Instrument Families: Peter and the Wolf

5th Grade General Music

Teacher Name: Mr. Ben Rajewski

Objectives:

- Students will be able to identify and correctly aurally identify instruments in the
brass, woodwind, percussion, and string families.

- Students can classify instrument families by defining characteristics and are able to
place instruments into each family.

- Students will have complete comprehension of all instruments in “Jack and the
Wolf” and will be able to recognize instruments playing each theme.

Standards Being Addressed:

- MU: Pr.4.1.5a Demonstrate and explain how the selection of music to perform is
influenced by personal interest, knowledge, and context, as well as their personal
and others’ technical skill.
- MU:Re9.1.5a Evaluate musical works and performances, applying established
criteria, and explain appropriateness to the context, citing evidence from the
elements of music

Materials of Instruction:
- Picture book of “Peter and the Wolf”
- Speaker/spotify songs
- Visual Examples of all instruments
- Whiteboard/ Expo Marker

Lesson Sequence:

Entry Activity/Transition: T will start by having the class sit down and ask if anyone has
heard the story of “Peter and The Wolf”. T will take 2-3 brief answers. T will then ready the
story of “Peter and the Wolf” to the students using the picture cards to introduce the story and
prepare students for lesson over instrument families.

Activity #1: Identification of Instruments from “Peter and the Wolf”

Objective: Students will be able to identify and correctly aurally identify instruments in
the brass, woodwind, percussion, and string families.

1. T will play the individual characters theme through the speaker one at a time, while
holding up the picture that corresponds with that scene
2. After the music is player, T will ask students what instruments they heard, or what type.
 3. T will reveal the instrument that was to correspond with the theme and discuss a little
about the instrument. (What it is made of, what kind of sound it makes)
4. T will do this for each theme, until through all of the instruments.
5. Lastly, T will demonstrate his personal trombone to represent the low brass, since it is not
represented in the story.

Activity #2: Characteristics of Each Instrument Family

Objective: Students can classify instrument families by defining characteristics and are
able to place instruments into each family.

1. T will draw 4 columns on the whiteboard, and label them “Woodwind, Percussion, Brass,
and Strings”
2. T will go through each instrument that the students have identified and ask them to place
it in the correct instrument family column.
3. T will also ask for characteristics of the instruments after they are placed and why that
makes them part of that family. (Trumpet made of metal so its brass, a clarinet has a reed,
etc.

Assessment:

- Observe student understanding of the story and characters

through student suggestions of character traits.

- Observe students’ comprehension and analysis of the instrument families and

how it relates to the character traits they previously identified.

Closure/Summative Assessment:

- T will end class, if time allows, by asking students an instrument at random and asking
them what family it is part of. T will ask for hands and try to call on a different student
for each instrument. If students are doing well with comprehension, T will ask
instruments that were not in the story and allow students to try to place them into
instrument families.