Jason Cebulski

Dr. Brent Talbot

MUS_149
4.2 – Teaching Song by Rote
Context: High School Concert Choir (9th Grade)
Prior Knowledge: Students are proficient at singing on an 8th Grade level. In Concert Choir, the
focus is to provide the students with the knowledge and an environment to become strong,
independent vocalists.
Essential Question: How do we as vocalists sing with healthy breath support?

National Standards
I. MU:Cr1.1.8a – Generate rhythmic, melodic and harmonic phrases and harmonic
accompaniments within expanded forms the convey expressive intent.
II. MU:Pr4.1.6a – Apply teacher-provided criteria for selecting music to perform for a
specific purpose and/or context, and explain why each was chosen.
III. MU:Re7.1.5a – Demonstrate and explain, citing evidence, how selected music connects
to and is influenced by specific interests, experiences, purposes, or contexts.
IV. MU:Cn10.0.8a – Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal
choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
Learning Outcomes
I. Students will define healthy breath support.
II. Students will identify healthy breath support.
III. Students will perform a song (Alfred the Alligator) using healthy breath support.
IV. Students will contextualize the importance of performing with healthy breath support.
Materials
I. Adequate spacing for following COVID-19 standards for safe learning.
II. Post-it notes
References

 Alfred-the-Alligator. (2015). Dear Born Schools. Retrieved September 29, 2020, from
https://bryant.dearbornschools.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/57/2015/01/Alfred-the-
Alligator.pdf

 OnMusic Dictionary. (2015). On music dictionary. Retrieved September 29, 2020. From
http://dictionary.onmusic.org/
 Recordings
 BrianEJanssen. [BrianEJanssen]. (May 19, 2020). Alfred the Alligator (canon) [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IqB9XPEOps

Key Terms
 Breath Support – How we engage our bodies for air flow.
 Canon – Each voice exactly imitates the previous voice at a fixed distance.
 Diaphragm – A muscle separating the thorax and abdomen that contracts to provide more
space to breathe.
 Harmony – Combination of notes sounding simultaneously.
 Phrase – A musical unit regarded as a dependent division of music.
 Round – Starts with one voice, then others join in on the same melody, forming harmony
out of a simple melody.
 Tone – The sound of a voice, as well as the performer’s particular coloring of the sound.
Procedures
I. The teacher will ask the students to give themselves space to move.
II. The teacher will ask the students to join in a stretching exercise, stretching predominantly
the core.
III. The teacher will ask the students to start breathing in and out together while using smooth
hand movements to visualize the breath.
IV. The teacher will stop and put their hands on their stomach, creating a triangle between
their hands.
V. Indicating the students to watch and then join in, the teacher will breathe from their
diaphragm, causing their stomach to expand.
VI. The teacher will then demonstrate various other ways to breathe and ask the students why
they use either good or bad technique.
VII. The teacher will then keep one hand on their stomach while singing the song (Alfred the
Alligator), using only 2 breaths and maintaining healthy breath support, modeling the
goal.
VIII. The teacher will then break the song down, modelling the song and then having the
students join in.
IX. Repeat the previous step until the students can sing the whole song.
X. Once they can sing the whole song, the teacher will repeat the song while having one
hand on their stomach and with the other counting how many breaths they take.
XI. The teacher will then ask the students to perform the song in the same way as the teacher
just did. The teacher will assess the students on a 1-2-3 scale.
XII. If time permits, the teacher will ask the students to get back into sections, and ask them to
perform the song, using good breath support, in canon based on voice part. The teacher
will assess the students on a 1-2-3 scale.
XIII. The teacher can repeat as many times as time permits, dividing canon groups in other
ways such as by quartet, partners, or by individual student.
XIV. The teacher will then guide a discussion about the benefits of performing the song with
healthy breath support. The teacher will be looking for certain buzzwords to be
mentioned (listed in assessments).
XV. At the end of class, the teacher will ask the students to define breath support on a post-it
note.
Assessments
I. The teacher will assess the students’ definition of breath support by asking the students to
put their answer on a post-it note provided to them by the teacher.
II. The teacher will assess the students’ identification of healthy breath support by
demonstrating a variety of breathing techniques and asking the students what is good and
bad about each one. Words the teacher will look for include support, posture, and
diaphragm.
III. The teacher will assess the students’ performance of the song (Alfred the Alligator)
according to the 1-2-3 scale rubric below.
1 2 3
The student performed The student performed The student performed
with a lack of musicality with either musicality or with both musicality and
and proper breath support. proper breath support. proper breath support.

IV. Through a reflective class-wide conversation, the teacher will assess the benefits of
performing with healthy breath support discussed by the students. Words the teacher will
be looking for includes breath support, canon, phrasing, harmony, tone, and diaphragm.
Extension
 Following this activity, then the teacher will be able to bring up breath support at any
time. Furthermore, the song (Alfred the Alligator) can be used as a warmup for other
rehearsals.
Gettysburg Honor Code
I affirm that I have upheld the highest principles of honesty and integrity in my academic work
and have not witnessed a violation of the Honor Code. – Jason A. Cebulski