Sarah Langness
Ed Psych Lesson Plans
Dr. Tonjes
11/7/11
Music Theory Lesson Plans
These plans are intended for a 9th grade music theory class at a private school. Because music theory would not be a required class but rather an elective, the class would only have around eight to twelve students. The class period is 45 minutes long. The curriculum will cover not only music theory but also include some ear training to aurally reinforce the concepts the students are seeing on the board and on paper.
Ed Psych Lesson Plan Template (Long Form)
Student Teacher’s Name __Sarah Langness_________________________Grade Level__9__________
Subject ________Music Theory__________________________________________________________
Name of Lesson__Tetrachords and Major Scales____________________Period/Time__45 min._____
I. Goal:
Introduce students to the concept of tetrachords and how to use them to form a scale, and also have students able to aurally identify half and whole steps.
II. Objectives:
Given a note, students will be able to construct a tetrachord.
After direct instruction, students will be able to verbally explain the properties of a tetrachord.
After listening to several examples, students will be able to aurally identify the intervals of a half and a whole step.
III. Materials:
Piano, staff board (either marker or chalk), worksheets
IV. Procedure:
A. Set / Hook
Have whole- and half-step intervals written on the board as students come in. Ask students to remember from previous classes what the intervals are and how to find them.
B. Transition
Explain to students that these intervals are the building blocks of scales.
C. Main lesson
· Tetrachord—a series of four notes in alphabetical order with the pattern whole step, whole step, half step
· Build an example tetrachord on the staff board.
· Have students help build tetrachords on the board using a variety of different starting notes. (15 min.)
· A scale is built by joining two tetrachords by a whole step, with the pattern WWHWWWH.
· Build an example scale on the board.
· Have students help build a few more as a large group.
· Divide board into four sections, have four small groups each work together to build a scale. These will be analyzed for errors as a class. (15 min.)
· Play several examples of intervals on the piano.
· Have students identify individually the intervals. (10 min.)
D. Transition
Begin handing out homework.
E. Conclusion
· A tetrachord is a series of four notes in the pattern of WWH
· A scale is made up of two tetrachords joined by a whole step so that the pattern is WWHWWWH
· How would the concept of building scales be used in other keys?
V. Assessment:
What is the difference between a whole step and a half step?
What is a tetrachord?
How many whole steps are in a tetrachord?
How many half steps?
How is a scale built?
How many whole and half steps are in a scale?
VI. Assignment:
Worksheet page 3
Day 1 Narrative
The objectives for this day are that students will be able to construct and verbally describe the properties of a tetrachord. They will also be able to aurally distinguish between a half and whole.
As students come in, they will see intervals of whole and half steps written on the board. They will be asked to remember from previous classes what these intervals are called and how to find them.
Students will be introduced the tetrachord—a series of four notes with the pattern whole step, whole step, half step. The notes must follow in alphabetical order (i.e. CDEF). Using the staff board and an initial starting note, the students will give the next three notes as they are written out. This will be done several times starting with different notes that will require a varied number of accidentals (i.e. F#, Ab, E, etc.) so that students are comfortable with thinking in whole and half steps. (15 min.)
Then it will be explained that a scale is made up of two tetrachords joined together by a whole step. This makes the pattern WWHWWWH. Following the same procedure as before for the first few scales, the students will call out the notes as they are written on the board in front. Then the board will be divided into four sections and have the class into four small groups. Each group will work together at the board to write their own scales. After they return to their seats, the class as a whole will analyze each scale and the relationships between the notes to make sure there are no errors. (15 min.)
The students will need to be able to aurally as well as visually identify whole and half steps. The students will hear several initial examples of these intervals played on a piano, then they will be asked to identify the intervals when played. Instead of acting in a group as before, students will act individually, with correct answers being rewarded with something like tootsie rolls or dumdums (because even in high school, candy is an excellent motivator). (10 min.)
The lesson will be concluded by going over once more the properties of tetrachords and the way they are used to build scales. Students will be given their homework assignment and asked to think about how the concept of building scales could be used with different keys. (5 min.)
Ed Psych Lesson Plan Template (Long Form)
Student Teacher’s Name _Sarah Langness__________________________Grade Level__9__________
Subject ______Music Theory_____________________________________________________________
Name of Lesson___Sharp and Flat Scales_________________________Period/Time___45 min.___
I. Goal:
Students will apply skills from the previous day to build G, D, F, and Bb major scales and will learn the relationships between the sharp scales and the flat scales.
II. Objectives:
Given one of four starting notes (G, D, F, or Bb), students will be able to build the entire major scale.
After analyzing the scales, students will be able to explain the relationships between the two sharp and two flat scales.
After listening to several examples, students will be able to identify errors in tetrachords and scales.
III. Materials:
Piano, staff board, worksheets (both for in-class use and homework)
IV. Procedure:
A. Set / Hook
Have a few tetrachords from the previous day on the board and a C major scale, as well as a blank staff with the key signature for G major. Ask if students are able to build a major scale based on only the key signature.
B. Transition
Pass out worksheets.
C. Main lesson
· Build scales in G, D, F, and Bb major on the board with students working along using their worksheets
· Scales follow the pattern WWHWWWH
· Explain the key signatures (ex. In G major, the key signature is one sharp. It is always written on the top line of the staff in treble clef and on the second line from the top in bass clef.)
· Play the scales on the piano after each is written on the board (15 min.)
· Relationships between scales—ask students to try to identify how the scales are related
· Sharp scales—scale with one more accidental always has the tonic (base note) a fifth above the scale preceding it
· Name of sharp key can be found by looking at the last accidental and raising it a half step (ex. F# in key of G)
· Flat scales—scale with one more accidental always has the tonic a fifth below the tonic of the scale preceding it or can be thought of the last note of the first tetrachord. (ex. F-G-A-Bb. Bb is the next scale up from F.)
· Name of flat key can be found (with the exception of F major) by looking at the next to last accidental
· Work through rest of worksheet. (15 min.)
· Play several example scales on the piano
· Play scales, but this time with errors. Have students raise their hands at the notes they think are incorrect.
· Alternate scales and tetrachords, and vary the places where the errors are located. (10 min.)
D. Transition
Pass out homework; announce quiz.
E. Conclusion
· Scales in the keys of G, D, F, and Bb are built just like any other major scale, with the pattern of WWHWWH
· Sharp scales are related by a fifth upwards, while flat scales are related by a fifth downwards
· To find the name of the key, look at the key signature
V. Assessment:
What is the pattern used to build a scale?
How are the scales related to one another?
How do you find the name of a key?
VI. Assignment:
Worksheet pg. 7
Day 2 Narrative
The objectives for this day are that students will be able to build the entire scale for the keys of G. D, F, and Bb major. They will be able to tell the relationships between the two sharp and the two flat scales. Also, students will be able to aurally identify when errors are played in tetrachords or scales.
As students enter, they will see a few tetrachords from the previous day as well as a C major scale written on the board. This will also be accompanied by a blank staff with the key signature for G major written in. Students will be asked if they can build a scale using only the information found in the key signature.
Following along with their worksheets and the board up front, students will use the pattern learned the day before (WWHWWWH) to build major scales in G, D, F, and Bb major (6 scale examples on the worksheet). After building each scale, its key signature will be explained in both treble and bass clef. The piano will be used to play each scale after it is complete to reinforce the sound of a scale. (15 min.)
Students will then be asked to try to determine the relationships between the scales. With the sharp scales, the scale with one more accidental than the one preceding it has as its tonic (starting note) a note a fifth (seven half steps or can be thought of as two lines or spaces up) above the tonic of the first scale. For example, G is the first sharp scale. A fifth above G is D, which is the name of the next scale. With the flat scales, the scale with one more accidental has as its tonic the note a fifth below the tonic of the first scale. For example, F is the first flat scale. A fifth below F is Bb, which is the name of the next scale. Students will also learn how to determine the name of a key by looking at the key signature. In a sharp scale, the key can be found by looking at the last accidental and raising the note a half step. In a flat scale, it can be found (with the exception of F major, which is just remembered to have one flat) by looking at the next to last accidental. The students will use this knowledge to work through the rest of the worksheet in class. (15 min.)
For ear training, the students will learn to distinguish errors in tetrachords and scales. A few examples will be played first on the piano to get the sound firmly fixed in their minds. Then scales and tetrachords will be played with one error in each. As the examples are played, students will raise their hands at the note they think is incorrect. Candy will again be used as a reward. (10 min.)
The lesson will be concluded by reviewing the main points: scales in G, D, F, and Bb major are built just like any other major scale, with the same pattern of whole and half steps; sharp scales are related by a fifth upwards and flat scales by a fifth downward; and to find the name of a key, look at the key signature. Homework will be assigned, and the class will be reminded of a quiz the next day. (5 min.)
Ed Psych Lesson Plan Template (Long Form)
Student Teacher’s Name __Sarah Langness_________________________Grade Level__9__________
Subject _____Music Theory_____________________________________________________________
Name of Lesson___Review and Composition________________________Period/Time___45 min.___
I. Goal:
Students will take a short quiz to test their mastery of the subject material and will use their knowledge to compose an original piece.
II. Objectives:
After a short review, students will be able to answer questions about tetrachords, major scales, and key signatures on a quiz with at least 80% accuracy.
Using guidelines given, students will work in pairs to compose a short melody.
Working as a class, students will listen to and analyze the compositions of their classmates.
III. Materials:
Piano, staff board, quizzes, staff paper, cd player, Tchaikovsky music
IV. Procedure:
A. Set / Hook
Have Tchaikovsky’s “Serenade for Strings in C Major: Pezzo In Forma Di Sonatina” playing as students enter. Ask them if they can identify the major scale runs in the piece.
B. Transition
The students will have their own chance to compose something after taking a quiz. Hand out quizzes and staff paper.
C. Main lesson
· Review orally the concepts of a tetrachord and major scale. Ask students to define the relationships between the sharp scales and the flat scales, as well as explain how to find the name of a key.
· Students will take the quiz. (20 min.)
· While students are taking the quiz, walk around the room to make sure that none of the questions are unclear.
· Collect the quizzes and pair students into groups of two.
· Give each pair one of the major keys they have learned.
· Each pair must first construct the scale with the correct key signature, then they will compose an 8-bar melody in 4/4 time using notes of their scale. The melody must contain at least one tetrachord, either ascending or descending.
· Students may use half, quarter, and eighth notes. (15 min.)