Lesson Plan: Day 1

Name: Jessica Dietz Lesson Title: Improvisation for Jazz Grade level(s)/Course: Grades 9-12/Jazz Band 1 Content Standards: Nafme Music Education Standards: 2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. 3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments. 5. Reading and notating music. 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music. 7. Evaluating music and music performances. 8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts. 9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture. Enduring Understanding and/or Essential Question: Freedom is the cornerstone of jazz. (EU) What is jazz? (EQ) Jazz musics character comes from the way in which one plays. (EU) How do musical techniques influence the feeling of the music? (EQ)

Instructional Objectives: The student will be able to compose an improvised melody line with a given chord progression with less than two errors. Prior Learning/Prior Thinking As all music is a product of some form of improvisation, every student has encountered improvisation before. However, they may not have known that using improvisation is how music is written.

Lesson Plan: Day 1

Anticipatory Set/Elicit Prior Knowledge What is your favorite band/rap artist/etc.? All of them use improvisation to make music. For the next two weeks, we will be learning how to improvise to make our own music. Focus/Purpose Statement Music plays a vital role in our lives. It lets us experience our emotions like no other subject can do. As we learn about improvisation and the techniques involved, keep in mind our big questions: What is jazz? And How do musical techniques influence the feeling of the music? We cannot just play any random note to help us experience our emotions. We do have a range of notes we can play over certain chords, however. At the end of today, you will have a basic understanding of what notes and chords pair together. Procedures 1. The hook (5 minutes): As students walk in, I will be performing an improvised solo on the trumpet over a recording of the rhythm section. 2. Anticipatory set/Focus/Purpose Statement (15 minutes): The above anticipatory set question will be posed. We will discuss how all musicians who write music use improvisation. This will also tie into a discussion on this unit Essential Questions and Essential Understandings 3. Instruction (20 minutes) a. A review of basic jazz chords will start the instruction. b. A review of modes from a previous unit will follow c. I will write chord names on the board and, going around the room, students will tell me what notes are in the chord. I will then tell them what mode(s) is used with that chord and the students will tell me what notes are in that mode(s). 4. Give assignment (5 minutes): Students will be given an assignment in which they will write their own improvised melody to the chord progression used in Autumn Leaves (see supplemental material) 5. Review (5): Review chord/modes pairings one more time before students leave Differentiation Differentiation will occur mainly through review of previous material. Since everyone will be called upon to say what note is in the chord/mode, if a student is struggling, the class can help, and we can review again. Closure Closure to the lesson will be through reviewing what chord and mode(s) pair together. I will say a chord, and they will say the mode. This will give the students

Lesson Plan: Day 1

one more review before they leave the class.

Materials and Resources Whiteboard with staff lines and markers Instrument Recordings of rhythm section

Classroom Management/Democratic Practices If a student has a tendency to blurt out an answer, I will address the class by saying not to answer until they are called upon. ASSESSMENT Before the lesson Students will be pre-assessed through a written quiz of basic jazz chords and modes the school day prior to starting the unit. During the lesson The students will be assessed through being called on in class to answer questions on what notes are in the chords and modes. They will answer only one note before moving on to the next student. I can see immediately if the student understands what is happening. If a student does not know the answer, the class will help and I can immediately do a small review for the student. At the end of the lesson At the end of the lesson, I will pose questions to the students reviewing the material for the lesson. An assignment will also be given demonstrating the knowledge learned from the lesson.