing Plan Implementation

Inquiry: Will having students write journals about what they like about their favorite songs/bands
encourage and/or support their understanding of how music works and music theory?
Plan
Students will choose 5 of their favorite songs and write three journals about each: a journal recalling
from memory what they like about it, a journal written while listening, and a journal written after
finishing. Journals will be completed in intervals of time and not be graded. Teacher will give musical
feedback based on what the student writes. By doing so, the teacher can provide strong examples of
musical terms, techniques, and aspects using what the students like most. This will allow the student to
better understand what they like, how it works, and how to find even more music they'll enjoy.
By allowing the students to choose five songs, the teacher can avoid stressing out students who enjoy
many different genres as well as touch upon many different aspects of music created by different
genres. The teacher could also assess how a student is taking in the musical information as each
journal should become progressively more saturated with musical terminology.

Unit Plan

Objectives

Students will express in words how they approach listening to music as a recreational activity.

Students will identify musical elements in pieces of music.

Students will identify common musical elements in different pieces of music.

Procedure

Students will choose five pieces of music they enjoy. By choosing five, students will not have
to pick between close favorites and be given the opportunity to choose a diversity of genres and
styles.

Students will write journal for each piece, one page minimum, recalling what they enjoy. This
journal will serve as the foundation of the unit,

Students will write a journal for each piece, one page minimum, describing what they enjoy.
This journal will take place after the first round of feedback. Having expressed their general
feelings about the pieces and having received musical feedback, the students will have a higher
level of attentiveness for detail when listening to the pieces.

Students will write a journal for each piece, one page minimum, describing what they enjoyed
and/or how their impressions of the piece changed from the first to the second journal. The
final journal series, students will use the first two sets of journals to analyze what stayed the
same or changed in their perspectives of the pieces and apply the two rounds of feedback even
more.

Teacher will read and provide feedback and musical explanations relating to what the students
describe in each series of journals. This will take place after each of the three previous steps.

Students will use the feedback to locate pieces of music related to any of their five pieces by
musical concepts with a one-page description of how the student. By successfully performing
this tasks, students should feel more informed about their musical interests and be better able to
find more music to enjoy inside of the endless amount of music in the world.

Assessment

Students will be informal assessed throughout the journal period. Teachers will give both direct
information and open-ended questions relating to music concepts to encourage thought.

Grading of the journals will be based on completion of the minimal requirements (one-page,
referencing of musical concepts) with a possibility of full credit or no credit.

Grading of the description of the related piece will be based on the validity of the content.

National Standards of Music

Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

Rubric
Objectives - 2 Points
2 - Objectives are clear and use observable verbs (action words like demonstrate instead of understand).
1 - Objectives are clear but contain verbs that can't be observed (like understand, know, etc.).
0 - Objectives are not clear and/or do not exist.
Procedure - 4 Points
4 - Clearly defined sequence detailing not only what will happen but also the purpose communicated to
the students.
2 - Clearly defined sequence but little elaboration.
0 - Sequencing not clearly defined and/or does not exist.
Assessment - 2 Points
2 - Assessment is feasible and fair.
0 - Assessment is difficult to accomplish, unfeasible, and/or does not exist.
Standards - 2 Points
2 - Lesson addresses the Virginia and/or National Standards of Music.
0 - Lesson does not contain Virginia and/or National Standards of Music.