Impact on Student Learning Project: 6th Grade Intermediate Band

Supplement Student Understanding of Time and Meter

Unit Objectives:

● Students will learn how to conduct a 3/4 pattern.

● Students will practice their conducting to popular music.
● Students will transfer their conducting skills to the podium and conduct their peers as
they play 3/4 excerpts in the class book, and gain a clearer perspective of what
conductors do.
● Students will develop a better understanding of both time and meter, review how to read
time signatures, and differentiate between pulse and rhythm.
● Students will explore how they may adapt this skill to personal practice of concert music.

Lesson Plans:
Lesson #1 of 3

Objectives:
1. Students will review what a conductor and their gestures indicate
2. Students will learn how to conduct a 3/4 pattern
3. Students will count rhythms in 3/4 while conducting

Standards Addressed
MIB.4 The student will identify, read, and perform music in simple meters.

MIB.12 The student will demonstrate ensemble skills at a beginning level, including
5. maintaining a steady beat at various tempos in the music literature being
studied.

MIB.17 The student will demonstrate musicianship and personal engagement by

4. describing and demonstrating rehearsal and concert etiquette as a performer
(e.g., using critical aural skills, following conducting gestures, maintaining
attention in rest position).
Procedures
1. Students will take a pre-test assessment about conducting and meter
2. Students will review what a conductor does
3. Students will learn how to conduct a 3/4 pattern
a. Pencil quiz → Batons!
4. Students will split into two groups
a. One group will clap and count rhythms in ​Essential Elements​ while the other
group conducts, then the groups will switch
5. Students will review concert etiquette in relation to conductor gestures
Assessment
1. Students will take a brief pre-test at the beginning of the lesson.
2. Students will be informally assessed for this introductory lesson, and formally assessed
in future lessons

Materials
1. Pre-test
2. Essential Elements

Revised Lesson #2 of 3

Objectives:
1. Students will review what a conductor and their gestures indicate (1 min)
2. Students will review how to conduct a 3/4 pattern to songs of various genres (4 min)
4. Students will play excerpts #67-69 in ​Essential Elements ​and follow select student
conductors, and try to follow the conductor while playing. (10 min)

Standards Addressed
MIB.4 The student will identify, read, and perform music in simple meters.

MIB.12 The student will demonstrate ensemble skills at a beginning level, including

4. responding to conducting patterns and gestures; and

5. maintaining a steady beat at various tempos in the music literature being
studied.

MIB.17 The student will demonstrate musicianship and personal engagement by

4. describing and demonstrating rehearsal and concert etiquette as a performer
(e.g., using critical aural skills, following conducting gestures, maintaining
attention in rest position).
Procedures
1. Students will quickly review the 3/4 conducting pattern
a. We will conduct as a group to our conducting playlist after reinforcing the pattern
2. Students will play #67-69 in ​Essential Elements
a. Students will see how often they can look up from their music while playing
3. Students ​who behave well throughout the lesson ​will get to conduct the group through
#67-69.
a. The group will see how often they can look up at the conductor
b. The student conductor will direct the piece at their own tempo which the group
will try their best to follow
Assessment
1. Students will be informally assessed for participation, demonstration of some
understanding of conducting, ability to look up from music and follow conductor pattern
Materials
1. Essential Elements
2. Spotify “Conducting Project” playlist of songs in 3/4
3. Speaker

Lesson #3 of 3

Objectives:
1. Students will review conducting patterns and concert etiquette
2. Students will practice conducting and following a student conductor
3. Students will complete a post-test assessment on class content

Standards Addressed
MIB.4 The student will identify, read, and perform music in simple meters.

MIB.12 The student will demonstrate ensemble skills at a beginning level, including

4. responding to conducting patterns and gestures; and

5. maintaining a steady beat at various tempos in the music literature being
studied.

MIB.17 The student will demonstrate musicianship and personal engagement by

4. describing and demonstrating rehearsal and concert etiquette as a performer
(e.g., using critical aural skills, following conducting gestures, maintaining
attention in rest position).

Procedures
1. Students will review content from past two lessons
a. Conducting patterns
b. Following a conductor
c. Concert etiquette
2. Students will learn what a fermata is
a. Students will draw a fermata into their music (in ​Essential Elements​)
b. Students will practice playing a fermata and watching the conductor for a cut off
i. A student volunteer will be the conductor leading fermatas and cut offs
3. Students will play through #67-69 with student conductors
a. Student conductors can take pieces at different tempos, and lead a fermata at
the end of each piece.
4. Students will complete post-test assessment
Assessment
1. Students will be informally assessed for participation, demonstration of some
understanding of conducting, ability to look up from music and follow conductor pattern

Materials
1. Essential Elements
4. A baton

Pre and Post Tests

Impact on Student Learning

Conducting and Meter
6th grade periods 1/3/5/8

Name: _____________________________________________ Date:_________________

Please answer these questions and do your best!! :)

What does this symbol mean?

_________________________________________________________________

How many beats are in a ¾ measure? _____________________

Have you had any experience with ¾ time? (check any boxes that you’ve had experience with
and describe the experiences)

❏ clapping / counting music in 3/4

How much? _______________________________________________
❏ Playing music in 3/4
How much?_______________________________________________
❏ Conducting (any music)
How much?________________________________________________

How many beats does a quarter note get? ___________________

How many quarter notes can fit in a ¾ measure? _____________

Draw the conducting pattern of a ¾ measure:

On a scale from 1-5, rate yourself on these questions below!

1 = unsure 2 = somewhat sure 3 = moderately confident 4 = confident 5 = very confident

(answer with the number scale above)

How comfortable are you with clapping and counting in ¾ time? _________ (1-5)

How comfortable are you with conducting in ¾ time? __________ (1-5)

How comfortable are you with playing in ¾ time? _________ (1-5)

Grading Process

5 points for ​numbered q ​ uestions (1 pt. each), scored for correctness.

On questions about experience and confidence, each box gets one point if checked off, and the
bottom self evaluation is out of 15 points total, with a grand total of 18 points possible.
TOTAL PRE/POST TEST SCORE: 23

1. What does this symbol mean?

_________________________________________________________________

2. How many beats are in a ¾ measure? _____________________

Have you had any experience with ¾ time? (check any boxes that you’ve had experience with
and describe the experiences) (​3 points possible)

❏ clapping / counting music in 3/4

How much? _______________________________________________
❏ Playing music in 3/4
How much?_______________________________________________
❏ Conducting (any music)
How much?________________________________________________

3. How many beats does a quarter note get? ___________________

4. How many quarter notes can fit in a ¾ measure? _____________

5. Draw the conducting pattern of a ¾ measure:

On a scale from 1-5, rate yourself on these questions below! ​(15 points possible)

1 = unsure 2 = somewhat sure 3 = moderately confident 4 = confident 5 = very confident

(answer with the number scale above)

How comfortable are you with clapping and counting in ¾ time? _________ (1-5)

How comfortable are you with conducting in ¾ time? __________ (1-5)

How comfortable are you with playing in ¾ time? _________ (1-5)

Post Assessment Reflection:

POST CONDUCTING REFLECTION

Name: _____________________________ Date:____________

Have you enjoyed conducting in class? Do you like conducting music ?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

How might conducting through your music help you with time and rhythm?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

Do you think you will try conducting in the future? Could it help you practice?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________
 Summary Reflection of the Process:

For my first placement, I found that many students had different notions of what a time
signature was. Within just 6th grade, there were numerous variations of this concept among
students. To address this, I decided to take a more kinesthetic approach to time and meter by
teaching students how to conduct a simple 3/4 pattern.

In the Pre/Post tests, I decided to focus on the basics of this large concept. I laid out
simple questions about time signatures, quarter note value, and what 3/4 meant to assess
student comprehension of the basics before and after the unit. Additionally, I wanted to assess
student comfort and confidence before and after the unit, so I added simple scales (1-5) for
students to self assess their growth throughout the lessons.

In my three lessons, I wanted to address the “why” behind what we were doing more
than anything. I believe relevance is a key motivator for learning, so I had the class conduct to
pop songs (Theme from the Pixar film “Up”, Alicia Keys “Fallin”, “Hedwig’s Theme” from Harry
Potter, etc.) as well as conduct one another on the podium to make what we were doing both
relevant to today’s music and applicable to what is already going on in the classroom.

After reading through 44 pre and post tests and reflection summaries, I sorted them into
three main categories based on scores and reflective comments:

1) Most learning from and enjoyment of the unit

2) Some learning from and enjoyment of the unit, and
3) Little learning from and enjoyment of the unit.

In total, there were 29 students in the most learning and enjoyment category, 9 in the
middle category, and 6 in the lowest learning/enjoyment category. I graded each pre and post
test with a total possible points of 23.

Category 1: 29 students, 1 incomplete/not scored. Avg. score = 12.5 (pre) to 20.3 (post)

Category 2: 9 students, 1 incomplete/not scored. Avg. score = 12.25 (pre) to 19.5 (post)

Category 3: 6 students. Avg. score = 8.2 (pre) to 14 (post)

Students in the top two categories had about the same starting knowledge of the subject
to begin with and averaged about the same scores after the unit. The only variance between
these two categories was in their post test reflections. The top category comments were all
positive, while the second category comments were neutral or inconclusive. Students in the last
category were ranked based on their scores and clear lack of enjoyment based solely on their
reflection sheet answers.
 When going through all of these papers, I was surprised by some of the outcomes.
Numerous students who seemed lost or disengaged during the unit were ranked in the Category
1, for most learning and enjoyment of the lessons. Others who seemed to quickly excel were put
in the bottom two categories. My surprise to some of these results could be caused by a number
of variables, but my best assumptions at this point in time are:

1) I do not know some of these students well enough to tell when they are enjoying
something while they struggle or get off task.
2) Students who excelled in the first or second lesson may have become bored of the unit
and its pace in relation to the rest of the students in the class.

One of the benefits of teaching this unit for four classes was that I could modify the
lesson throughout the day. I would take note of what did and did not work in first period and
make slight changes to the lesson for the next class. With two classes who progressed quickly
in the first lesson, I was able to go into the differences between 3/4 and 6/8, while other classes
never got there. If I could do this same project again, I could take more than three lessons to
learn, practice, and review all of the material to help those students who struggled throughout. I
liked how I used the pre/post tests, but I would have reworded the reflection questions to avoid
receiving so many one-word answers. Overall, I enjoyed going through this process, and I plan
on using this tool in future projects.