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Table of Contents

Unit Plan Rationale……………………………………………………………………………3

Unit Plan Grid organizer ………………………………………………………………………4

Lesson Plan Summaries……………………………………………………………………...5-14

References ………………………………………………………………………………………15
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Unit Plan Rationale

The long-term goal of this 8-lesson plan is to introduce students to the concept of melody, simultaneously

introducing them to basic solfege, and high versus low sounds. Scaffolding is done by first introducing

and making students conscious of the minor third interval, reinforcing unison and solo singing in the first

several lessons. Emphasis on high and low sounds is made conscious in the first lesson and reinforced

throughout the unit. As the minor third becomes more apparent through songs learned, hand symbols for

solfege are introduced. Progressing lessons begin to promote solo singing, giving opportunity to those

that want to try. However, towards the end of the unit, solo singing is suggested in most of the activities.

Unison singing is still however promoted through the unit ensuring assessment is done on each student’s

ability to calibrate to the group. All solo singing is still to be done as an echo to again cover specific

SLO’s. Towards the end of lessons, echoing is gradually replaced by notation and recognition of melodies

from previous classes. Throughout the unit, instruments are implemented whenever possible. This gives

students opportunities to play melodies with other instruments aside from the human voice. More

emphasis is gradually put on applying and creating melodies, which tests the level of understanding of

content individually. The end goal of this unit is to have students be able to read and perform basic

melodies consisting of the 3rd and 5th degrees of the major scale, with singing as the main performance

tool.

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Unit Plan Grid Organizer

Unit Topic: Melody and Singing Grade Level: 1 Strand: General

GLEs in full:
 Enjoyment of music
 Insights into music through meaningful activities
 Musical skills and knowledge
SLEs in full:
Concepts
 Melody-Students will understand that:
o 1 Sounds may be high or low
o 3 A sequence of sounds may move from low to high, high to low, or stay the same
o 4 A melody is made up of sounds organized in patterns.
 Singing- Students will be able to:
o 2 Respond to tone matching and echo games.
o 3 Respond to so–mi hand signals.
o 5 Sing, in tune, many rhythmic and melodic songs, singing games and action songs.
o 6 Experience singing alone and in a group.
o 7 Sing accurately in unison.
o 8 Respond appropriately and with confidence to a conductor’s signals.
Music/Materials to be learned in the lesson:
Songs:
 Hello Game
 Hickory Dickory, Dock
 Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands
 Cuckoo Where are you?
 Apple Tree
Materials
 Composition
 Orff Instruments


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Lesson Plan Summaries

(point form descriptions of your activies)
Lesson SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
Title and (Abbrev.) Objectives Methods/Activities/Resources Evaluation
Day (minimum of 2 per lesson, (minimum of 2 different activities/repertoire per (Indicate FA or SA for
written in full with B, P, M) class) each)
Introduction Melody  Students will perform (B) a Name Game FA(pre assessment):
Day 1-30 3, 4 minor third in tempo (P) by  When Students arrive, they will be Solo singing-Each
min Singing singing theirs and other asked to get into a circle. The student singing their
1,2,5,6,7 students’ names (M) teacher will sing “Hel-lo” on a name will act as a
 Students will respond (B) to minor third, getting students to formative/pre
high and low sounds (P) by repeat after them. assessment of interval
listening to notes played on  Introduce yourself to the class. accuracy both as a
the piano  “Seeing as this is a music class, I soloist and as a group.
want to learn all your names by This will be done
singing them. Give them a example around the circle in
“My name is Mr. Z” (so-mi mi-so- order to ensure each
mi/ta ti ti ta ta) child has a chance to
 Students follow this with “Hello Mr. try.
Z” in the same melodic pattern
 Go around the circle and do this
with the entire class.
 After, have everyone stand up.
Switch to “Her/his name is…..” and
have students pick another. When
students have been picked they will
sit down.
Piano Game
 “Did the two sounds we sang in the
name sound different? How?”
 Talk about how music is high or low.
Talk about things that are high up-
clouds, birds, etc.
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 Ask for examples, do the same for low.

 Go the the piano and show examples of
high and low notes.
 Explain that you want to get up high
with high notes, and as low down as
possible with lower notes.
 Play random notes going up and down
at different speeds and intensities, have
children mimic the music.
Lesson SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
Title and (Abbrev.) Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
Day
Reinforcing  Students will perform (B) Categories FA: So-Mi Your
the minor Melody minor thirds(P) by stating  Begin the class by having students get in a Hands
third 1,3,4 their name, favorite color, circle. Sing “Hel-lo” in the minor third and This assessment will
Day 2-30 Singing favorite animal (M) have students repeat. test the students on
min 2,3,7,8  Students will identify (B)  Start tapping your legs in a steady beat. pitch matching, unison
solfege hand signals(P) by Have students do the same. Begin singing singing, and following
singing as a group (M) your name again. Go around the circle and a conductor’s hand
have students sing their name again. signals. This will be
 After everyone has had a turn, name another marked with a check
category and have students go around again, mark or X on the
singing their favourite color, food, sport, attendance list next to
etc. the students’ name.
So-Mi
 Talk with students about the high and
low sounds again.
 “We should find a symbol for these two
sounds”
 Show them the symbols for So and Mi.
Have them switch between the two, just
saying the words, and not singing.
Gradually get faster, sometimes
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repeating the same symbol to make sure

students are following.
 Repetitively sing the interval of so and
mi with the hand symbols. Have
students join in, also using the hand
signals.
 Hold each pitch long enough so students
can match.
 Gradually speed up to challenge
students.
Lesson SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
Title and (Abbrev.) Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
Day
Songs with Melody  Students will Melody Echo FA-Repeat After
Minor 3,4 demonstrate (B) a  Begin in a circle on the floor. (so)Mi: The teacher
Thirds Singing melody of minor thirds  Sing “Hel-lo” and get students to repeat will individually test
Day 3-30 2,5,7 (P) by repeating after after you. Ask students if they the students on their
min the teacher. (M) remember the symbols from the application of hand
 Students will perform previous class, use them to sing hello signals to singing
(B) a melody of minor again. intervals. The teacher
thirds (P) as notated in  Sing so-mi with hand signals, then go will sing a four note
the song Clap, Clap, so-mi-so and so on. Get students to melody with so and mi
Clap Your Hands (M) repeat with you. using hand signals and
 Begin changing the order, repeating a 3 ask the student to
note pattern, working up to 5. repeat it with the same
 Check with individual students to see if signals. A checkmark
they can repeat a pattern you sing to or X will be marked
them using hand signals. on the attendance
Clap, Clap, Clap Your Hands sheet next to the
 Sing the melody of the song on “loo” students’ name.
and have students echo.
 Begin singing the words to the song
with an echo. Add claps the second time
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around, clapping on the first beat (song

is in 2/4 so clap on 1)
 Verse 2 is “pat your knees”
 Verse 3 is “tap your head”
 Verse 4 is “touch the floor”
 Sing the verses in reverse order. After
all four verses have been done, have
students make up new ones and write
them on the board.
Lesson SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
Title and (Abbrev.) Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
Day
Solo Melody  Students will perform(B) FA: Hickory-
singing and 1,2,3,4 solo (P) in the Hello Game Hello Dickory-Unison
instruments (M)  Have students sit in a circle and sing Hel-lo. Participation in the
Day 4-30 Singing  Students will play (B) Have students repeat it. Pick a student and song Hickory Dickory
min 2,5,6,7,8 instruments (P) while sing “Hel-lo ________”. Have students Dock will act as an
performing hickory dickory repeat the echo. assessment for
dock.  Tell the student whom you picked to pick singing a melodic
another student. Have all the students repeat phrase where pitches
after them “Hel-lo _______” go up, down, and stay
 The chosen student will pick another, and so the same. It will also
on, until everyone has been picked. assess students’
Hickory Dickory Dock ability to sing in
 “We’re going to work on more high and unison.
low sounds…. With instruments!!”
 First, review the poem of Hickory
dickory dock with the students.
 Sing the melody with students phrase by
phrase.
 Hand out several glockenspiels to
students around the circle, ensuring

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every student will get a chance to play

them.
 Ask them to slide the mallet across the
keys going low to high, then high to
low.
 Sing the song again with all the
students, having them slide up on “up
the clock” and down on “the mouse ran
down”
 Repeat this with all students until
everyone has had a chance to play.
Lesson SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
Title and (Abbrev.) Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
Day
Intro to Melody  Students will Piano Game Apple Tree
notation 1,2,3,4 compare/contrast (B) the  Ask students if they remember the high- While students are
Day 5-30 difference between high, low piano game. Have a volunteer playing the Apple Tree
min Singing low, and middle sounds (P) explain it, then reiterate rules so they are game, assess students
5,6,7 while playing the Piano clear to the whole class. for accuracy of pitch,
Game  Begin playing the game but start putting unison, and keeping
 Students will apply (B) the emphasis in the area between high and with the teachers
tempo set by the teacher (P) low. Pause and ask students where the conducted tempo
while playing the music sound lies. Make sure students are while participating in
game Apple Tree(M) aware that sound can be in the middle as the game.
well as high and low. Continue playing,
getting faster between transition
between high low and middle.
Apple Tree
 Get students in a circle. Begin singing
the first phrase of apple tree, getting
students to echo each phrase.
 After you have run the song with them,
explain the game- as we sing the song,
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we will pass around an apple (or object).

When the verse is over, whoever is
holding the apple is out. Get that student
to get a drum, or rhythm instrument and
have them play an ostinato as the game
continues. As more children are
eliminated, have them grab more
instruments. Limit the amount and have
students take turns playing different
instruments.
Lesson SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and
Title and (Abbrev.) Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
Day
Notation Melody  Students will perform (B) Cuckoo SA: Cuckoo
Reading 1,3,4 the minor third (P) while  Have students begin sitting on the risers. This game will act as a
and Games playing Cuckoo (M) Sing “Cuc-koo” on the minor third. summative assessment
Day 6-30 Singing  Students will perform (B) Have students echo. Sing “Where are of ability to sing a
min 5,6,7 3rd and 5th scale degrees you” and have students echo. Sing the melody accurately
(High and low sounds) on whole phrase and have students echo solo and in a group.
instruments (P) as dictated twice. FA: Reading Notes
by the teacher with solfege  Pick one student to stand in front of the This assessment will
signals(M) risers with their back turned. Pick check to see how well
another to be “it”. Students will all sing students understand
“Cuckoo where are you?” twice the concept of
followed by a solo “cuckoo” by the notation. Short
student who is it. melodies will be
 The student with their back turned will written on the board
then turn around and guess who it was. and will be played by
 Rotate through until the entire class has the class.
gone.
So-Mi Instruments

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 Have students get in a circle. Hand out

instruments and instruct students not to
touch them until instructed to do so.
 Allow for 30 seconds so the students
can play whatever they’d like and make
any noises they may be curious about on
their instruments.
 Write the notes G and E on the board,
telling students with xylophones and
glockenspiels that these are the notes for
so and mi, and for students to play both
notes.
 Begin using solfege symbols to identify
so and mi, having students play the
notes you make signals for. Begin
adding eighth note rhythms into the
melodies, ensuring those with non-
melodic instruments (drums) to play
the same beat
 Ask how we would write this on the
board, begin by putting two dots on the
board with no bar lines. “We need to
add lines, so we can tell which is high
and low.”
 Add 3 bar lines, putting the two notes in
the spaces. “If this note is higher up on
the board, will it make a higher or lower
sound?”
 Write a succession of three and sing it,
then get the students to echo.

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Lesson SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and

Title and (Abbrev.) Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
Day
Day 7-30  Students will follow (B) the Barking Game SA: BINGO
min teacher’s hand signals (P)  Begin by having students arrange This assessment will
while playing the barking themselves on the risers. test the students’
game (M)  Ask students who has a pet dog, how understanding or
 Students will identify (B) a big are they, what’s their name, etc. recognizing a
melody of 3rd and 5th  To the whole class, ask what dogs sound melody/melodic
degrees (P) playing melodic like. Tell them to all bark like dogs. pattern. Students will
bingo (M)  Ask students what the difference be given bingo cards
between big and small dogs is when with multiple four
they bark. note patterns on them
 Alternate between big and small dogs by Melodies will be
alternating between your hand up high played and they must
and lower down. Tell your students one identify what melodies
bark per hand gesture. Get faster and have been played on
faster, having students bark high and their bingo cards.
low.
Melodic bingo
 First, sing “hel-lo” in the minor third,
asking them to echo. Write the three bar
lines on whiteboard, writing the minor third
melody for “hel-lo”. Ask students if they
think the notes you wrote are correct.
 Write a different three note phrase and get
them to sing it how they think it sounds,
refreshing students on notation of melody.
 Hand out bingo sheets and explain the rules
of “melodic bingo”

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Lesson SLEs: Learning Instructional Strategies/ Assessments and

Title and (Abbrev.) Objectives Methods/Activities Evaluation
Day
Day 8-30 Melody  Students will create (B) a Writing Melodies SA: Melody
min 1,3,4 melodic phrase (P) using  Write a melodic phrase of four notes on Performance
high and low sounds (M) the board, ask the students to sing it This assessment tests
Singing  Students will perform (B) with you as a group, only using “ta” both a single students’
5,6,7,8 high and low sounds (P) in  Ask a student to come up and change ability to sing solo as
their own noted melody (M) one of the notes on the board. Have the well as the ability of
 Students will perform (B) a students sing the new melody. the ensemble to echo a
notated melody (P) in a  Hand out staff boards (or whatever melody in unison.
piece created by the entire media is available). Have students write Students will write
class (M) a four-note melody only using quarter their melody on the
notes. Ask for students to volunteer to board, then perform
give you their melody to write on the them, having the class
board. Have the student perform the echo the melody.
melody solo, having entire class sing the
melody in echo.
Performing Melodies
 Gather students in a circle and hand out
instruments.
 Pick several students at random to give
you their written melodies.
 Write them out on the board, adding bar
lines to divide them into 4/4
 Get students to sing the melody first on
so and mi
 Have students with drums begin to pulse
a quarter note beat. Count students in
and play the melody together.
 Have students rotate through
instruments. After several rounds, ask
for other students to volunteer their
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melodies. Play the new song on the

board.

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References
Alberta Education (1989). Elementary music. Edmonton, Alberta: Alberta Education.
Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/482116/elemusic.pdf

Gagné, D., Kodály, Z., Sills, J., & Orff, C. (2001). The Orff source: 89 Orff arrangements of
traditional folk songs and singing games. Red Deer, Alta.: Themes & Variations.

Kriske, J., & DeLelles, R. (2005). Game plan. an active music curriculum for children: grade
one. Las Vegas, NV: Kid Sounds

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EDUC 3601 Music C&I Griffioen Spring 2018