+

Music and Expression with an Easel

By Raquel Beckford and Adam Skaggs

+Introduction

Intended for all 5th grade level 1 hour and 15 minute afternoon Music classes, our “Music and Expression with an Easel” thematic unit seeks to expose students to different genres of music using both “lecture” and “hands-on” methods over the course of one week. In this thematic unit, students listen and learn about the different genres of music that interest students. At the end, they also get to create their own art while learning about the many facets of music and music expression. Over the course of one week and five lessons, students will make connections to music (old and new), music history, and on Friday (Day 5) hone into their personal artistic abilities through an “Art Easel” workshop.

+Objectives

Students will learn about the history of music from different time periods and reflect on the experience over the week through reflections and discussion

Students will analyze music’s importance and make connections to their lives while exposing their musical interests to students with different genre tastes

Students will develop their own creative talents and appreciate the importance of art in human experiences.

Students will make connections between music and history.

Students will be able to express their feelings towards the music through art expression (painting/drawing)

+Framework

Howard Gardner’s Multiple

Intelligences

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Theories of Learning

• Musical Intelligence • Intra-personal

Intelligence • Inter-personal

Intelligence

Six Levels:From

Knowledge (Recall) to Evaluation (Making

Judgments)

John Locke (1632-1704)

• Lockean Atomistic Model

+Standards Taken from Connecticut State Department of Education State Standards

MUSIC

K-12 Performance Standards: Instrumental

“Educational experiences in grades 5-8 will ensure that students will perform music representing diverse genres and cultures, with expression appropriate for the work being performed.”

K-12 Performance Standards: Evaluation

“Educational experiences in grades 5-8 will ensure that students will evaluate the quality and effectiveness of their own and others’ performances, compositions, arrangements and improvisations by applying specific criteria appropriate for the style of the music, and offer constructive suggestions for improvement.”

K-12 Performance Standards: History and Cultures

“Educational experiences in grades 5-8 will ensure that students will classify by genre and style (and, if applicable, by historical period, composer and title) a varied body of exemplary (that is, high-quality and characteristic) musical works, and explain the characteristics that cause each work to be considered exemplary.”

K-12 Performance Standards: History and Cultures

“Educational experiences in grades 5-8 will ensure that students will describe distinguishing characteristics of representative music genres and styles from a variety of cultures.”

+Day Three

Objective Activity

Students will develop their own creative expression and appreciate the importance of art in human experiences.

Students will listen to one song per five major genres taught in class on library computer using CD given to each group. (35min)

In groups, students will create their own song in relation to their assigned genre. Students are graded on how well they stick to the genre’s unique characteristics taught in class. Students then present song to the class. (40min)

+Day One

Students will analyze music’s

importance and make

connections to their lives

while exposing their musical interests to

students with different genre

tastes

Day Two

Students will learn about the

history of music from

different time periods and

reflect on the experience

over the week through

reflections and discussion

Day Three

Students will develop their own creative

expression and appreciate the importance of art in human experiences.

Day Four

Students will make

connections between music

and history.

Day Five

Students will be able to

express their feelings

towards the music through art expression (painting/drawi

ng)

Students will begin class with reflection question and share with class. (20min)

Students are grouped according to different

musical interests, races, and ability

level and assigned to one genre per group in order to expose students to new genres.(30min)Students will do

activity where they will guess five major music genres and link

them to their respective

characteristics. At the end, students choose their favorite music

genre(15minutes)

Students will learn about five major

music genres through PowerPoint and

listening to the music. Students will be given

facts along the way (50min)

In groups, students will write reflections

on their initial perception of music and how it changed since learning about its history. (15min)For homework:

In groups, students will be given a

specific genre and must write a 2

paragraph reflection about the specific genre they were

assigned and how it differs from other

genres they learned about.

Students will listen to one song per five

major genres learned in class in library.

(35min)In groups, students will create their own song in relation to

their assigned genre. Students are given a rubric and are graded

on how much they stick to the genre’s

unique characteristics. Students then

present to the class

(40min)

During lunch, students will attend

an afternoon field trip (12pm-3pm) to The Museum of Fife &

Drum where they will have the chance to

hear music from different time

periods. Students create their own

music in workshop. Students have a

chance to put their song lyrics to a

rhythmic melody in the workshop.

For homework: students will write a 2 paragraph reflection on the experience creating their own

music.

Students will play a game. Students will

listen to various genres of music and

must be able to express what comes to mind through the

art they create. Drawings/paintings must be relevant to

the theme presented through the music.

(50min) Students will present their art to the class

at the end of the game.(25min)

+Evaluation

Class participation plays huge role in how students are graded. Students will be evaluated based on their overall participation and engagement in class activities. Students’ final activity during the art easel workshop will also aid teachers in grading the students. Students do not have to be experienced artists. However, they must express an understanding of the material presented to them over the course of the week through the workshop. As a result, this will show teachers how engaged students were over the course of the week. Furthermore, students will show teachers that they gained new knowledge through their participation in the various activities throughout the week.

+Participation Rubric

Skill A 4 B 3 C 2 D 1

Work Management Use of

Time

Provide leadership in

class activities through

sustained effort and attention.

Gives consistent

attention and effort to class activities and instruction.

Give inconsistent attention or limited effort

to class activities and instruction.

Frequently inattentive to

class instruction. Gives little

effort to class activities.

Transitions (Changes)

Change activities or

tasks silently and

efficiently.

Usually changes activities or tasks quietly and efficiently.

Sometimes change

activities or tasks quietly

and efficiently.

Often talkative or noisy when

changing activities or

tasks.

Respectful Learner

Respectful and supportive of others who are [presenting] or speaking.

Respectful of others who

are [presenting] or speaking.

Need reminders to be respectful of others who are [presenting] or speaking.

Disrespectful or disruptive when others

are [presenting] or speaking.

*Source: Chatfield Elementary School

+Resources

The following resources will be used throughout our thematic unit:

Teacher Resources:

*http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/history/music-history.htm

*http://www.xtimeline.com/timeline/History-of-Music-in-the-U-S-

*http://www.music.com/

*http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/7908/preview

Field Trip Information:

*http://companyoffifeanddrum.org/museum/

-Supplies

*http://www.jerrysartsupplies.com/

CD’s