Jennifer Rodriguez

EDPS390

1. Introduction/ General Information:

Unit Title/ Theme: Ear Training/ Tonality
Number of Lessons within Unit: 8
Grade Level(s): Middle School
Unit Summary and Rationale:
2. Unit Goals:
a. Understanding tonality through audiation, dictation, and composition.
b. Being able to read and create music through tonal understanding.
3. Essential Question(s) for Unit:
What intervals make up a Major/ Minor scale?
What scale degrees make up pentatonic scales?
What can the sound of specific intervals be related to from past experiences?
How are major/ minor/ pentatonic scales utilized in music?
4. Pre-Assessment:
1. How many notes are in the chromatic scale? ________

a. Write out the chromatic scale on the line below, working up in the scale from the letter given:
C________________________________________________________________

2. Label where the Whole (W) and Half (H) steps are in the scale below:

D ( ) E ( ) F# ( ) G ( ) A ( ) B ( ) C# ( ) D

3. Is the scale in Question 2 Major, or Minor? _____________________

4. Circle the Scale Degrees that change in a Natural Minor Scale:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (1)

5. Circle the Scale Degrees that are used in a Pentatonic Scale:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 (1)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Listening: Circle if the melody is major or minor:

1. Major/ Minor

2. Major/ Minor

3. Major/ Minor

Listening: Write the interval name played on piano (ex: M2):

1. ______________

2. ______________

3. ______________
 Jennifer Rodriguez
EDPS390

5. Content- Daily Lesson Plans:

Content and Achievement Standards
Concepts
Define Chromatic Scale
Structure of a Major Scale (D, E, G, A)
Objectives
Students will be able to
Decipher where half steps and whole steps occur in major scale
Sing Major Scale (solfege)
Play Major Scale (D Major)
Write Major Scale (D, E, G,A)
Materials
Chalk/ White board
Procedure
1. Teacher explains chromatic scale
a. Definition: Chromatic scale has 12 half steps, which is the smallest step instruments can play, going note
from note. If we looked at a piano, it would be every key between a starting note, and its octave.
i. Teacher draws piano and highlights all notes in between D and octave D

ii.
b. Half Step Fingers:
i. Teacher has students put fingers together with no space in between.
1. Lets call these chromatic fingers/ half step fingers because they are right next to
each other.
ii. Teacher has students spread out their fingers.
1. Lets call these whole step fingers, because there is more space in between them now,
basically double the same we had before. Half + Half gives us whole!
iii. Teacher has students play half steps on D string.
1. Do we want space between our scroll and finger? (No, that would be a step!
2. Lets keep our fingers all close together and play the first 4 notes of our chromatic
scale! (D, Eb, E, F)
c. How to build a Scale:
i. Teacher marks on piano drawing which notes are used from the chromatic scale for the D major
scale.

ii.
iii. Students determine if a whole or half step is used. (WWHWWWH)
iv. Students determine if fingers will be together or apart (half or whole step).
d. Guitar scales:
i. Violins and Violas hold instruments like guitars and play half steps and whole steps of D major
scale, pizzicato (Cello and Bass play as normal).
e. Teacher has students work in this way on D major through pizzicato, bowing, and tonal echoing.

Assessment
 Jennifer Rodriguez
EDPS390

**Ear Training/ Tonality Process Portfolio: Students begin this portfolio on the first day as a cumulative journal
entry assignment for the whole unit. The journal includes written assignments for each night of the two week unit.

Follow Up Lesson
Structure of a Natural Minor Scale (D,E,G,A)
How Natural Minor Relates to Major

Content and Achievement Standards

Concepts
Structure of a Natural Minor Scale (D, E, G, A)
How Natural Minor Relates to Major
Objectives
Students will be able to
Materials
Procedure
Assessment:
Students break into two groups and have 5 minutes to form a Major and Minor Scale out of Flash Cards.
As a group, the students play their scale to see if they have it arranged right, and if they can properly
play what they have arranged.
Follow Up Lesson

Content and Achievement Standards

Concepts
Defining Triads
Identifying/ Forming Major and Minor Triads
Objectives
Students will be able to
Materials
Procedure
Assessment
Follow Up Lesson
Structure Pentatonic Scale
Determine how Pentatonic Scale relates to Major/ Minor Scale

Content and Achievement Standards

Concepts
Structure of Pentatonic Scale
How Pentatonic Scale Relates to Major/ Minor Scales
Objectives
Students will be able to
Materials
Procedure
Assessment
Pentatonic Freeze! Chairs are cleared from room and students practice D Major scale as a class. Then,
as a class, the students play the D major scale while walking, BUT only take a step on each note of the
pentatonic scale (Do-Re-Mi-So-La-Do). For the other notes (Fa, Ti) the students FREEZE! Whoever
doesnt freeze is out, but still plays the scale as the game goes on. The last student left becomes to
Pentatonic Pro for the day.

Follow Up Lesson
Have students Audiate and Echo Major/ Minor Scales
 Jennifer Rodriguez
EDPS390

Content and Achievement Standards

Concepts
Audiating and Echoing Major/ Minor Scales
Objectives
Students will be able to
Materials
Procedure
Assessment
Follow Up Lesson
Have students listen to and write out Intervals

Content and Achievement Standards

Concepts
Hearing and Dictating Intervals
Objectives
Students will be able to
Review Major/ Minor Scales
Review Chromatic Scale
Identify and write intervals
Materials
Chalk/ White Board
Youtube
Procedure
1. Teacher has student write in half and whole steps for D major scale on board, circling which notes are
used out of a chromatic scale. Students play scale.
2. Teacher has student write in half and whole steps for D minor scale on board, circling which notes are
used out of a chromatic scale. Students play scale.
3. Teacher has students listen to intervals, play intervals, and determine which songs they know use those
intervals.
o m2: Jaws
o M2: Silent Night
o m3: O Canada
o etc.
https://www.earmaster.com/products/free-tools/interval-song-chart-generator.html
4. Teacher has students determine which of these instruments are in a D major scale, always starting from
D and moving up. (M2, M3, P4, P5, M6, M7, Octave)
5. Teacher has students individually play interval, class decided what it is, class plays interval as a whole.

Assessment
**I Heard that on the Radio!: Students fill out a worksheet where they find 2 examples of different
intervals learned in class within songs they listen to on the radio/ on television/ at home. Songs cant
have been discussed in class.
Follow Up Lesson
Students will audiate intervals they hear and echo them on their instrument.

Content and Achievement Standards

Concepts
Audiating and Echoing Intervals
Objectives
Students will be able to
Materials
 Jennifer Rodriguez
EDPS390

Procedure
Assessment
Follow Up Lesson

Content and Achievement Standards

Concepts
Composition Using Major/ Minor/ Pentatonic
Objectives
Students will be able to
Compose simple melodies using notes in major, natural minor, and pentatonic scales
Materials
Staff paper
White/ chalk board
Procedure
Teacher has students warm up on D Major Scale
Students echo patterns on instruments
o Do-Re-Mi
o Mi-Re-Do
o Do-Ti-Do
o Do-Mi-So
o So-La-Ti
o Do-Ti-Do
Teacher plays patterns again, having students echo on scale degree names by singing.
o Teacher writes down correct answers on the board in staffs for each pattern.
Teacher creates 4 measure staff and allows 4 students to choose a pattern on the board and write it into
one of the measures.
The ensemble performs each measure and then groups them all together to form a melody.
o What we are creating is a melody. A melody is a musical line that plays the primary role in a
piece of music. Lets create another melody!
Class creates another melody with the same process for a natural minor and pentatonic scale.
Assessment:
**Build-A-Melody: Each student hands in their written out melody and a select group of melodies will
be played during class with the use of a projector the next day.
Follow Up Lesson
Post-Test will be given in following lesson.

6. Reflection:
7. Rubric:
Assessment Rubric:

Unsatisfactory Approaching Satisfactory Excellent

I Heard that on the Worksheet is Complete, containing Complete, Complete,
Radio! Worksheet incomplete. more than 3 incorrect containing less containing all
interval examples. than 3 incorrect correct interval
(10 pts) interval examples.
examples.
 Jennifer Rodriguez
EDPS390

Build a Melody Worksheet is Worksheet is complete, Worksheet is Worksheet is

Worksheet incomplete. containing some complete, complete,
incorrect notes for containing all containing all
(20 pts) chosen scale/ correct notes for correct notes for
underdeveloped chosen scale, chosen scale and
explanation paragraph. with detailed,
underdeveloped developed
explanation explanation
paragraph. paragraph.
Portflio Portfolio is Portfolio is complete, Portfolio is Portfolio is
incomplete, showing containing complete and complete,
(50 pts) minimal journaling misinterpretations of contains a clear containing a total
and misinterpretation some assignments and understanding of understanding of
of most assignments journal entries. each assignment, each assignment
and journal entries. with sufficient with exemplary
journal entries. journal entries.
Post Assessment
(50 pts)

8. Table of Specifications:
Objectives Percentage K (Knowledge) C (Comprehension) A+ (Application) Total
Major Scale 15% 1pt 3pts 3pts 7pts
Structure

Minor Scale 15% 1pt 3pts 3pts 7pts

Structure

Triad Structure 5% 4pts 0pts 0pts 4pts

Pentatonic Scale 15% 1pt 3pts 3pts 7 pts

Strucutre
Audiating/ 50% 15pts 10pts 25 pts
Dictating Intervals

100% 50pts

9. Summative Assessment/ Post-Assessment:

Summative Assessment/ Post-Assessment:

Multiple Choice
1. A chromatic scale is a
a. major scale with 12 notes.
b. minor scale with 8 notes.
c. scale with 12 whole steps.
d. scale with 12 half steps.
 Jennifer Rodriguez
EDPS390

2. What is the structure of a major scale using half (H) and whole (W) steps?
a. WWHWWWH
b. WWWHWWW
c. HHWHHHW
d. WHWWHWW

3. How many half steps are between scale degree 7 and 8 in a natural minor scale?
a. 0
b. 1
c. 2
d. 3

4. A minor interval:
a. Is only used in a minor scale
b. Is 3 whole steps apart
c. Is 3 half steps apart
d. Is the saddest interval

5. Which example shows a major pentatonic scale?

a. Minor pent scale (PUT PICTURES)
b. Collection of 5 notes
c. Blues scale
d. Major pent scale

6. What three scale degrees make up a major triad?

a. 1, 3, 5
b. 1, 2, 3
c. 2, 4, 6
d. 3, 5, 7

7. The intervals used in an ascending major triad are a

a. Minor 3rd and a Minor 3rd
b. Major 3rd and a Minor 3rd
c. Minor 3rd and a Major 3rd
d. Major 3rd and a Major 3rd

8. A scale degree is
a. how sharp or flat a particular note is
b. a measurement of how many notes are in a scale
c. the position of a note relative to the first note in its scale
d. how hot or cold a note sounds

Determine which interval is being played on the piano sample:

9. Listening 5:
a. M2
b. P4
c. P5
d. M7

10. Listening 6:
a. 8ve
b. M3
 Jennifer Rodriguez
EDPS390

c. m3
d. m2
T/F

1. A major scale can be used to create a minor triad.

2. To change a major scale into a minor scale, you must lower scale degrees 5, 6, and 7.

3. The following chord is a major triad. (PUT PICTURES) If false, explain why.

4. A major triad can be built on scale degrees other than scale degree 1 of a major scale.

5. A pentatonic scale can be made of any 5 notes, as long as they are in ascending order.

Matching

1. Match which scale occurs in each listening on the piano (3 pts each):

Listening 1: ____ A. Major

Listening 2: ____ B. Natural Minor

Listening 3: ____ C. Pentatonic

Listening 4: ____

Short Answer

Question 1 references the Matching section:

1. Circle two of the answers given for question the previous matching section that you will write out as a
scale on your instruments staff. Be sure to label which listening you are writing out on the line provided
above each staff. (PUT PICTURE!)
2.

Questions 2 and 3 both reference the following scale:

3. Write the scale degrees under each note of the following major scale in the blank spaces below.

4. Circle the notes in the major scale that make up the major pentatonic scale: (PUT PICTURES)
 Jennifer Rodriguez
EDPS390

5. Describe whole steps and half steps:

Essay
Describe two ways in which the Natural Minor Scale is related to the Major Scale:
 Jennifer Rodriguez
EDPS390

Answer Key:

Multiple Choice: T/F:

1. D 1. T
2. A 2. F
3. C 3. F
4. C 4. T
5. D 5. F
6. A
7. B
8. C
9. B
10. D

Matching:

1. C

2. B
 Jennifer Rodriguez
EDPS390

3. A

4. A

Short Answer:

Essay:

How many points is the class out of?

Test: 50 pts
Assessment 1 (Portfolio): 50 pts
Assessment 2: 10 pts
Assessment 3: 20 pts
Jennifer Rodriguez
EDPS390