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November 6, 2018 Elementary Unit

Alex Meek

Alexander Meek
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 3
Unit Outline 4
Pre-Assessment 6
Post-Assessment 6
LESSON PLANS
1 7
2 9
3 11
4 13
5 15
6 17
7 19
8 21
9 23
10 24
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INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this unit is to provide a series of lesson plans, rationale, and assessment
tools to properly introduce the I-IV-V chord progression to my fifth grade class. Given that
students will have previously learned about the I-V progression, we will expand on that through
use of improvisation, playing instruments, movement, and singing. Lessons in this unit will also
expand on my students’ knowledge of solfege, song forms, meters, and rhythm. While this is the
final step in terms of formal chord analysis and function, students will use the knowledge they
gain here to aid them in their comprehension of 12-bar blues, which will be covered in sixth
grade.
Apart from engaging with the I-IV-V progression at a deep level, students will also be
using this unit to practice skills intertwined with good musicianship. These skills can be found at
various points throughout the lesson plan sequence. They include identifying the mood, timbre,
form, and meaning of the piece of music being utilized. The unit also seeks to develop individual
skills related to performing, such as learning the history/context of the song, how to make
creative decisions, and how to collaborate. Students will also receive extensive practice in
regards to singing and performing on instruments (namely ukulele).
Finally, this unit provides multiple opportunities for cross-curricular connections, the
main one being history. Many of the songs used here have a notable historical connection, so
taking the opportunity to discuss them will expand students’ overall conceptualization of various
historical timelines and how that particular song is relevant. This also provides a chance to
explore the music of other cultures, along with their language, beliefs, customs, and the like. This
is important to developing well-rounded, informed students. Through this unit, I believe students
will develop a more comprehensive understanding of the structure behind most music, how it
applies to them and the music they identify with, and how it connects to the world around them.
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UNIT OUTLINE
PREPARE
1. Simple Simon—For this lesson, students will identify what role chords have in making a
song sound the way it does. They will be asked how certain chords make them feel, first
in the context of a spoken word story, then underneath a melody. They will also identify
the fact that there are three different chords in this song using Dalcroze-style movements.
Simple Simon was first published as an English nursery rhyme in 1764.
2. Oh When the Saints—Students will be using this lesson primarily to differentiate between
the three chords. After reviewing what was covered last lesson, students will identify
what chords are which (G, C, and D) by holding up representative cards as they are
played on the piano. Students will identify the tonic of each chord, and learn the solfege
that correlates with each of them. This song originated as a black spiritual, but has been
covered widely by jazz bands across the globe, so we will also delve into this history
through discussion.
3. Teach Your Children—Students will become more familiar with the differences between
the I, IV, and V chords (in this case, C, F, and G) through the context of a rock ‘n roll
song. The beginning of the lesson will be structured similarly to the previous one, but the
majority of the class will be devoted to creating an accompaniment to the song. Students
will be split up into groups and offered Orff/various percussion instruments in order to do
this. Teach Your Children is a song by Crosby, Stills, and Nash, and is a prime example
of the class rock genre.

PRESENT
1. Teach Your Children—In this lesson, students will analyze the structure of this song even
further. To begin, we will go through as a class and mark points in the music where a
chord shift occurs. After doing this, their attention will be drawn to the IV chord, as they
are already familiar with I and V. We will discuss the importance of the I-IV-V
progression, and draw conclusions as to why that progression exists. We will then listen
to the recording a second time, stopping at each chord shift and identifying what it is in
terms of chord name and Roman numeral. To solidify this, students will be presented
with another verse of Teach Your Children and asked to find the chord structure with
minimal teacher intervention.

PRACTICE
1. Amazing Grace—The effectiveness of the I-IV-V progression will be stressed again in the
warm-up, using Dalcroze-style movements and teacher demonstration. Students will then
be split up into groups and assigned to Orff instruments. Each group will be tasked with
creating an original chord progression to Amazing Grace, using a printed copy of the
melody and their Orff instrument for reinforcement. Each group will perform their
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progression. Afterwards, a discussion will take place on what kind of decisions were
made in their creative process, and what it was like to work in a group.
2. Dayenu—Students will begin by exploring the Jewish culture surrounding Passover, of
which this song comes from. They will be shown a video containing Dayenu sung in
different styles (traditional, hip hop, rock, etc.) and asked how the chord structures
varied, if at all. They will then be split up into groups and tasked with creating their own
arrangement of the song, using instruments around the room, found sounds, and singing.
They will compile this all using GarageBand, play it for the class, then justify their
creative decisions.
3. Roll Over Beethoven—Students will be led through an exercise that applies the concept of
I-IV-V to the different keys. Students will then explore improvisation over this chord
progression, using call-and-response and volunteer performance as methods of teaching
this concept. Roll Over Beethoven will also be used as a means to explore early rock n’
roll, as this is a prime example of this point in the genre. This discussion will also be
compared to more current rock n’ roll, so that students can see that progression.
4. Dayenu—The lesson will begin with learning how to build chords in various keys.
Students will receive cutouts of an ice cream cone (separated into the cone, ice cream,
and a cherry), and will be tasked will building their “ice cream chords” (I, IV, and V) in
the given key. This activity will start off with heavy teacher intervention, but eventually
will dissipate. After this, students will then be presented with boomwhackers, each
student receiving one. Using paper copies of the melody and chord analysis, they will be
taught how to read it and expected to play the tonic of each chord as we come across it.
Students will eventually perform this while singing the melody so that they can hear that
connection.
5. I’m Yours—Students will initially be tested on their understanding of the I-IV-V
progression by responding to a given chord (played on the ukulele) with what comes
next. They then will be taught the importance of instrument care, and how to perform the
three chords used in Jason Mraz’s I’m Yours on the ukulele. We will go through the
entire song, learning the chord shifts and melody primarily by rote. The lesson will end
with a class performance of the song. I’m Yours was decided upon due to its simple chord
structure, prominent place in the pop music genre, and its overall engaging nature.
6. Independent project—Students will play through a verse or two of I’m Yours on ukulele
to get them back into the swing of things. Afterwards, they will be given the rest of class
to compose a short song, displaying correct usage of the I-IV-V progression and a
cohesive melody. After recording them using iPads and submitting them, students will be
led through the self-assessment process using a teacher-provided rubric. This will likely
happen the following class period.
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PRE-ASSESSMENT
Sequence:
 Ss will learn the melody to “Naughty Kitty Cat” with no chord backing. This will be
taught by call and response.
 T will play a I-V chord backing while Ss sing the melody the second time. Ss will stop
singing when they feel a change in the song (triggered by a change in chords).
o Ss will briefly discuss what they noticed/felt as a class. T can ask leading
questions such as, “did the melody change or was it something else?”
 Ss will listen to T play and sing all the way through “Naughty Kitty Cat”, raising hand
when they notice a change in the song.
Assessment: Students will be able to detect a I-V change in the background of the song prior to
learning about chords and chord structures.

POST-ASSESSMENT
Description:
The post-assessment correlates directly with the project described in Lesson Plan 10. I
will be using a checklist to assess whether or not students have met the criteria described in the
lesson, and consequently, the whole unit. Students will use a more descriptive rubric in assessing
their own projects. After results are compiled, each student will be graded on a “pass/needs
improvement” basis, which is reflected in the attached checklist.

Student Name Inclusion of I-IV-V Includes cohesive Demonstrates


progression melody understanding of I-
IV-V and its
application
P/NI P/NI P/NI
P/NI P/NI P/NI
P/NI P/NI P/NI
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LESSON PLAN 1—Prepare


Objectives: Students will demonstrate their understanding of a chord change (between I, IV, and
V) through Dalcroze-style movements.
Standards Addressed: 1, 2, 4, 6
Materials: Laptop, projector, piano, adequate space in the room
Sequence:
Warm-up: T puts backing track on of a soft song with a I-V-I progression (maybe a few
other chords to maintain interest) and tells story about his cat. T asks Ss if they have had any
frustrating pet stories. Have students move when they hear a change in the background (chord
change) while Ss are telling their stories. “How did the music make you feel? Did it make the
stories more or less interesting?”
Activity 1
1. Introduce “Simple Simon”—just the melody.
a. Teach Ss this melody.
2. “Having just a melody is boring. What can we use to spice this thing up?”
a. Ss will suggest chords/hand signs.
b. Play through “Simple Simon” with chord backing.
3. “How did chords affect the overall feel of the music?”
a. “Did it make it more/less exciting? More/less likely to engage with it?”
Activity 2
1. Ss will bob up and down according to when a chord change is detected in “Simple
Simon”.
a. Patterns will start simple, then get more complex (two to three max).
2. “Can anyone tell me how many different chords are used in my song?”
a. Assign a different movement to each chord, perhaps letting Ss pick.
b. Run through the song twice with different chordal structures, monitoring
understanding. This is the premise of my next lesson, so I won’t spend too
much time on it.
Assessment: Students will recognize when chord changes occur with only one mistake. I will
know this has been achieved when all students end the song in the same position (up or down).

Song Analysis Table: Simple Simon

Tone Set DRMFSLT


Range C-Bb
Rhythm Set 4/4, consecutive eighth notes, quarter notes
Form AB
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A Song’s Pedagogical Use Table:

Melody Diatonic, scalar


Rhythm Consecutive eighth notes
Other I – IV - V
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LESSON PLAN 2—Prepare


Objectives: Students will demonstrate their understanding of I, IV, and V chords within the
context of a song by creating an accompaniment to “Oh When the Saints”.
Standards Addressed: 1, 3, 4, 6
Materials: Laptop, projector, whiteboard, three colored slips of paper per student (green for I,
yellow for IV, red for V).
Sequence:
Warm-up: Play “Oh When the Saints” as the students enter the room. Ask questions
about the song, such as “is it happy or sad?”, “what instruments are playing in the background?”,
etc.
Activity 1
1. Play attached sheet music for Ss on piano (only block chords). Ask what they
heard.
a. Play only piano part.
2. Introduce chord names (G, C, and D, NOT Roman numerals).
a. Ask questions about each chord, such as “how does each chord sound?”,
and “how does it make you feel?” to stimulate deeper thinking.
b. Hand out slips to Ss. Ask them to jot down characteristics of each chord
on their corresponding slip.
3. Play G, C, and D chords on a piano. Have students raise up the card that
corresponds to the chord.
Activity 2
1. Play through “Oh When the Saints”, asking Ss to sing the melody only on the
tonic throughout the entire song.
a. T: “That sure didn’t sound right. Why do you think that is?” S: “Because
there are different chords!”
b. Ask what they remember about I chords. Ss should remember that I chords
act as the “home base” for a song, and that most songs eventually go
back/end on the tonic. Ask if Ss know what the “home base” for this song
is.
c. T: “If the I chord acts as the home base for this song, then what about the
places where it didn’t sound right?”
2. Play through the song again, stopping before chord changes to have Ss sing the
root of the chord.
a. “When you change notes like that, you’re changing the song! This means
that the song temporarily departs from the “home base” I chord so that it
can do something else. Composers and songwriters do this to keep the
song sounding interesting, because it would sound really boring if it just
stayed the same all throughout.”
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3. Review what notes are contained in the I chord. Use solfege hand symbols to
represent do, mi, and sol. Have Ss sing those notes and write them down on their
notecards.
a. Do the same with the other two chords.
4. Split the class up into four or five pre-determined groups. Have each group come
up with a “line” to sing, consisting only of the solfege syllables discovered in the
previous step.
5. Ss will perform their lines as a class, underneath a recording of “Oh When the
Saints”.
Assessment: Student-created lines will consist entirely of solfege syllables and pitches
established in the context of each individual chord. Students will perform their lines
simultaneously, and each line should fit within each other (as they all are based off the same
chord progression) with one or two mistakes.

Song Analysis Table: When the Saints Go Marching In


Tone Set DRMFS
Range G-D
Rhythm Set Three pick-up quarters, whole notes, half notes, possible cut-
time
Form ABA’

A Song’s Pedagogical Use Table:

Melody Diatonic, scalar


Rhythm Pick-up notes
Other I – IV – V (self-assessment)
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LESSON PLAN 3—Prepare


Objectives: Students will analyze a rock ‘n’ roll song in terms of chord changes. Students will
also create a “rock band” cover of their favorite pop song using Orff instruments and/or found
sounds.
Standards Addressed: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6
Materials: Laptop, projector, student iPads (either 1-to-1 or a class set), Orff instruments,
miscellaneous percussion instruments.
Sequence:
Warm-up: Chords will be played on the piano, alternating between I, IV, and V. Ss will
be asked to tell me which one it is using their hands. This will be applied to “Oh When the
Saints”, in a style similar to a shortened version of LP 2.
Activity 1
1. Ask Ss what kind of music they like to listen to. Have a couple examples of pop
music pulled up at a point where they showcase I-IV-V, and model the changes
with the hand positions designated in LP 1.
2. Pull up “Teach Your Children”. Give a bit of backstory to the song as to suck the
students in.
a. Specify that the song is in the key of C. Specify that the first chord they
would hear is C, with the others being F and G.
3. Assign movements to C, F, and G chords or ask for suggestions. Play through a
selection of the song, having Ss do both movements and sing the chord names at
the correct pitches simultaneously.
4. “We’ve talked a little bit about how these chords made you feel individually, but
why do you think they were used in the places that they were?”
Activity 2
1. Have students break off into pre-assigned groups of four or five.
a. Set parameters: first thirty or so seconds of “Teach Your Children”, set
backing track to song using I, IV, and V chords, found
sounds/percussion/Orff instruments only, everyone in the group must
participate (nobody can sing).
b. Suggest to Ss that one person play a C on their instrument when a C chord
comes up during the song, one person plays F, and one plays G.
2. Students will perform accompaniments for the class at the same time. This may
be repeated once or twice so T may observe each group more closely.
Assessment: Students will use I, IV, and V chords appropriately throughout their performance. I
will ask each group one or two simple, leading questions about their composition to determine
whether or not the objective was met.
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Song Analysis Table: Teach Your Children


Tone Set DRMFSLTD
Range Middle C – C2
Rhythm Set Halves, wholes, quarters, eighths
Form Song form

A Song’s Pedagogical Use Table:

Melody Harmonies within the melodic line


Rhythm Cut time, offbeat entrances
Other I – IV – V (include or exclude a couple outliers)
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LESSON PLAN 4—Present


Objectives:
 Given sung “Teach Your Children”, fifth grade students will aurally distinguish different
chords within a song, discovering three unique chords by physically moving when a
chord shift is detected.
 Given the staff and addition of I, IV, and V chords, students will color-code the areas of
“Teach Your Children” where each chord occurs.
 Given the notation for “Teach Your Children”, students will visually identify I, IV, and V
chords as either roman numeral or chord name notation, reading the song from notation.
Standards Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7
Materials: Piano, laptop, projector, whiteboard, blank paper copies of TYC’s verse two,
recording of the song
Sequence:
Warm-up: T asks if any student has a birthday coming up. If nobody does, my cat’s
birthday will be used for this exercise. Ss and T sing through the melody of Happy Birthday one
time, then adding chords underneath the melody the second time. On the second time, Ss will be
asked to bob up and down (like they did in a previous lesson plan) when they heard a chord shift.
This will get them attuned to listening for chord changes, and it will clue me in on how well they
retained what I had taught them previously.
Activity 1
 T: “Do you remember the song we sang last class? It was called ‘Teach Your
Children’”.
o Ss will sing along to a recording of the song.
o T: “Was there anything you heard in the background that stood out to
you?”
o Play the first verse again if needed.
 After the Ss give their answers, reveal that the structure they are hearing is called
a “chord structure”, and within that are “chords”.
o Project a transcription of the melody only onto the board. Play through
the verse one more time, have students listen and raise their hands when
they hear a chord being played. Mark each time a chord is played in the
music where it occurs.
 T: “Now, this song only contains a certain number of different chords. Does
anyone know how many there are?” Ss: “Three!” T: “That’s correct! These are
the only three chords this song uses.” T plays I, IV, and V on the piano a couple
times.
 T: “Hold on, friends. We spent a lot of time on the I and V chords, but there
seems to be a new chord. Which one was it?” S: “The middle one!” T: “Yes!
That’s called a IV chord. This is a special chord that is used to make going from
the I to the V chord more interesting. It would be incredibly boring if we just had
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I and V chords to choose from, so musicians put the IV chord in between them to
spice things up.”
o T plays root of each chord consecutively to give Ss an idea of what the
progression sounds like. Ss sing the progression back to T by themselves,
then T pairs their singing with the full chord progression.
o T assigns a different color marker for each chord of the song (for instance,
green for I, red for IV, and black for V), then plays the recording again.
Ss will stop the teacher when they hear chord being played and state if the
chord is different from the previous one or not. T and Ss will color-code
the entire first verse this way.
 T projects a copy of the full sheet music onto the white board. The music will
have both roman numeral and chord name (C, F, G) analysis.
o T will play each chord on the piano, assigning chord names to them. Ss
will describe what they hear/how each chord makes them feel. T then
describes the the I-IV-V progression, and how it is used in TYC, pop
songs, Western music, and mass-produced music in general.
o T and Ss go through and assign roman numerals to each chord marking
made in the previous step, adhering strictly to the color they used.
o T will play the chord progression they created on the piano. Ss will go
back and correct any errors they may have made.
Activity 2
 Ss will be split off into pre-assigned groups of three to four.
 T will hand each group a copy of the melody from another verse of the song. T
will explain that the objective is to lay out the chord progression like we had just
done as a class. Ss will be encouraged to use the same process we had just used.
 T plays the verse four times total, giving the students 1-2 minutes of deliberation
in between each repetition.
 Ss and T will reconvene to do as we had done before—create a jointly-compiled
chord progression based on each group’s findings.
o Ss will be asked where they heard chords play. T will mark up a projected
recording of the melody with this information.
o T will then go through each chord systematically and poll the groups to
see which chord was played where.
o After our structure is built, T will play and sing the verse at the piano,
using only the information provided by the Ss.
o If there are any inaccuracies, Ss will be asked to identify and correct them.
 At the end of the activity, groups will hand in their papers to the teacher.
Assessment: Students will recreate the chord progression from verse two of “Teach Your
Children” with zero to one error(s).
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Lesson Plan #5—Practice


Objectives:
 Students will correctly detail the significance of the I-IV-V progression by verbal and
kinesthetic means.
 Students will compose an original chord progression to Amazing Grace using principles
and properties of the I-IV-V chord progression.
Standards Addressed: 1, 3, 4, 6
Materials: Laptop, projector, whiteboard, Orff instruments, paper copies of the Amazing Grace
melody
Sequence:
Warm-up: T will have a copy of “Teach Your Children” with chord notation projected
onto the board. Ss will listen to a verse or two to remind them of how the song goes. Ss will be
asked what they remember about the previous lesson (three chords, different functions, etc.). T
will review important concepts if deemed necessary.
Activity 1
 T will play the chord structure on the piano. Ss will be asked if they noticed a pattern
with how the chords were played.
o Ss will asked to stand up and move to a specified spot in the room depending on
which chord is played (I could be middle, IV could be corner, V could be near the
teacher, etc.). They will then be asked if they noticed a pattern with how they
moved.
o T will write movement patterns on the board and connect them back to chord
structures.
 T: “Do you notice any repeated patterns on the board?”
o Ss should identify I-IV-I-V and I-IV-V progressions.
o T will play a couple of examples that outside of these progressions, for example,
V-I-IV. Ss will be asked if these sounded right to them.
o T will show the importance of starting with I and progressing to IV or V in some
fashion.
Activity 2
 T: “I have a new song for you that most of you will probably recognize, it’s called
Amazing Grace. Does anyone know how it goes?” T asks for a volunteer to sing. “Very
good! While this song is widely-known as a church hymn, it also holds great importance
in American folk music and African-American spirituals. Does anyone know what an
African-American spiritual is?” Ss provide short answers for that, T explains if necessary.
 T plays a recording of Amazing Grace, projecting a copy of sheet music onto the board.
Ss will be invited to sing if they feel like doing so.
 Ss will be split up into small groups of three to five (depending on class size) and
assigned to various Orff instruments around the room.
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o Ss will be asked to create a chord progression for the given Amazing Grace
melody, using the accepted chord progressions (discovered in Activity 1) listed on
the board as a basis.
o Ss will be given 5-7 minutes to do so. Each group will be asked to notate their
progression on a handout of the melody, and then play it for the class.
o Very little teacher feedback will be given, other than praise for creating an
original chord progression.
 After every group performs, T will ask the class about the creative process. Question
examples include: “How did you begin the creative process?”, “Did you come across any
problems while composing?”, “Did you do anything outside of the box?”, etc.
 Ss will hand in their papers to conclude this lesson.
Assessment: Students will create an original chord progression that accurately follow the
guidelines established earlier in class and make sense within the context of the piece, with zero-
one mistake(s).

Song Analysis Table: Amazing Grace


Tone Set DRFSLD
Range D-D
Rhythm Set Half notes, quarters, eighths, triplets (will change if students are
not ready through pre-assessment)
Form Strophic

A Song’s Pedagogical Use Table:


Melody Skips, leaps
Rhythm Triplets
Other I – IV – V (Em in m. 13 can be replaced with G)
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Lesson Plan #6—Practice


Objectives:
 Students will demonstrate their wide application of I-IV-V by creating their own
arrangement of Dayenu.
 Students will demonstrate their understanding of a traditional Jewish Passover song by
contributing to discussions and kinesthetically showing concepts.
Standards Addressed: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Materials: laptop, projector, iPads/Macs, “Dayenu” remix
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZgDNPGZ9Sg)
Sequence:
Warm-up: Invite the class to sing Amazing Grace over block piano chords. Then, using
GarageBand loops, have them sing the same song over background tracks of different styles, but
with the same chord progression. These styles could include R&B, orchestral, rap, etc. Compare
differences and similarities with Ss. Despite answers the chord progression should be a common
similarity.
Activity 1
 T will explain that he will be playing a song called “Dayenu”, a traditional Passover
song. Ss will be asked if they know what the Passover is, what religion it is from, etc.
After this discussion, T plays a traditional recording of the song.
 Ss are asked what they thought about the song. Lead conversation back to chord structure
if necessary (ATTENTIVE LISTENING).
o T continues on with “Dayenu” mix video (link included in Materials), asking Ss
to show previously assigned hand signs for I, IV, and V chords, or to pat along to
the beat if they don’t feel comfortable with the first option (ENGAGED
LISTENING).
o Ss are asked what they thought about the video (generalities are accepted at this
point), and T will guide the conversation back to chord structure.
 T: “What did you notice about the chords in each version of the song?
Were they similar or different?” S: “Similar!”

Activity 2
 Ss will be split into groups of four or five and told to create a new arrangement of
“Dayenu” using GarageBand. They will only need to cover one strain of the song
(ENACTIVE LISTENING).
o One student will handle one instrument/track in the song. For example, one could
record vocals, one could set the chord structure in the rock organ, one could take
charge of the rhythm section, etc.
o Ss will have about 10-15 minutes to work on this.
 After the time period is up, each group will present their work to the class.
 T will ask questions regarding their creative process (INTEGRATING).
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o “Why did you choose this instrument?”, “What chord progression did you use?”,
etc.
Assessment: Students will demonstrate their understanding of the song “Dayenu” and its role in
Jewish culture by contributing to a discussion with valid musical and non-musical comments.
Students will also create an arrangement of “Dayenu” using the correct melody and chords,
while taking creative liberties through a GarageBand loops project.

Song Analysis Table: Dayenu


Tone Set DRMFSLTD
Range C-C
Rhythm Set Consecutive eighth notes, tied eighth notes
Form ABB

A Song’s Pedagogical Use Table:


Melody Skips, leaps, scalar
Rhythm Syncopation
Other I – IV - V
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Lesson Plan #7—Practice


Objectives: Students will improvise a melodic part to “Roll Over Beethoven” over the given
chord structure.
Standards Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Materials: Laptop, projector, recordings of “Roll Over Beethoven”.
Sequence
Warm-up: Teacher sets up the song by asking the following questions, “Does anyone listen to
rock n’ roll in here? Can you tell me what it sounds like?” After a brief class discussion, T plays
C, F, and G chords on the piano, asking Ss to sing the tonic. T then elaborates, “Even rock n roll
songs use I-IV-V progressions to make their music. Here are the chords to ‘Roll Over
Beethoven’, one of my favorite early rock songs. Can you sing the tonics of these?” T plays D,
G, and A chords.
Activity
1. T sets up the context of the song, revealing that it was towards the beginning of the rock
n roll era. T plays a recording.
a. T: “Can you tell me what’s different about this song compared to one that you
might listen to today? What’s similar?” Ss provide their responses.
2. T focuses the students’ attention to the melody. “How would you describe the melody?”
Ss should eventually come to the conclusion that it seems to go together with the
background chords (they might use descriptors like “the melody sounds nice” or “in
place”).
3. T plays a D Major chord in quarter notes on the piano and improvises a three-note sung
melody for four bars, using pitches found in the chord. Ss do the same.
4. T plays an A Major chord and improvises a sung four-bar melody off of that. Ss respond
with the same. Melodies should resemble that of “Roll Over Beethoven”.
5. T demonstrates an improvised six-bar melody using those two chords on a I-V-I pattern.
Call-and-response is used, so T would sing one bar, Ss would sing the next, and so on.
6. T demonstrates an improvised eight-bar melody using D, G, and A chords in a I-IV-V-I
pattern. Ss do the same, using call-and-response.
7. T asks for four volunteers, or “back-up singers”. Call-and-response will be used, but one
student will sing a response bar alone, followed by the next student singing the next
response bar.
a. This process will be repeated twice.
8. Ss will be split up into groups. T will then demonstrate a continuous improvised melody.
Each group will perform their melodies for the class.
Assessment: Students will have demonstrated basic improvisatory skills if the melodic line they
created made sense within the chord structure, given one or two mistakes.
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Song Analysis Table: Roll Over Beethoven


Tone Set DRMFSLTD
Range D-D
Rhythm Set Repeated eighth notes in quick succession, eighth rests
Form Song form

A Song’s Pedagogical Use Table:

Melody Higher range (can be edited for accessibility purposes), leaps,


skips, descending scales
Rhythm Offbeat entrances, eighth note patterns
Other I – IV – V, introduction to 50s rock n’ roll
21

Lesson Plan #8—Practice


Objectives: Students will construct chords using visual means and note names. Students will
also perform “Dayenu” on boomwhackers with only a melody and chord analysis in front of
them.
Standards Addressed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Materials: Laptop, projector, whiteboard, boomwhackers, paper ice cream cone, ice cream, and
cherry cutouts, glue, paper copies of “Dayenu”.
Sequence:
Warm-up
 T plays recording of “Dayenu”, Ss are invited to sing and do specific body movements
that correlate to the chord being played at the time (i.e. hands up for I).
Activity 1
 T: “Now that we’ve mastered I, IV, and V chords, today we are going to learn how to
make them!”
o T writes the notes to a C Major scale out on the board.
o T: “We’re in the key of C Major, and I want to start with making a I chord. What
note does the I chord start with?” Ss: “C!”
o T: “That’s right! Now, to get the next note, all we do is skip one note and we land
on E. We do the same thing to find the third and final note within the chord, so
that would be G. That applies to both IV and V chords as well.”
o T and Ss work together to construct the IV and V chords. During this part, T
differentiates the root, third, and fifth.
 T: “Very good! Now, I have three different keys written up here as well (D, F, and Bb
will already be written on the board). I’m going to pass out these paper ice cream cones,
and I want you to write the root on the cone, the third on the ice cream, and fifth on the
cherry. Then, you can glue them together to make your very own ice cream cone chords”.
o T passes out materials and lets students work for 4-5 minutes. T will walk around,
offering help if needed.
o Once activity is done, T explains the significance of the cone, ice cream, and
cherry, and what role each one of them plays in the chord.
Activity 2
 Ss will each grab a boomwhacker and sit in a circle around the teacher in the center of the
room.
o T will hand out copies of “Dayenu” with melodic and chord markings to pairs of
Ss.
o T will ask about the I, IV, and V chords and what they’re comprised of. Once
figured out, Ss with those pitches will hit their boomwhackers on the floor in
confirmation.
 Ss will go through the song chord by chord (without melody) and practice playing them
on boomwhackers.
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 Ss will eventually add the melody, first sung by T then sung by Ss.
 Activity will end with a full run-through of “Dayenu”, completely run by Ss.
Assessment: Students will correctly identify correctly which notes are in which chord through
construction of paper ice cream cones and playing them on boomwhackers. Students will also
perform “Dayenu”, both the melody and chords, with a maximum one or two mistakes.
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Lesson Plan #9—Practice


Objectives: Students will learn C, F, and G Major chords on the ukulele. Students will identify
and perform these chords in the context of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz.
Standards Addressed: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Materials: “I’m Yours” uke cover (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPfP2rjJfDY), copies of
sheet music, ukuleles
Sequence:
Warm-up
 T asks Ss to provide a chord progression (for example, I-IV-I-V). Ss will sing the tonic as
the chords are played on the piano. After completing this twice, Ss will be asked to
improvise melodies over a standard I-IV-V-I progression, and then one provided by a
volunteer.
Activity 1
 Ss are dismissed by groups of three to go get ukuleles. T explains that these are musical
instruments and are fragile, so great care is needed.
 Ss are taught C Major chord.
o Ss are taught a simple four-downbeat strumming pattern using C. Pattern is
elaborated upon (D DU UDU) once they get a handle on this. The more complex
pattern is optional if the student does not seem to grasp the first pattern.
 Ss are then taught F and G Major chords by T, then given time to explore them on their
own. T will lead a game where he calls out chords and Ss play them with their chosen
strumming pattern. Repeat until smooth transitions are achieved.
 T discusses the purpose of the I-IV-V-I progression (each chord is placed in that exact
spot in order to build tension and to release it with a I).
o T plays a C Major chord on uke, Ss are asked to play the chord they believe
comes after it, which would be F Major. They are asked to play the chord that
comes after that (GM), and then the final I chord.
o T plays a random chord in the progression, and Ss are asked to respond with the
chord that comes next.
Activity 2
 Ss will watch a ukulele cover of “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz (most versions include an
Am chord, this will be replaced with CM).
 Ss will then look at a uke tab of the song.
o Ss will play through the song verse by verse, following along with both the
recording and the sheet music. T will reference instruction given earlier in the
lesson about typical chord progression rules.
 After playing through all verses, students will sing through the entire song with minimal
teacher assistance.
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Assessment: Students will sing through the entire song with one to two chord mistakes per
person. This will be judged by a voluntary hand raise to determine what percentage of the class
passed the assessment.

Lesson Plan #10—Practice


Objectives: Students will compose their own song using ukulele and voice, predicated on the I-
IV-V-I chord progression and melodic improvisation.
Standards Addressed: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6
Materials: Ukuleles, I’m Yours tab.
Sequence:
Warm-up
 Teacher will call out chord names and ask students to play them, reminding of correct
finger positions as necessary.
 Ss will go through a verse or two of I’m Yours to get back into the groove of chord
changes and performing on ukulele in general.
Activity
 Ss will be given the rest of the class period to compose an original song that contains a I-
IV-V-I foundation.
o Ss will be asked to use only ukulele and voice. Lyrics will not be required, but
strongly encouraged.
o Ss will be provided with a rubric that they can assess themselves after the project
is completed.
o Ss will record performances directly to their iPads and submit them via Google
Classroom.
Assessment: Students will grade their final projects using a rubric provided by the teacher
(included below), which will be completed in class so that the teacher can guide them through
the self-analysis process. A space for the student’s name and comments will also be included.
Final scores will be combined with the teacher’s assessment of their project (included in the
post-assessment).
25

PROFICIENT SATISFACTORY DEVELOPING


How comfortable do I am very I am somewhat I am not at all
you feel with I-IV-V comfortable with I- comfortable with I- comfortable with I-
progressions? IV-V progressions. IV-V progressions. IV-V progressions. I
I feel like I could use I understand what do not feel like I
what I learned about they are, but I don’t understand what it is,
them throughout my feel like I can apply how it is used, or how
time in music classes, what I know to I can use it. I would
and I feel like this different contexts on really appreciate
was represented in my own. some extra time on
my final project. this so that I can be
more successful in
my future music
classes.
How comfortable do I am very I am somewhat I am not at all
you feel with using comfortable with comfortable with comfortable with
those progressions to making a melody making melodies using a I-IV-V
make melodies? using a I-IV-V over a I-IV-V progression to make
progression. As progression. I have a my own melody. I do
demonstrated in my grasp on why/how not understand
final project, I melodies sound good how/why melodies
understand how and given different sound like they fit
why melodies sound chords, but I do not within a chord
good given different feel entirely progression, and
chords. comfortable making could use some
my own or additional help
performing them. understanding this
concept.
How happy are you I am very happy with I am somewhat happy I wish my project
with your final my final project. I with my project. I would have gone
project? feel as if it accurately still feel slightly better. I put in a good
reflects my uncomfortable with amount of effort in
understanding of I- progressions and making my video, but
IV-V progressions as melodies in general, I just do not feel like
well as my ability to so I do not feel like I I understand chord
make a melody over performed as well as progressions and
them. I also put forth I could. However, I melodies to the
my best effort in put in my best effort fullest extent. I would
performing, even if it when making my appreciate more time
wasn’t perfect. video! on this!
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