TGC Fellow Unit Template *

Prepared by: Christian Smith

Subject: Orchestra

School/Location: Mather High School Chicago Illinois

Grade: 9-12 Unit Title: Global Dance Folk Songs Time Needed:4 weeks

Unit Summary: Ensemble will learn to play three folk tunes from different cultures (Ireland, Mexico and
India) . Students will identify musical elements which are similar and different among the pieces. Students
will learn performance techniques that support each new elements such as musical phrasing, bowing, and
meter. Students will compare folk music from other cultures to folk and popular music with which they are
familiar. Students will use internet resources to research similar examples of each genre and post
examples to class Padlet. Students will address their own perceptions about music from each genre and
world music in general. Students will perform and record music for classmates.

In the past several years, the Mather Orchestra has partnered with several local arts organizations
including The Irish Music School of Chicago and Sones de Mexico. By learning culturally specific repertoire,
this unit would prepare the students for further collaboration with organizations such as this as well as
collaboration with students in other Chicago Public Schools and possibly schools in Ireland, India or Mexico.

Stage 1 Desired Results

ESTABLISHED GOALS:

Transfer

G1. Successfully learn and perform

musical repertoire

Students will be able to independently use their learning to(real world

purpose)

G2. Identify specific musical

elements from different cultural
genres

T1. Investigate the world beyond local environment by playing music from
different cultures.

G3. Compare different cultural

T2. Understand the role of folk music in rituals and daily life.
T3. Listen critically to a piece of music and be able to identify and describe

genres verbally and in writing.

its component musical element.

G4.Identify the historical background

of the folksong and how the lyrics
make reference to the history and
culture of that time period

T4. Seek out and appreciate the arts throughout life.

G5. Understand performance practice

and context of music from other
cultures.

T5. Appreciate new and unfamiliar types of music.

Meaning
UNDERSTANDINGS

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Students will understand that

GLOBAL COMPETENCY:

Globally competent students

Investigate the world through music.

Globally competent students

recognize perspectives

Globally competent students

communicate to diverse audiences.

Globally Competent students

recognize and describe cultural
differences without judging

Globally competent students have

U1. Analyzing creators context and

how they manipulate elements of
music provides insight into their
intent and informs performance.

U2. Understanding connections to

varied contexts and daily life
enhances musicians creating,
performing, and responding.

U3. Musicians connect their personal

interests, experiences, ideas, and
knowledge to creating, performing,
and responding.

U4. Students will be able to compare

musical elements across genre.

E1. How does understanding the

structure and context of musical
works inform performance?

E2. How do the other arts, other

disciplines, contexts and daily life
inform creating, performing, and
responding to music?

E3. What characteristics do these

different genres share?

E4. What technical skills to I need to

successfully perform music of
different genres (What do I need to
do in order to sound like they sound)

E5. How can I aurally break down a

piece of music in order to better

knowledge of and curiosity about the worlds

history cultures.

U5. Students will be able to

understand some of the functions of
folk music in cultural ritual.

understand and appreciate it?

RESOURCES:

Instructor arranged sheet music

Connaughtmans Rambles, Las
Mananitas, Om Jai Jagdish Hare

U5. The information needed to obtain

when a piece of music is learned and
not simply listened to.

U6. There are many elements

present in a piece of music that can
be understood and appreciated

Instructor video
Acquisition
Connaughtmans Rambles, Las
Mananitas, Om Jai Jagdish Hare

Video
Connaughtmans Rambles, Las
Mananitas, Om Jai Jagdish Hare

Sound

Connaughtmans Rambles, Las

Mananitas, Om Jai Jagdish Hare

Students will know (Content)

Students will be able to (Skills)

K1. Specific performance practices

inherent to 3 different musical
genres]

S1. Achieve the technical skill

necessary to perform each piece.

K2. Similarities between cultural

circumstances which influenced each
genre

S2. Use technology to research real

and online communities who perform
and listen to each musical genre.
S3. Raise awareness of world music
and unfamiliar musical elements.

Web resources

Class Padlet

Stage 2 - Evidence
Assessment

Evaluation Criteria (Learning Target or Student Will Be Able To)

Assessments FOR Learning: (ex: kwl

chart, exit ticket, observation, draft,
1. Identify musical elements such as form, meter and phrasing through aural
rehearsal)
and visual means.
2. Create and perform music of challenging complexity and length with
expression.
Informal practice assessments (with 3. Develop, apply, and refine appropriate rehearsal strategies to address
rubric)
individual and ensemble challenges in a varied repertoire of music.
Performance quizzes
4. Demonstrate and justify how the analysis of structures, contexts, and
Live playing assessment at certain
performance decisions inform the response to music.
benchmarks
5. Collaborate and rehearse with peers in a small group (chamber group)
Audio/Video recordings of progress
setting.
Students will use smartphones to
6. Practice individually in a critical, productive manner using a guided practice
document progress at regular
log.
intervals.
Graphic organizers that support
music theory knowledge

Handshapes for different keys

Form maps
Practice logs with peer review
Two drafts of final written component

Assessment OF Learning: (ex:

performance task, project, final
paper)

Final live performance

Final audio or video project
Vocabulary quiz
Final written assignment in which
they compare similarities and
differences between their three
pieces.

1.

Demonstrate an understanding and mastery of the technical demands and

expressive qualities of the music through prepared performances of a varied
repertoire representing diverse cultures and styles.
2. Use technology to create a project to present research findings.
3. Compare music of different cultures and styles by describing the musical
elements of each piece (melody, rhythm, phrasing, key, scales etc.).

Stage 3 Learning Plan

Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction ( Make this a useful outline or summary of your unit, your daily
lesson plans will be separate)

See below

Repertoire/Rehearsal
Strategies
Wee Introduce and work on all

Technique/Exercises/Warm
ups
2 octave D major scale

Assessments

Observational

Concepts/Musical
Elements
6/8 time

Written
W
Work/Handouts/
Graphic Organizers

Song

k
three tunes, focusing on
One
rhythm and basic intonation.
Connaughtmans Rambles
(CR)

Las Mananitas (LM)

Om Jai Jagdish Hare (OJJH)
Large group instruction
Sectionals by instrument
Individual practice time

(CR)
rehearsal rubric
Separate eighth note
Rhythmic dictation
triplet pulse (CR)
using newly learned
Long sustained 8-10 beat
rhythms
tones (LM)
Verbal corrections as
necessary

Dotted quarter
rhythms (CR)
Repeat signs and
multiple endings
(LM)
Quarter and dotted
half note ties (LM)
Ties over the bar
lines (CR, OJJH)

Title
Translations

Hand
Shapes

Sheet
Music

Wee Students work on intonation,

k
tone and rhythms for all 3
Two
tunes adding correct bowings
and dynamics.
Sectionals by instrument
Individual practice time

Triplet scales with varied Students choose one

bowings (CR)
tune to play and
Small half step glissandi
record progress on
(OJJH)
smartphone.
Verbal corrections as
necessary

Music
and its place in
ritual

Song
lyric
translations

Form
Map

Stude
nts post
examples
gathered from
internet
resources to
class Padlet

D
ance (CR)

Bi
rthday (LM)

D
evotional
(OJJH)

Wee
k
Thre
e

Students work on adding

stylistic musical elements
from each genre and refine
progress from week 2
Sectionals by instrument
Individual practice time

Pentatonic scales

Improvisation exercises
Students improvise using
scales and ornaments from

learned material to a
culturally themed backing
track

Graded practice log

Improvisation
Peer review
Ornamentation (CR)
chart
Vocab quiz
Unit final exam
Verbal corrections as
C study guide
necessary
uts

B
owed
triplets

R
olls
Mariachi swing
(LM)

 Indian tuning (OJJH)

a
pproximat
ing
quarter
tones
Wee Full ensemble rehearsal.

k Students choosing like

Four repertoire, separate into
chamber groups to rehearse.
Individual practice time.

Scales with Irish ornaments

(cuts/rolls on each note)

(CR)
Warm up activity with

sliding fingers (OJJH)

Final live or recorded

performance
(graded)

Written analysis of
musical element
comparison
Reflection
Verbal corrections as
necessary

TGC FELLOWS UBD Lesson Template

Lesson Title: Irish Traditional Music Ornament Introduction

Prepared by: Christian Smith

Subject: Orchestra

Materials Needed: Instruments, LCD, Projector, Content Presentation, Sheet Music

Global Competency: Globally competent students Investigate the world through

music. Globally Competent students recognize and describe cultural differences
without judging.
Where is the lesson

At this point students have learned the basic melody of

Phrasing specifics for

each genre
Culturally
appropriate
performance
practice and
etiquette for each
genre

Final written
assignment
template including
columns for
musical elements
including, rhythm,
melody, form,
tempo etc.
Performance rubric

going?
(Learning Target or
SWBAT)

Connaughtmans Rambles. The next step is to

introduce two musical ornamentation elements, the cut
and the roll.

By the end of the lesson, students will understand what

cuts and a rolls are, how to play them and where to
add them into a melody.

Hook:

As students enter the room, there will be recordings

and videos playing of master Irish musicians
performing the piece that the students have recently
learned. Students may not even recognize the tune
due to all of the variation, improvisation and
ornamentation played by the performer. The instructor
will then perform the unadorned melody and then
again with the musical elements that are scheduled to
be learned in the lesson.

Equip:
Students will rehearse Connaughtmans Rambles, a
tune that they recently learned. Students will then
learn how to play cuts and rolls, two Irish ornaments,
out of context. They will then add each ornaments to
their performance.

Tailored Differentiation:

Each ornament (cuts and

rolls) will be modeled
aurally through
performance and
vocalization, and visually
though projected
presentation and sheet
music.

Each concept will be

presented through
repeated call and
response so that even the
most basic English
Language Learners will

have the opportunity to

echo the music without
needing to understand
verbal instructions.
Rethink and revise:
After mastering each ornament out of context,
students will decide where to add each element to the
unadorned melody based on their own creative choice.
No two melodies need be the same and no two
statements of each part of the tune should be played
the same way.

Alternate notation (English

letters) will be available to
students who do not yet
read standard notation.

Video recorded examples

will be posted to class
Google Classroom site.

Evaluate:

Students will play for each other and observe each

others musical choices, thus influencing each of their
own decisions.

Written examples of each

ornament will be provided
via sheet music and
graphic representation

Instructor will make verbal corrections as necessary.

Notes:
Organization:
Video of unadorned Connaughtmans Rambles Played

Have all technology set up

before students arrived

by instructor.

including open tabs with

Google Presentation of
content, Videos of
instructor example,
master performer
examples and tuning note.

Set up all hardware

including amplifier, mixer
and LCD projector.

Have copies of sheet

music and graphic
organizer ready.