CREATING

Standard

MU:Cr1.1.E.5a Compose and improvise melodic and rhythmic ideas or motives that reflect 
characteristic(s) of music or text(s) studied in rehearsal.

Goals

1) I can recall, differentiate, and convey characteristics of the pieces we've played in 
rehearsal  
2) I can replicate those characteristics on my instrument 
3) I can write down these specific characteristics when asked to create a composition 
 

Introduction

● Learning Activities
○ Have students play through a melodic etude in the Essential Elements and follow
it up with a discussion of the piece’s characteristics students noticed
○ Pinpoint where each characteristic style occurred in the piece and then have
them play those specific measures
● Assessment
○ Ask a student what part of the piece exemplified a certain characteristic (one of
the characteristics as discussed as a class)
○ Have the student play the specified measure(s) and see if they can explain how
what they played exemplified the specific characteristic
● Repertoire
○ Essential Elements

Reinforcement

● Learning Activities
○ Give students options of a characteristic to try and replicate on their instrument
○ Lead an informal discussion on why what was played exemplifies the certain
characteristic
● Assessment
○ Go down the row and have each student try to play/exemplify a characteristic of
their choice (as provided by the teacher)
○ Ask the students if they think what they just heard exemplifies the characteristic
their peer was trying to convey
 ○ See if they remember a spot in the etude they played that ​also​ exemplified the
characteristic
● Repertoire
○ Essential Elements

Mastery

● Learning Activities
○ Have students collaborate to exemplify a characteristic of their choice ​together
○ Have each group explain their characteristic without prior discussion
● Assessment
○ Have students who aren’t playing write down on a piece of paper the
characteristic they think the group is trying to convey
○ Once each group has gone compare answers with the students and discuss from
there
● Repertoire
○ What the group has composed

PERFORMING

Standard

MU:Pr6.1.E.5a Demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive qualities in

prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music.

Goals

1) I can identify and play major scales on my instrument

2) I can create my own scales and variations of scales
3) I can make a story out of my performance

Introduction

Would be introduced after the first week of rehearsal

● Learning Activities
○ Scale Sheet​ major scale full ensemble warm-ups
○ Building chords using the scale sheets as reference
● Assessment
 ○ Scales done slowly up and down. If I notice major pitch discrepancies, I will stop
and address them. This will allow those less far along to still learn their scales at
a comfortable pace.
○ Building chords would be assessed based on people playing the right pitches,
same as the slow scales. This would also test people’s knowledge of different
types of chords, as I might throw out a “play the dominant chord”, or “a minor
chord starting on the second scale degree” to see what people might already
know, and also start dropping hints about what different sounds are called.
● Repertoire
○ Scale Sheet
○ Essential Elements (for group scale exercises)

Reinforcement

Will be reinforced weekly for 8 weeks until District auditions

● Learning Activities
○ Improvising using only the notes in the given scale using the scale sheet.
○ Scale Sheet​ major scale full ensemble warm-ups
○ Building chords using the scale sheets as reference
○ Creating personal scales using the scale sheet (ex. 1, b2, 3, 4, b5, b6, b7, 7, 8),
and performing them for the class
● Assessment
○ Improvising on the scales is not to be assessed as harshly, as this is the time for
creative expression. However, if I notice an individual using notes outside of the
given key, I would encourage them to stick to the given notes. This will allow
those farther along on their scale study to challenge themselves to play faster
runs, or to just think in the given key.
○ I would assess the creation of personal scales by seeing if their created scale
matches the one they play for the class. I would use my aural skills to assess any
discrepancies, and respectfully give feedback, maybe saying “you wrote the flat
5, but played a natural 5, which is still a hip choice”, or maybe asking the class
“Does it work?” to which discussion is opened up to whether or not the choice
worked.
○ Two of these four exercises should be done at every rehearsal, making all four
done each week (assuming two rehearsals a week) for 8 weeks.
○ Scales done slowly up and down. If I notice major pitch discrepancies, I will stop
and address them. This will allow those less far along to still learn their scales at
a comfortable pace.
○ Building chords would be assessed based on people playing the right pitches,
same as the slow scales. This would also test people’s knowledge of different
types of chords, as I might throw out a “play the dominant chord”, or “a minor
chord starting on the second scale degree” to see what people might already
know, and also start dropping hints about what different sounds are called.
 ● Repertoire
○ Scale Sheet
○ Essential Elements (for group scale exercises)

Mastery

Mastery will be after students have taken the District audition, or of a similar assessment done
by me.
● Learning Activities
○ Taking the audition will train students to play when under some pressure, which
happens during any kind of performance.
○ Winning a spot in Districts will give students experience making music with other
like-minded students, and encourage them to continue studying music.
○ Similar assessment will be graded for feedback purposes. Everyone who puts
forth effort will never be penalized by grade.
● Assessment
○ Students who get accepted into the district band will automatically get full marks
for the first half.
○ Students who do not will have the opportunity to take my personal assessment
(low stress, effort based assessment) for the same credit. Everyone has an off
day, and deserves a second chance to perform for credit.
○ Students who do not to audition will take personal assessment by me of their
scales (memorized), a sight-read short excerpt for their instrument, and
arpeggios (memorized)
○ Students can come back all semester to retake the assessment.
● Repertoire
○ I can compose short excerpts to test students on their individual instruments

CONNECTING

Standard

MU:Cn10.0.E.5a Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices
and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.

Goals

1) I can describe how I engage and have engaged with music.

2) I can describe my musical preferences.
3) I can describe or show what I can do in relation to music.
4) I can compare and contrast between my musical preferences and 1) and 3).
Introduction

Would be introduced approximately the third week of classes

● Learning Activities
○ Students will be prompted to begin a list of their musical experiences (including
performances, ensembles, practicing, instruments they’ve played, and ways they
currently engage in music) and preferences.
● Assessment
○ Assessment at this stage will be based on completion of this initial list.
● Repertoire
○ No repertoire for this activity.

Reinforcement

Reinforcement activities will occur approximately 5-6 times throughout the year.
● Learning Activities
○ Students will continue to add and/or change the initial list as they grow and
change.
○ Periodically, students will trade lists and discuss potential connections between
musical experiences and preferences. They will explore the questions, “How
does my musical past influence my musical present?” and “How might my
musical present influence my musical future?”
○ Outside of class, students will create written or spoken and video-recorded
reflections on what they learned from trading lists with each other.
● Assessment
○ Assessment will be based on completion of reflections outside of class.
● Repertoire
○ No repertoire for this activity.

Mastery

Mastery will be planned to occur near the end of the school year.
● Learning Activities
○ As a final transfer activity, students will discuss with peers or write what music
they like to make when they’re feeling different emotions.
○ Students will be given a short, random list of common emotions. They will then
use their lists of adjectives that they have been creating all year to connect the
adjectives to the emotions.
○ With the adjectives come the songs to which they were originally meant to refer.
Thus, the student now has a list of specific emotions associated with songs.
○ Outside of class, students will then write or make a video describing what they
learned from the in-class activity. They will also reflect on to what extent they
expected to learn what they did and to what extent other people might experience
 the songs they ended up associating with different emotions in the same way
they do.
● Assessment
○ Assessment will be based on completion of reflections outside of class.
● Repertoire
○ No repertoire for this activity.