Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans
This is my country

Day 1

Essential Understandings	Standards	Content	Prior learning, difficulties	Learning activities and tools
What is your favorite state? Where would we go if we were to visit that state? Do you know any songs about our country? Can music help us learn? Can music help us show our feelings? Does music change over time? How?	Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music Understanding relationships between music , the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts Understanding music in relation to history and culture	Assign cooperative learning groups Choose states to research (by drawing one from a "hat") Discuss what they know, what they would like to know, how they will find the information. Web sites www.50states.com	Need to know how cooperative groups work. Need to know how to type in a URL Need to work independently	Brainstorm and look at the site www.50states.com Need computer or could use the computer lab if available Pencils Know/need to know log Daily self-assessment rubric

Day 2

Essential Understandings	Standards	Content	Prior learning, difficulties	Learning activities and tools
Same as day 1	Same as day 1	Continue to search for answers to questions: what do you know?, what would you like to find out?, and where can you find out?	Same as day 1	Pencils Fill out assessment of activity #1 Daily self assessment rubric

Day 3

Essential Understandings	Standards	Content	Prior learning, difficulties	Learning activities and tools
What does patriotic mean? Can music make you feel different feelings? How?	Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music	View PowerPoint presentation of "My Country ‘Tis Of Thee" Sing song Demonstrate how to make a slide (see handout )	Singing techniques for using head voice. (Make a caw sound like a crow, jump off a high tower and make the sound, whee, as you float down, siren sound, owl sound, etc.)	Computer Handout: How to make a PowerPoint slide Check list for states and capitals slides Daily self assessment Teacher checklist for using head voice

Day 4

Essential Understandings	Standards	Content	Prior learning, difficulties	Learning activities and tools
Same	Same	Students work in cooperative groups at the computer. (If working on one computer, limit of 5 minutes per group per class period. Adjust if working in a lab setting or with another teacher. Continue teaching the song, "My Country ‘Tis Of Thee"	Students must work together and decide how to use the time. They can work on one slide or several slides as they choose.	Computer States and capitals checklist Self assessment of daily singing and activities

Day 5 – 9

Essential Understandings	Standards	Content	Prior learning, difficulties	Learning activities, assessments, and tools
Do you know any songs about our country? Can music help us learn? Can music help us show our feelings? Does music change over time? How?	Singing alone and with others. A varied repertoire of music Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts Understanding music in relation to history and culture	Students continue research in cooperative groups, 5 or 6 students can use the computer while the class sings. Introduce a new song ("Heartbeat Of America") by : Listening, reading words of the chorus together. Challenge the class to memorize the chorus of Rap of the States. Give 2 or 3 students an opportunity to recite the chorus from memory.	Emphasize proper singing techniques: Sit up straight. Keep your jaw relaxed. Tongue is positioned in the bottom of the mouth. Sound is focused to the top of the head. Review "tricks" to finding your head voice. (Make a caw sound like a crow, jump off a high tower and make the sound, whee, as you float down, siren sound, etc.)	Students mark off checklists to evaluate progress on the PowerPoint slides. Students do self-assessment of daily singing/activities. Teacher observes student singing to evaluate progress of singing and using the proper singing techniques. Music scores for 3 songs for each student learners, Local and Remote: My Country ‘Tis of Thee Rap of the State Heartbeat Of America

Day 10-14

Essential Understandings	Standards	Content	Prior learning, Difficulties	Learning activities, tools
What elements of music can change the style or mood of a music composition?	Reading and notating music.	Review note values: whole, half, quarter, eighth, and their rests. Show an example (see Pierre, South Dakota) of how to write out the rhythm under the words. Students will copy the rhythm of their state and it’s capital on a print out of their slide. (It may be necessary to write the rhythm on a larger sheet of construction paper and tape the print out to it.) Students will use their music score to copy the rhythms correctly. Teach the first group of rhythms, and sing along with the recording. Add 10 –15 new rhythm cards each day until all 50 states have been presented. Review other songs.	Students should already know the note values and the syllables (ta, ti-ti, etc.)	Printouts of state slides (teacher prints these out befor class meets) Construction paper Pencils or markers Music octavos for the three songs. Teacher evaluation of PP slides using rubric Student daily self-assessment

Day 15

Essential Understandings	Standards	Content	Prior learning, Difficulties	Learning activities, tools
Can music help us show feelings? Does music change over time? What songs do you know about our country? What does patriotic mean? How can music help us learn, memorize? What elements are needed to make music?	Singing alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music Evaluating music and music performances Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts Umderstanding music in relation to history and culture	Final performance of songs and PowerPoint presentation of the "Virtual Tour" of our 50 states. Program: "My Country ‘Tis Of Thee" (sing along with PowerPoint) "Virtual Tour" slide presentation "Rap Of The States" "Heartbeat Of America"	Proper behavior when performing No talking on stage No gum chewing Eyes on the director Relax and enjoy the performance	Practice coming to the microphone in order of 50 states rap. Line up on the risers. Practice speaking slowly and clearly. Taped acconpaniments PowerPoint CD’s Computer/multi-media projector Sound system Coonductor scores Self-assessment Performance assessment