CSOE Lesson Plan Template

CSOE Lesson Plan Template

Name Oliver Blaylock

9-12/Music/Orchestra/St Anthony’s Chorale by Franz Joseph Haydn and

Grade/Subject/Lesson Length:
Beauty and the Beast by Alan Menken (arranged for high school
orchestra)/55 Mins
Students are in my beginning orchestra class (concert orchestra). I
have several students who are talented and receive private lessons on
Central Focus
the violin. Students will be focusing on intonation and demonstrate
understanding and application of expressive qualities in a varied
repertoire of music.

Blooms Taxonomy can be applied to this lesson. This “hierarchical

ordering of cognitive skills” can help teachers teach and students learn
(Heick, 2018) As each rehearsal tries to build upon the last rehearsal
the first level of bloom’s taxonomy can be applied here; remembering
what was accomplished in the last practice and using the first level to
spiral and progressively increasing the level of thinking. From the first
level of remembering, a student can then go to the second level of
comprehension (they understand a rhythm or a shift that was giving
them trouble before). They then use the third level (application) and
How is Theory applied in this lesson?
apply it to the actual situation of rehearsing. Then they can analyze
(the fourth level) and figure out how well it sounded. Peer-assisted
learning is one of the best ways to improve understanding (Topping &
Stewart, 1998), and this is built into the lesson by employing the use
of sectionals and peer feedback. I also utilized Howard Gardner’s
theory of Multiple intelligences and used different mediums to help
students expand their knowledge of musicality. Some students are
able to learn better visually or learn better through rote practice.
Breaking down complex sections and having the students rehearse
these in sectionals can be beneficial for the individual student and the
overall ensemble.

OBJECTIVE.
What will your students be able to do? (Must be measurable!)

Students will be able to effectively conduct themselves by being able to maintain a stable rhythm with 90% accuracy
on rhythm, pitch and dynamics. My job should just be to start the orchestra and then have my concertmaster able to
lead the small ensemble. My students should be able to have believable dynamic changes and range. If it says f my
students should play it as such and if it says p my students should also play the full dynamic range. Students have been
having difficulty with the rhythm and the tempo of St. Anthony’s Chorale. The goal of today is to maintain a stable
rhythm and balance while following the dynamic markings the composer intended. As always, intonation will be
looked at as well.

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Assessment of Student Progress
How will you determine students’ prior knowledge regarding the learning goal (s) today? (Quiz, Test, ask students questions, class
observations, etc.) How will you know whether your students have made progress toward the objective? In this section you will need to list the
formal assessments that you are implementing. During in the lesson, you might want to identify informal assessment assessments during your
class such as thumbs up or down, asking questioning, observation, etc.).
How and when will you assess mastery?
As these students are beginning orchestra students, we are still working on developing the technical aspects of playing
an instrument (posture, fingerings etc). I still like to utilize the students to self-assess as they are often their hardest
critics and by allowing one (or several) to both conduct/lead the orchestra and to hear it from the audience perspective,
I think that they will be able to determine for themselves whether the dynamic changes are consistent and believable
and whether or not it sounds like we play together. Since music is often subjective, it is a bit difficult to say exactly
when mastery occurs. It is something that is heard when it happens. Individual assessment as well as group assessment
will be taken into consideration when making final score.
Informal assessments include observation, walking around the class and using hand signals (point down means pitch is
too sharp, pointing up means pitch is too flat, etc). Formal assessment will consist of the following rubric found here:
http://orchestrateacher.blogspot.com/2014/10/beginning-orchestra-self-assessment.html

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COMMON CORE/STATE FRAMEWORK STANDARDS
How will you address Common Core standards?
Music- Ensemble Anchor 1: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
The California Dept of Education has 5 main achievements of common core standards for a high school
music group that is advanced. I will be satisfying several today: specifically, Develop, apply, and refine
appropriate rehearsal strategies to address individual and ensemble challenges in a varied repertoire of
music. For developing our artistic technique and musicianship, I will be having the students say the key
signature and time signature. In order to refine our artistic technique, we must rehearse the music and
analyze the music via a recording. Creative expression is being satisfied by the concert’s repertoire:
comprising of music from not only Western traditions but also music that is from another country and that
may have not been heard before.

Academic Language: Supporting Learning and Language Development:

Language Function: Identify the language focus of the learning task represented by the active verb within
the learning outcomes.

 Music has its own vocabulary that has to be understood in order to play the music correctly.

Examples: Language Demand: use the section below to describe the different language demands that
students will need to meet in order to perform the language function within the lesson.

 Vocabulary: Students should know the following musical terms: Allegro, Tempo, Clef, Forte, Piano,
Crescendo, Subito Fortissimo, Key Signature, Time Signature, Stacatto, Legato, Syncopation.

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Syntax: Play and understand the following orchestral warmup for the key signature:

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  Discourse: Students will need to be able to understand the following:

DIFFERENTIATION
How will you differentiate your instruction to reach the diversity of learners in your classroom?

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How will you address your English Learners, IEP/504 Plan student and Struggling students? What accommodations and modifications will you
make?
List the specific strategies you will use.
Music is interesting in that in public education it is often comprised of a diverse group of students with differing playing
abilities. Since this is my advanced class, I have differentiated my instruction on a list of factors: the skill of the student, the
time spent on the instrument, and seniority in the music program. Music is wonderful in that one does not necessarily need
to know the language of people in the orchestra in order to read music. In fact, a lot of music is in another language besides English, so my
classroom becomes a classroom that is learning another language besides English. I will also utilize my bilingual skills in addressing needs or
concerns of any Spanish speakers in my classroom. Generally, if one has a question about the music, they can just play it for me and we can
converse as such.
Moving students closer to him who are having a hard time finding the right note allows a more balanced and in tune sound production from the
class. This is an example of ability grouping to help the overall pitch quality of the ensemble. I like to place students who have more experience
throughout the ensemble to help struggling students develop their ear and pitch skills.

Instruction is differentiated because the feedback that I give will be individualized to the players as well as the small group (the sections such
as cello or bass) and the ensemble. Individual feedback should be as specific as possible, efficient, helpful and balanced (Sarget, 2018).

Another strategy I can use is visual charts (color coded) for rhythmic patterns that we have been seeing in the music as well as utilizing flexible
grouping in the ensemble so students have a chance to work with different colleagues. Scaffolding and chunking information to make it more
accessible for students who are struggling can also be useful. Throughout my classroom I have visual aids that illustrate different concepts in
music.

OPENING (10 minutes – suggested) MATERIALS/STRATEGIES

How will you communicate what is about to happen? How will you communicate how it will happen? (I will go
over what we talked about in the prior rehearsal regarding rhythms, dynamics and bowings. I will give a brief
overview of the agenda that I’d like to accomplish for the day as well as stating what I want accomplished by the
end of the period.)

How will you communicate its importance? How will you communicate connections to previous & future
lessons? (Communicating the need of efficient time management when practicing will be helped because the
students know that the concert is coming up in 1 month. This puts pressure to use the time that is given wisely.
We only have a finite number of minutes that we can rehearse. Every time we rehearse music that we have
been working on for the semester we are connecting things that we have worked on and fixed in the previous
lessons. Section leaders can help out individuals in the section by notating difficult parts and rehearsing them in
their sectionals.)

How will you engage students and capture their interest? (The students are engaged because they get a say in
the music that we are playing. This is a piece that there were (and still are) excited to play despite the difficulty. I
will play a recording of a professional orchestra playing the piece to show performance tempo and to inspire the
students.)
TIME TEACHER STUDENTS
3min Have my concertmaster lead the orchestra in tuning and a Concertmaster takes her Instruments and sheet
brief warm up. violin (which she has tuned music. Also a tuner for the
prior to class start) and concertmaster to tune prior
tunes orchestra. She starts to class.
with the cellos and basses
and works up the voice
range.

7mins
Briefly say what piece I want to work on for the day (in this Students will utilize their
case St Anthony’s Chorale and Beauty and the Beast. What I past experience/knowledge
want to see in dynamic and rhythmic sections. I will stress the and instinct for music by
importance of making the piece interesting and fun for the providing me with
audience members in our upcoming performance. This information that they feel
rehearsal (and it should be a rehearsal as practice needs to pertinent in establishing the
be done at home and we should not have to spend time orchestra’s dynamic range
learning notes) is a part of a much broader span of enriching (ie what is loud vs what is
our creative minds and bringing our music to the community. I soft). They will also build
will ask students what they think good ideas are of figuring on their past knowledge of

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 out what parts are important (and thus able to be heard in the learning basic music theory
overall sound of the ensemble) and which parts are harmony. to answer my music related
I will ask what key we are in and what time signature we are questions about the song
in building more practice in foundational music knowledge. that we are all working on.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW MATERIAL (10 minutes – suggested)
What key points will you emphasize and reiterate? (I will emphasize the importance of dynamics in making
music interesting as well as our duty to the composer to try to play exactly what is on the page to the best of our
abilities.

How will you ensure that students actively take-in information? (Talking to the students, chunking information,
asking if anyone has questions or concerns/comments and actively engaging the class with the material.
Students will learn more when they are participating in the process of learning by rehearsing with their
instruments (Grunert, 1997) engaging in discussion, practicing and reviewing the music.)

How will you vary your approach to make information accessible to all students? (I will say things several times
in different ways. I will actively engage students by playing 5 measures of the music and then asking the
students if they thought that they followed the dynamic markings or whether it sounded like the rhythm was
coherent together. I will asks students to analyze their playing and apply what they know about being a musician
to making it sound the best they are able to)

Which potential misunderstandings will you anticipate? (It can be difficult to play a real piano as a dynamic or a
real forte. Sometimes students forget that what they think they might sound like will not be what someone sitting
in the back of a theater hears. They might make very little difference in dynamics and think that they are making
a much greater change.)

Why will students be engaged and interested? (Students singing in beginning choir have only been singing this
year and as such, they are easily motivated to practice. Students in this class tend to be engaged because
singing is a physical act when we are rehearsing. This gives very little time for students to be disruptive or on
their phones and not paying attention. Even when they break up into their sectionals, they have their section
leaders (and their peers) to keep them accountable.)
TIME TEACHER STUDENTS Whiteboard and musical
3mins I will go over what dynamic range is. For example if Students will mark in their notation software. I might
you start something out loud when it is marked parts all the dynamic also demonstrate what I
piano it makes forte a lot harder for the audience to changes in the piece want to hear on the
hear the difference. By passing out colored pencils, violin/piano.
I want the students to have a visual representation
of when those spots occur.
Going section by section, I want to hear what the Students take turns playing
6mins
quietest (and still be able to tell the notes) they can as a section and listening
play and what the loudest they can play for it to still as a section to the different
be recognizable music. members of the orchestra
and saying whether or not
they could tell the
difference in dynamic
Pause for questions and answer and changes.
1min misunderstandings (for example is pianissimo
softer or louder than piano. What about mezzo-forte
and forte?).
GUIDED PRACTICE (15 minutes – suggested)
How will you clearly state and model behavioral expectations? Modeling what I want the violins to do is easy
since I can play the violin part on my violin to show the appropriate bowings, dynamics, rhythm, etc.

How will you ensure that all students have multiple opportunities to practice? There is a difference
between rehearsing and practicing when it comes to ensemble playing. Students should be
practicing the music at home so when we come back as an ensemble, we can rehearse it as a class.
Students have access to the band room, before school, after school, during break and during lunch
as well as access to a practice room and sectionals.

How will you scaffold practice exercises from easy to hard? (For parts of the piece that are hard rhythmically we
can start by slowing the tempo down until we have it together. Then gradually increase the tempo. Instead of
trying to play an entire page of music, we can narrow down what we need to work on to just a few measures.

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We can also utilize the piano to play different sections by themselves so students understand the notes that they
are playing.

How will you monitor and correct student performance? (I will be listening to each section as well as walking
around the classroom. I can show what is needed to be done on the violin or ask section leaders to demonstrate
for their colleagues.)

Why will students be engaged and interested? (Students will be playing for their classmates so they will need to
be engaged in order to analyze and critique peer performances.)
TIME TEACHER STUDENTS
6 mins As our concert is coming up soon, and we are not learning Students will run through
notes but rather delving deeper into the musicality of the the piece in its entirety
piece, I want to always run through the entire part of what I trying to keep in mind all
want to work on. This allows me to see where we are at as a that we just talked about.
group, as well as let the students put what we just talked
about in the beginning of class to practice. There are usually
a lot of mistakes, but the main difference here is that students
recognize the mistakes.

Depending on which section I feel like needs more work (both Students take turns as a
7 mins in the music and as an ensemble) I might have the sopranos section playing for each
sing with the baritones to emphasize a particularly hard part other. They are able to
or a part that I want to bring out more. The ensemble then hear a part they might have
can listen to what it is I am hearing (as often they are only not been able to hear
listening to themselves and can't hear what the conductor before as it is difficult to
hears and sees). Ideally, every member would know every hear what is going on the
part but this is not the case. other side of the room in
the baritones when you are
I will get feedback from the section leaders/more advance focused on the altos.
singers as to what they think they should work on in the next
4 mins part of the rehearsal.

INDEPENDENT PRACTICE ( 25 minutes – suggested)

How will you clearly state and model behavioral expectations? (I will remind the students that a concert is
coming up soon and that time is very important because we only have a finite amount of rehearsing time.

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Parents and the public will be at the concert as well as other musicians so we will want to play our best.
Students can also see on the board our behavior expectations in case they need a reminder.)

In what ways will students attempt to demonstrate independent mastery of the objective? (By being able to play
together as an individual, then together as a section and finally as an ensemble, student will show independent
mastery of the objective).

How will you provide opportunities for extension? (Students that want to play more difficult music can audition
for solos in the upcoming concert. They can help guide their section in terms of intonation, dynamics and
rhythm. If the music is easy for them they can make it harder by not playing open strings, utilizing vibrato,
working on shifting and challenging for orchestra chairs.

Why will students be engaged and interested? (Section leaders can hold other students in their section
accountable. Also the concert coming up in less than a month helps the students focus and use their time
efficiently.)
TIME TEACHER STUDENTS
15 mins I have my students go into different parts of the music Students divide up into
building to work on 'sectionals'. These are for my section different sections and work
leaders to take what we just worked on in class and apply it to on the parts of the song
their parts. Sectionals are important because sometimes the that they know need work.
violins have their part well known (this may be because it’s My section leader
easier since they mainly play the melody) and cellos (who 'conducts' this part of the
often play a difficult harmony) may not. This makes it so that rehearsal as they are well
each section can work as a group on what needs to be acquainted with the music
learned and I can walk around and give tips. It also allows the and their colleagues.
students to be leaders and gives them a sense of Students remain engaged
responsibility. because they are the ones
involved in the teaching
10 mins process.
After sectionals are completed, I have my students come
back in the class where we go over a couple of parts again as
a group before we run through the whole piece. We look at Students may wish to ask
sections that the students may have had questions with (or questions so I can emulate
wanted to hear in context with the group or other sections) as what they need to sing on
well as parts of the piece that I want to look at (perhaps the piano and with my
because they are fast, or require watching the conductor). voice.

Finally we will run through the whole piece without stop. Our
6 mins goal will be utilizing the things that we worked on and talk
about today as well as trying to make it to the end of the piece
without any 'train wrecks' occurring.
CLOSING ( 5 minutes – suggested)
How will students summarize what they learned? (Students will be asked at the closing of class to say how their
sectionals went and what needed to be worked on. They will also be following the music with their own score.)

How will students be asked to state the significance of what they learned? (Students will be asked to analyze a
professional orchestra’s recording of the piece that they are working on. By critically thinking about what makes
the professional orchestra different than their own performance they can advance their musicianship.

How will you provide all students with opportunities to demonstrate mastery of (or progress toward) the
objective? (Students can always perform in front of the class to demonstrate mastery of the objective and to
show other students how to sing their part. If a student knows their part, they can help coach/lead their section).
TIME TEACHER STUDENTS
5 mins After asking if there are any questions, play a professional Listen and try to
recording of the piece that we are learning. understand the dynamic
range and tempo stability
that the professional
orchestra is able to
provide. Follow along with
the orchestra and piano
with their own score.

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HOMEWORK (if appropriate). How will students practice what they learned?
Continue practicing (at home) all the things that we have been rehearsing. Since practice is very individualized, each student
should know which parts are hard for them and work on it at home so we do not have to waste class times learning notes.

Reflection
Beginning orchestra is a difficult class to teach due to the differences in skill level and experience.
Beginning the class with tuning is something that is valuable in order to work ear training and pitch
control. Working on reading beginner sheet music is also beneficial for students. People often use the
adage “practice makes perfect”. This is simply not true; perfect practice makes perfect. Teachers should
teach effective practice skills and effective practice is one of the most challenging tasks we ask our
students. It involves the ability to recognize patterns and correct pitfalls (Oare, 2011) and is completed
independently at the student’s home. Because the teacher can’t be at the home, students can develop
poor practice habits that show in the classroom. By developing a vocabulary of practice strategies such
as chunking, repetition, etc,students can develop the skills of practicing and make rehearsals more
efficient as we can work on the musicality of the works and not the notes.

References

Grunert, Judith. The course syllabus: A learning-centered approach. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Co,
Inc, 1997.

Heick, T. (2018, December 11). What Is Bloom's Taxonomy? A Definition For Teachers -. Retrieved from
https://www.teachthought.com/learning/what-is-blooms-taxonomy-a-definition-for-teachers/

Laux, C. (2019, July 12). Assessment Practices for the 21st Century String Educator. Retrieved from
https://www.orchestrateacher.net/assessment-practices-for-the-21st-century-string-educator/

Oare, S. (2011). Practice education: Teaching instrumentalists to practice effectively. Music Educators
Journal, 97(3), 41-47.

Sargent, R. (2018, September 10). Differentiated Instruction in the Music Classroom. Retrieved from
https://www.smartmusic.com/blog/differentiated-instruction-music-classroom/

Topping, Keith and Ehly Stewart, Peer-Assisted Learning. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
Inc., 1998.

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