EdTPA Lesson Plan Format

Teacher Name: Holly Grabowski

Location/School: Ocean Avenue Elementary School
Music Specialty Area: Group Violin Lesson
Grade: 4th Grade (Beginners)
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Supporting Lesson Plan Information
Central Focus: Students will be able to distinguish and perform quarter, half, and whole-rests,
utilize proper fourth-finger placement on the A-string to produce an E-natural, and correctly
count and perform tied half-note rhythms during their performance of measures 5-35 in the piece
Tumbleweed Blues.

Prior Academic Learning and Prerequisite Skills: Students know how to remain in “rest
position” and “performance position” along with the gestures that prompt the two. Students have
prior knowledge of performing the C, G, and D-major one octave scales and performing simple
rhythms like eighth, quarter, half, and whole-notes. The students have also performed with bow
and pizzicato styles in past lessons, rehearsals, and concerts. Students are familiarized with the
musical terms melody and accompaniment along with how they differ from one another.

Personal, Cultural, and Community Assists: By initiating classmates and peers to work with
one another in problem-solving activities, “Turn and Talks,” and group performance games,
these interactions enhance a sense of community within a classroom setting. When students can
rely on others for help, this creates a welcoming and comfortable environment to learn in.
Students will be introduced to the musical concept of blues correlating to jazz music which some
student may have heard in their own lives through entertainment, media, or family influence.
They can use their emotions and how jazz in Tumbleweed Blues makes them feel then interpret it
through their performance. They are also encouraged to express themselves further through
improvisation and composition activities where their creativity and individuality is fortified
which can musically reflect their own selves.

Learning Environment Preparation and Materials: By the start of class, the music room will
be set up in a traditional orchestral set-up consisting of forty chairs and five instrument sections.
Nametags of all the students will be placed in their proper sections on chairs which are mixed
and changed for each rehearsal day. Before the students come in, the music program Smart
Music will be already featured on the Smart Board displaying the violin part of Tumbleweed
Blues. As the students arrive in the classroom, they will unpack on the risers in the back of the
room, leave their cases there, and bring their instrument, shoulder rest, music, and pencil to their
seat displaying their nametag. The students will read the AIM and Do Now then quietly remain
in “rest position” until further instructions by the teacher.
IEP/504/Gifted Learner Accommodations: As a class-wide support, I will hand out a
worksheet that displays the differences between half and whole-rests with a visual aid and a
written explanation to further enhance student understanding. This worksheet incorporates short
and simple phrases with bolded important terms related to rests. Two fun pictures are illustrated
to help students feel comfortable and connect with the new information being provided to them
easier. On both of the two exit slips, I provided large visuals, symbols, and pictures to help
students connect to the concept of rests and proper posture. These will aid students in the class
who need information simplified, help a student with ADHD (Student 1) who has problems
concentrating on new concepts, and helps visual learners. I have created a music translation
guide for an ELL student (Student 2) who speaks primarily Korean at home so that she can
understand what some of the important musical terms I say mean in Korean. While providing the
entire class with a visual counting representation worksheet of the tied eighth-note to half-note
rhythm, I color-coded the “big” beats in an accommodated version for the student with ADHD.
While the students and I mark the fingerings and notes in the piece displayed on the Smart
Board, I will color code each different string to help students correlate a color to a string to help
them read the music more easily.
LESSON 1 OF 3:

Aim: How can we visually tell the difference between our THREE new rests? How can we
remember them?
Do Now: After you unpack your violin, find your nametag and sit in that seat, take out the piece
Tumbleweed Blues, then quietly review and practice the sections we learned in our prior lesson.
Learning Objectives:
1. Students will be able to identify and perform quarter, half, and whole-rests.
2. Students will be able to utilize proper fourth-finger placement on the D-string to produce
an A-natural while incorporating left hand “Tunnel Finger” techniques.
3. Students will be able to combine the previous concepts together to learn and accurately
perform measures 5-28 from Tumbleweed Blues.
Procedure:
1. (3 minutes- Warm-Up) At the start of the period, students will walk in and unpack their
violins at the back of the classroom on the risers. With their instruments, music folders,
pencils, copy of Tumbleweed Blues, and shoulder rests, students will find their seats by
looking for their nametag placed on the top of the chairs organized in a traditional
orchestral setup. Students will read the AIM and Do Now that is displayed on the
chalkboard.

2. (5 minutes- Review) When the rest of lesson group arrives, the teacher and class will
briefly review the historical significance of “blues” music and review the measures from
Tumbleweed Blues that were introduced and performed in the prior class. They will
briefly perform the sections, focusing mainly on intonation, which will lead to a
transition of musical concepts towards the introduction of rests.

3. (8 minutes- Introduction of Rests) The teacher will ask the class: What are rests? Do
we make sounds? How many different rests do you see from measures 5-28? After the
students answer, the teacher will ask them if they know the differences between the three
contrasting rests (quarter, half, whole-rests). The teacher will hand out the “Rest
Worksheet” which highlights the main factors concerning whole and half-rests. The
teacher will ask student volunteers to read the worksheet out loud to which the teacher
will then further explain the concepts. Student volunteers will be asked to come up to the
board to identify one of the three rests, explain how many beats its held for, and how they
know it is the rest they think it is. The class will air-bow then perform measures 5-28 as
practice for performing the rests in a musical context.

4. (8 minutes- Introduction of Fourth-Finger and “Tunnel Fingers”) The teacher and

students will shift gears to start learning and working on measure 19 from Tumbleweed
Blues which consists of performing two notes on the E-string (F-natural and E-natural), a
 string not commonly used yet for them, and a fourth-finger note placed on the A-string,
an uncommonly used finger. The students will “Turn and Talk” to one another to discuss
what notes they think it is and what fingers they would play the notes with. Afterwards,
the teacher will introduce the concept of developing left hand “Tunnel Fingers” which
will help students easily perform their fourth-finger E-natural on the A-string. The
teacher will ask the students to, “Think as if your left fingers are tunnels. If we want a
miniature train to pass through your fingers, they must be more rounded and curved on
the fingerboard.” Students will practice performing F and E-natural on the E-string and
fourth-finger on the A-string until it becomes more comfortable.

5. (3 minutes- Review and Perform) After briefly summarizing the newly taught rests
(quarter, half, and whole-rests), notes on the E-string (F and E-natural), and fourth-finger
E-natural along with “Tunnel Fingers,” students will attempt to combine these new
musical techniques and concepts to perform measures 5-28 of Tumbleweed Blues with the
recording of the piece on Smart Music. The metronome will be adjusted to a slower
tempo in between 80-90bpm (beats per minute) so that the students can comfortably
utilize and perform all their newly taught techniques.

6. (2 minutes- Exit Slip Distribution) Students will be given a few minutes to fill out and
complete a two-question exit slip summarizing the identification of the three new rests
(quarter, half, whole-rests) and the new fingerings from measure 19 of Tumbleweed
Blues.

National Core Art and State Standards:

Anchor Standard #4- Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
Anchor Standard #5- Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
MU: Pr4.2.4- Demonstrate knowledge of the elements of music (such as rhythm, pitch, and
form) in music selected for performance.
MU: Pr6.1.1- Perform music with expression and technical accuracy.

Lesson Extension: As a lesson extension, students can perform in a group counting exercise
where half the lesson group performs measures 5-28 of Tumbleweed Blues while the other half of
the group counts the beats of each of the different rests out loud. This will help the entire lesson
group further understand how many beats are performed for each of the three rests and how to
count them on a steady beat. Another extension could be having the students play from measures
5-28 where one student performs measure 5 and then another student performs measure 6 until
all students have had a chance performing a single measure up to measure 28. This will provide
the teacher with knowledge of who is understanding the musical concepts, who needs more
assistance, and where most students are struggling that must be rehearsed more.
LESSON 2 OF 3:

Aim: What are some ways we can improve our sound quality as a performer?
Do Now: After you unpack your violin and sit in the chair with your nametag, review/practice
the sections we went over in our prior lesson from Tumbleweed Blues then take out the “Rest
Worksheet” to review the three new rests we learned.
Learning Objectives:
1. Students will be able to compose a single-measure composition consisting of one or more
of the three new rests (quarter, half, whole-notes) while incorporating the first four notes
of the D-major scale (D, E, F#, G).
2. Students will be able to utilize proper bow placement between the bridge and the
fingerboard during performances.
3. Students will be able to learn how to correctly perform and count the tied half-note
rhythmic patterns in measures 29-35 from Tumbleweed Blues.
Procedure:
1. (3 minutes- Warm-Up) At the start of the period, students will walk in and unpack their
violins on the risers in the back of the classroom. They will bring their instruments, music
folders, pencils, shoulder rests, and their copy of Tumbleweed Blues to their seats that are
in the traditional orchestral setup. Students will read the AIM and Do Now that is
displayed on the chalkboard.

2. (3 minutes- Scale and Review) When all of the students are seated, the teacher will lead
the lesson in a D-major scale warmup consisting of eighth and quarter-note rhythmic
patterns. Afterwards, the students will briefly review the three contrasting rests from the
prior lesson and explain their differences.

3. (6 minutes- Composition Activity) The teacher will introduce the students to a short and
fun composition activity. This activity consists of the students composing a single-
measure comprising of at least one of their three new rests along with at least one of the
first four notes in the D-major scales (D, E, F#, G). The teacher will hand out a worksheet
titled “Composition Activity” which will visually provide the students with the different
rhythms, rests, and notes they can use. This will serve as a visual reminder of the musical
concepts that they can copy down onto their compositions. The single measure can
consist of any of the given rhythms, rests, and notes but must utilize four beats in the
entire measure. After students have completed their own measures, the teacher will ask
them to perform their measures one by one down the row of their chairs.

4. (2 minutes- Bow Placement Explanation) While students are performing their

compositions, the teacher will reinforce proper bow placement during performance.
“Students, please make sure that the bow is placed on the strings in the middle of the
 bridge and the fingerboard.” The teacher will also explain why it is proper to place the
bow in that specific place due to tone quality purposes. As the students adjust their bow
placements, the teacher will walk around to visually assess their placements.

5. (8 minutes.- Introduction to Tied Rhythms) The teacher will introduce measures 29-35
of Tumbleweed Blues by performing it herself for them to listen to. The teacher will ask
the students what things they haven’t seen before in music that is featured in those
measures. Eventually, the idea of slurs and ties should come up to which the teacher will
explain the differences between the two. Once students understand they must combine
rhythms and beats, they will write the beats out on the Smart Board and on their own
sheet music to determine how long they are holding the tied half-note out for. After the
students begin to understand the correct counting of beats, the teacher will hand out the
“Counting Worksheet” which outlines the basic counting pattern for the tricky rhythm in
enlarged print. The students will play each measure individually multiple times to which
they can then combine measures together and eventually entire lines. This repeated
practice will continue until the students understand how to perform and count the tied
rhythm.

6. (3 minutes- Review and Perform) To draw in the students’ new musical concepts of ties
along with the musical passages they had performed in the piece already in their previous
lesson, the teacher will ask students if they have seen measures 31 and 35 before (which
they have). The students will then perform measures 29-35 together with the Smart Music
recording of Tumbleweed Blues to summarize their new techniques and skills they have
learned throughout the piece.

7. (2 minutes- Exit Slip Distribution) Students will be given a few minutes to fill out and
complete a two-question exit slip summarizing what proper left hand “Tunnel Fingers”
should look like and the location of where their bow placement should be on the strings.

National Core Art and State Standards:

Anchor Standard #2- Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard #4- Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.
MU: Cr1.1.2- Generate rhythmic and melodic patterns and musical ideas for a specific purpose.
MU: Pr4.2.3- Demonstrate knowledge of the elements of music (such as rhythm and pitch) in
music selected for performance.

Lesson Extension: As a lesson extension, students can organize all of their compositions in a
particular order, tape them to the chalkboard, then play them in that order as a group ensemble.
The students can mix the order in which the measures are played in and even have one of the
students conduct the group’s performance. Another lesson extension can include having students
work in pairs performing measures 29-35 as best as they can and seeing who can play the entire
section with the least mistakes at a steady tempo. This will help students utilize their aural skills
and become more aware of where and how they can improve in Tumbleweed Blues.
LESSON 3 OF 3: FINAL ASSESSMENT

Aim: How can we combine our new knowledge of rests, fourth-finger “Tunnel Finger” usage,
proper bow placements, and tied half-note rhythms to accurately perform measures 5-35 in the
piece Tumbleweed Blues?
Do Now: After you unpack your violin, bring your instrument with your Tumbleweed Blues
sheet music and “Composition Activity” to your seat. Quietly practice any difficult spots you are
still having trouble with until everyone has arrived in their seats.
Learning Objectives:
1. Students will be able to improvise on the notes D, F#, and A while incorporating their
three newly taught rests of quarter, half, and whole-rests over a D-Major blues Youtube
backing track.
2. Students will be able to incorporate proper performance postures, including left hand
“Tunnel Fingers” and correct bow placement, while performing their final individual
assessment.
3. Students will be able to utilize their prior knowledge of rests, rhythms, and ties to
accurately perform measures 5-35 of Tumbleweed Blues as a final individual assessment.
Procedure:
1. (2 minutes- Warm-Up) At the start of the period, students will walk in and unpack their
violins on the risers in the back of the classroom. Students will bring their instruments,
“Composition Activity” worksheet, pencils, shoulder rests, and their copy of Tumbleweed
Blues to their seats that are in the traditional orchestral setup. Students will read the AIM
and Do Now that is displayed on the chalkboard.

2. (3 minutes- Scale and Review) When all the students are seated, the teacher will lead the
group in a D-major scale warmup consisting of contrasting rhythmic patterns. During the
scale, the teacher will reinforce proper performance postures to the students.

3. (8 minutes- Improvisation Activity) The teacher will introduce the Improvisation

Activity by first asking the students, “What is improvisation?” After students respond,
the teacher will explain the activity. “By using your “Composition Activity” worksheet
from our prior lesson, use the notes D, F#, A on the D-string along with the three
different rests and rhythms while performing your own interpretive improvisation.” The
teacher will also mention how it can be as easy, hard, short, long, complicated or simple
as they would like. The teacher will perform an example on her violin of improvisation
first so that the students can comprehend it more. The D-major Youtube backing track
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUHMO_u_UgM) will be played in the
background as the teacher performs. Afterwards, students will be encouraged to all
improvise together at the same time and then alone if they would like.
 4. (3 minutes- Assessment Review) To prepare them for their individual performance
assessments, the teacher and students will review important concepts to help them
perform their assessments. These concepts will include reinforcing proper bow
placements, left hand “Tunnel Fingers,” correctly counting quarter, half, and whole notes,
correctly placing and curving the left fourth-finger on the fingerboard, and counting the
beats within ties.

5. (12 minutes- Individual Performance Assessments) Students will be asked to

individually perform measures 5-35 of Tumbleweed Blues. Once they completed their
performances, the teacher will provide each student with feedback in the form of “Stars
and Wishes. “Stars” are concepts the performer did well on and “wishes” are concepts
they wish the performer can further improve on in the future. The teacher will fill out a
rubric for each student grading them 1 out of 5 in five different categories: Fourth-Finger
Pitch Accuracy, Rests Rhythmic Accuracy, Tied Half-Note Rhythmic Accuracy, Proper
Left Hand “Tunnel Fingers,” and Proper and Correct Bow Placement.

6. (2 minutes- Summarize and Conclude) After all the students have performed,
congratulate them on completing their first full page of Tumbleweed Blues as a group! If
there is enough time, have the entire lesson group perform the first page again while
playing along with the Smart Music recording.

National Core Art and State Standards:

Anchor Standard #1- Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard #10- Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
MU: Cr1.1.4b- Generate musical ideas (such as rhythms, melodies, and simple accompaniment
patterns) within tonalities (such as major and minor) and meters.
MU: Pr5.1.3- Apply established criteria and feedback to evaluate accuracy of performances.

Lesson Extension: As a lesson extension, students will be divided into two groups where one of
them are performing the entire first page of Tumbleweed Blues with the Smart Music recording
while the other group of students provide feedback through “Stars and Wishes.” Another
extension can be having the entire group perform the first page with pairs of students being
assigned to particular lines. This way, students must listen and be aware of where they are
performing in the music so that they come in on their parts at the correct time.