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PREPARE 2

La-Pentatonic Unit Plan


Lesson 2: Jack, Can I Ride?
Grade 3

Teacher Name: Ryan Dillon

Objectives:
Students will improvise with a steady beat in La-pentatonic for 8 measures of cut time.

Standards Being Addressed:


MU:Cr1.1.3b - Generate musical ideas (such as rhythms and melodies) within a given tonality and/or
meter.
MU:Pr4.1.3a - Demonstrate and explain how the selection of music to perform is influenced by personal
interest, knowledge, purpose, and context.
MU:Pr4.2.3c - Describe how context (such as personal and social) can inform a performance.
MU:Pr5.1.3b - Rehearse to refine technical accuracy, expressive qualities, and identified performance
challenges.
MU:Pr6.1.3a - Perform music with expression and technical accuracy.

Song Analysis
Tone Set La pentatonic

Range E4-B4

Rhythm Set Half, Quarter, eighth, dotted eighth

Form Call/response, verse/refrain

Pedagogical Use
Melody (Low so) la, d, r, m

Rhythm Dotted rhythms

Other Give musical context for the song - teach about Peggy Seeger and the social
context of many folk songs

Materials of Instruction:
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Lesson Sequence (lessons may have more or less activities as appropriate):

Entry Activity/Transition:

Activity #1: Students will sing Jack, can I ride with provided tonal accompaniment with a steady
beat and accurate pitch.
1. T sings Jack, Can I Ride acapella.
2. T: Whats the home tone in this piece? Ill sing it again, and when you think youve
found it, hum it until the song ends. T sings again, Ss hum the home tone.
3. T: So what do you think it was? Ss hum the tone out loud.
4. T: Exactly! This time Ill add an instrument. I still want you to hum the home tone, but
pat your laps as well with the big beat.
5. T invites Ss to listen as T sings Jack, can I ride with tonal accompaniment.
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6. T sings the Jack, Can I Ride chorus with tonal accompaniment while Ss pat their laps. T
invites Ss to join in where they feel comfortable with the lyrics.
7. T sings the verse of the song while Ss listen and pat their laps. Afterward, T asks:
a. T: How much money did I ask my mother for?
i. T: Why?
b. T: Well, what happened when she gave it to me?
c. T: When did the elephant get back to the ground?
8. T: This time, fill in the blanks as I sing the song!
a. Note: Blanks gradually increase in length as Ss demonstrate mastery.
9. T: Great! Now well trade lines. Ill sing the first line and you sing the second, Ill sing
the third, and you sing the fourth.
10. T invites students to sing along as they sing the verse altogether.
a. T pauses and repeats lines as necessary.
11. T sings through entire song with students with tonal accompaniment.

Assessment:
Ss sing through Jack, Can I Ride on their own accurately with tonal accompaniment (from
the teacher).

Transition:
T: How about we learn an accompaniment to play on the instruments while we sing Jack,
Can I Ride?

Activity #2: Students will accompany themselves in la-pentatonic on keyboard instruments while
singing Jack, Can I Ride?
1. T teaches Ss the accompaniment for the chorus. (Bass xylophone first, then alto)

2. T teaches Ss the verse accompaniment.


a. T focuses on modeling and inviting students to follow rather than echo or
explaining.
b. (Can teach rhythmic ostinato in the alto xylo. part for the verse)
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3. T has students sing the words of the song while they simultaneously play their
respective parts.

Assessment:
Ss accurately sing Jack, Can I Ride while accompanying themselves on instruments.

Transition:
T: What if we changed things up? Check this out!

Activity #3: Students will improvise on keyboard instruments for 8 measures of cut-time in la
pentatonic within Jack, Can I Ride?
1. T leads students in singing and playing Jack, Can I Ride on their instruments. This time
when they get to the verse, T tells students to watch to see what is done. T improvises
all 8 measures in the melodic form and meter of the song, before leading the group back
into the Jack, Can I ride? section.
2. T: Whoa! Whatd I do there?? (Ss: You did something different!) Watch me again as
I play. Do I seem controlled, or just hitting anything possible as quick as I can?
3. T improvises again. Ss answer: You seem controlled
4. T: Exactly! We call what I just did, making something new on the spot, improvising.
Were all going to try it! Lets remove your F and C bars, so this all sounds good.
5. Ss remove F and C bars from instruments.
6. T counts off students as 1 and 2.
7. T: Lets play and sing the song again, but this time when we get to the verse, make up
something for the 16 beats where words would normally be. 1s will improvise the first 8
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beats while the rest of us will maintain the harmonic accompaniment, and then well
switch!

Assessment:
Students will improvise with a steady tempo for 8 beats within a given tonality and meter
(Em pentatonic, 2/2).

Closure:
T: I really enjoyed listening to your improvisations today! We will revisit this and do much more with it
tomorrow, so remember this song and get ready to make more of your own music!

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