Monday 3/04/19 - 7th Grade Chorus

TEAM Lesson Plan Template 

Teacher:  Jake Cannon 
Class:  7th Grade Chorus 
Course Unit:  Spring Concert Repertoire  
Lesson Title:  “You Gotta Sing”: Preparation of an African American Spiritual 
 
LESSON  Summary of the task, challenge, investigation, career-related scenario, 
OVERVIEW  problem, or community link 
 
Students will rehearse m. 1-68 (entire piece) of “​You Gotta Sing​” by Roger Emerson, 
performing with expressive musicality and dynamic sensitivity. 

STANDARDS  Identify what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, ACT College 
Readiness Standards and/or State Competencies. 
 
7.VM.P2.A​ Demonstrate the ability to read music individually and/or in ensemble 
settings. 
 
7.VM.P2.C​ Demonstrate technical accuracy through appropriate use of:   
tonal center/key relations, scale construction, and pitch and rhythm work.   
 
(With elements from ​7.GM.R1.C​ Identify and compare the context of music from a 
variety of genres and historical periods.) 
 
 
OBJECTIVE  Clear, Specific, and Measurable – NOT ACTIVITIES 
Student-friendly 
 
Students will be able to sing m. 1-68 of “​You Gotta Sing​” using text, with accuracy in 
pitch, rhythm, sensitivity to dynamics, and stylistic performance practice. 

ASSESSMENT /  Students show evidence of proficiency through a variety of assessments. 

EVALUATION  Aligned with the Lesson Objective 
Formative / Summative 
Performance-Based / Rubric 
Formal / Informal 
 
Students will be assessed informally by the teacher during rehearsal, with special 
attention paid to accuracy of pitch and retention of tonality throughout the lesson. 
 
The instructional component of the lesson will be adjusted as students require special 
attention or assistance to meet the learning goals. 
 
Performance-based evaluation will be used throughout the lesson. 
 

 
MATERIALS  Aligned with the Lesson Objective 
Rigorous & Relevant 
 
1. Student copies of “​You Gotta Sing​” (provided by the teacher.) 
2. Pencils for marking the music with performance markings, phrase shapings, and 
articulative emphases. 
 
ACTIVATING  Motivator / Hook 
STRATEGY  An Essential Question encourages students to put forth more effort when faced 
with complex, open-ended, challenging, meaningful and authentic questions. 
 
What repertoire are we performing with this piece? What is the significance of this 
piece of music, historically and culturally? What is it like to sing music from a different 
period of history and possibly a different culture from your own? 

INSTRUCTION  Step-By-Step Procedures – Sequence 

Discover / Explain – Direct Instruction 
Modeling Expectations – “I Do” 
Questioning / Encourages Higher Order Thinking 
Grouping Strategies 
Differentiated Instructional Strategies to Provide Intervention & Extension 
 1. Warm up exercise to establish tonality and tempo - Nah Nah Nah (minor.) 
2. Students open their music to page 4 of “​You Gotta Sing.​” 
3. I give the tonic pitch and chord and tell students to quickly review any “trouble 
spots” in their individuals parts (Men, Alto, Soprano) by lightly humming those 
passages. 
4. I give the starting pitch and instruct students to prepare to sing their parts 
healthily (lightly) on text beginning at m. 12. 
5. Before beginning to sing at m. 12, I ask students what the musical term is that 
describes the few ​unstressed ​notes before the main melody begins in m. 13 
(anacrusis/pickup.) 
6. I count out loud and provide accompanimental support (vocal part doubling) as 
students review (under tempo) from m. 12 to 68 without stopping (a 
review/memory check). 
7. We will isolate the necessary sections which need review or re-teaching 
(chunking individual melodic and harmony lines to solidify notes and rhythms, 
then putting parts together to build the triadic harmony.) 
8. I give reminders on articulation, dynamics, and stylistic characteristics of the 
music which will improve the performance. 
9. I informally assess the initial run through and review, giving small feedback 
snippets and helpful tips. 
10. We sing the opening slow section, utilizing the same energy and crisp diction 
used in the fast sections to illuminate and clarify the meaning of the text and the 
style of the piece. 
11. I informally assess the rehearsal progress and review any final trouble spots 
which can be adequately addressed in this rehearsal. 
12. Students sing m. 1-68 on text with correct pitches, rhythms, and basic musical 
expression such as dynamics and articulation. 
GUIDED &  “We Do” – “ You Do” 
INDEPENDENT  Encourage Higher Order Thinking & Problem Solving 
Relevance 
PRACTICE  Differentiated Strategies for Practice to Provide Intervention & Extension 
1. You sing your part in small chunks with encouragement and guidance from me. 
2. We sing the music together and listen across the ensemble for tuning and 
rhythm. 
3. You practice trouble spots (of this passage) at home to prepare for future 
rehearsals and performance in the Spring Chorus Concert (in May). 

 
 
CLOSURE  Reflection / Wrap-Up 
Summarizing, Reminding, Reflecting, Restating, Connecting 
 
After students have reviewed and sang the material with 95% accuracy in pitch and 
rhythm, we will add more advanced articulative and dynamic expressiveness in our 
final run-thru, performing the piece in a very similar way to which it will be performed at 
the concert in May. 

CROSS-CURRICULAR CONNECTIONS 
 
I will point out the significance of the African American spiritual as one of the most 
significant American music styles of the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. I will also 
mention the impact of Roger Emerson as a choral composer, arranger, and conductor, 
and how this piece has been arranged in an exciting and accessible manner for middle 
school choral voices. 

 
NOTES:   
 
- I will mostly be doubling vocal parts during today’s rehearsal, but I will play the 
accompaniment when the vocal parts are solid and confident. 
- Live piano accompaniment (hopefully with a drum set) will be used during the 
May concert performance.