Lesson One Information Form

Lesson #1/3 Date of lesson: 4/18/19

Objectives:
Students will demonstrate their ability to:
• learn and play the melody and bass line of Long, Long Ago
• compose and complete a melody.
• play their melody in front of their peers.

Activities/Strategies: Creating, Performing, Assessing
• Creating- Composing and completing the melody
• Performing- Playing in front of their peers
• Assessing- The worksheet with the composition

Assessment: Written Worksheet

Materials: Worksheet, Instruments, Audio Recording of Long, Long Ago

Grouping: 6th Hour 6th Grade Woodwinds (Flute, Saxophone, Clarinet)

Teaching Plan:
• Warmup students up with echo patterns and scale preps in the key of Eb
• Teach students to play Long, Long Ago Melody and Bass Line
o Clap and Count
o Review Instrument specific difficulties
o Play Melody
o Play Bassline
o Have class play both parts
• Discuss composition as a class
o What is composition?
o Give the parameters
o Specifics of composing
o Proper notation
• Give students plenty of time to notate their compositions
• If students finish early, challenge them to do more with dynamics and articulation
• Walk around the class to assess students, and give help where needed
• At the end of class let volunteers play their compositions for the class, they can have a friend
accompany them on the bass line


Sources: Developing Musicianship Through Improvisation, Christopher D. Azzara and Richard F.
Grunow- GIA Publications





Rubric for Beginning Composition:

Points 1 2 3

Rhythm None of the note values Used some of the Used only quarter, eighth
Parameters required were used required values, and and half note values
some others

Note None of the notes within the Used some of the Used only the notes within
Parameters key of concert Eb were used required notes, and some the key of concert Eb
others

Notation All stems are facing the Some stems are facing Used proper notation
incorrect direction the wrong direction.

Beats per Measures have more than Measures have one beat Measures have four beats
measure one beat more or less than more or less than each
necessary necessary

Participation Student did not attempt the Student completed half Student attempted all four
composition of the composition measures of the
composition

Student Work:

Above: Flute Player marked down for Notation. They need a stem on beat one of measure 7.

Above: Clarinet Player marked down for Notation, Rhythm and Note Parameters. A stem is on the wrong
side, there is too many beats in measure 8, and a Db is used.

Video:
Student compositions at 2:05, a sax student accompanied by a flute bass line and a clarinet student
accompanied by a clarinet bass line.
 Lesson One Analysis

What Students Learned:

Students learned to play the melody and bass line of Long, Long Ago. In class we had a
discussion about composition. We also discussed how to write with proper notation. From the student
work you can see they are fairly consistent in writing with proper notation. Overall, students learned to
finish the second half of the melody. From the student examples you can also see that the students ended
on tonic, helping their melodies to musically “make sense”.

Adjustments made:

During the lesson I found that some students needed more time than others to complete their
compositions. For some students it is harder to create. Other students finished fairly quickly, to which I
told them they could probably add more to composition in terms of articulation, dynamics, etc.

How I Monitored Student Learning:

After discussing composition with the students, I gave them an opportunity to work on their
compositions during class. During this time I went around the room to see how I could best help them. If
several students had similar issues I could then address them to the class. After having ample time to
work on their compositions students had the opportunity to play their compositions in front of the class.
To help them feel more comfortable I let them choose a friend to play the bass line along with them. By
having students playing their compositions in class it gave me an opportunity to informally assess
them. Then, when students handed in their compositions, I could assess them using the rubric I created.

How I will Address Students’ Needs in the Next Lesson:

In the next lesson I am going to continue to strive to be really specific with that I am looking for
in student work. Everything that I was specific about they included. But if I was not specific about
something, they would not do it. For example, students were really good about using proper notation, but
they did not all know that they were supposed to do both lines of the composition on the worksheet.