applying mf to scheme of work

7/24/2019 Applying Mf to Scheme of Work

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Musical Futures Applying Musical Futures to an Existing Scheme of Work 2

Applying MusicalFutures to an ExistingScheme of WorkAnna Gower

This article by Champion School teacher Anna Gower demonstrates how one school usedthe Musical Futures (MF) ethos and approaches to overhaul a traditional Year 8 Schemeof Work (SoW) that wasnt engaging all students.

The content of this SoW is the Blues, but as this is an exercise that fundamentally explores pedagogy, thisprocess could be applied to a SoW covering any musical content.

Aims of reviewing this scheme were:q To write MF approaches into schemes of work at KS3q To make experience of all musics authentic and meaningfulq To integrate performing, listening and improvising into practical work every weekq To build upon skills covered in previous SoW (Year 7)q To develop relevant resources pitched appropriately for Year 8 to challenge and support all learnersq To reduce the amount of teacher-led learning within the SoW and to use informal learning to encourage

independent and personalised learning experiences for the students

The Musical Futures website contains details of the teaching and learning strategies for the bandcarousel approach (www.musicalfutures.org.uk/resource/27355) and the informal learning model(www.musicalfutures.org.uk/resource/27362).

The colour coding of the tables below are as follows:

Activities which are teacher-ledUse worksheets as the basis for learningStudent-led using resources other than worksheets


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Musical Futures

LEARNING OBJECTIVES ACTIVITIES HOMEWORK RESOURCES

1 q Introduction to Blues musicq Understand the terms chord and triad

q Starter: show video of Blues artistq Learn to sing Woke Up This Morningq Learn to play chords on keyboard

and guitarq Plenary: revise key terms;

mini-performances

q Five facts about

Blues artist(Voluntary G&Textension HW= guitar project)

q

q

q

q

q

2 q Revise terms chords and triadq Understand how to assess peers work

q Starter: review homework factsq Revise chords on guitar and pianoq Listen and assess peers work using

Listening back chartq Plan projectq Plenary: as appropriate, e.g. sing

through Woke Up This Morningor other song

q Set two personaltargets for theunit using Levelsin Music grid

q

q

q

q

q

q

q

q

3 q Understand how to work effectivelyin groups in music lessons

q Learn how to create a bass lineq Understand the term root note

q Starter: review targets set as homeworkq Go through rules and expectations of

practical work in musicq Demonstrate adding a bass lineq Start working in their groupsq Tidy awayq Plenary: review keywords to date

q Fill out project diary q

q

q

q

q

q

q

BLUES SCHEME OF WORK: BEFORE

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U s e w o r k s h e e

t s a s

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f o r

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t - l e d u s i n g r e s o u r c e s o

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Musical Futures

LEARNING OBJECTIVES ACTIVITIES HOMEWORK RESOURCES

4 q Understand the mood behindBlues lyrics

q Understand how structure in music islabelled with letters (AAB lyric format)

q Continue to work effectively in a group

q Starter: as appropriateq Discuss lyrics format and moodq Continue group work some groups to

start writing own lyricsq Tidy awayq Plenary: as appropriate

q Fill out project diary q

q

q

q

q

q

q

q

5 q Continue to work effectively in a groupin preparation for performance

q Learn how to incorporateimprovisation into the Blues

q Understand the terms improvisation

and scat singing

q Starter: as appropriateq Demonstrate the Blues scale and show

how to t it into the Blues formatq Continue practical task. Every student

to learn to play the Blues scale on piano

q Tidy awayq Plenary: as appropriate

q Fill outproject diary

q

q

q

q

q

q

q

q

6 q Prepare for recordingq Record nal performances

q Starter: as appropriateq Groups rehearse and then recordq Groups that nish rst to start You Have

Finished Recording sheet.q Tidy awayq Plenary: as appropriate

q Complete YouHave FinishedRecording sheet

q

q

q

q

q

q

q

q

7 q Assess nal recordings of Blues q Starter: as appropriateq Listen back to each piece complete

the Listening Back Chartq Fill in targets and levels from teacher

in plannersq Plenary: as appropriate

q None set q

q

q A c t

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Musical Futures

LESSON OBJECTIVES LEARNING STRATEGIES HO

1 q To become familiar with the sound of Blues music through listeningq To express a preference for a piece of music giving musical reasonsq To recognise commonly-used musical instruments and Blues conventions

1. Whole class warm up2. Group work informal

listening tasks3. Plenary: feedback from

listening tasks

2-4 CAROUSEL:q Keywords: chord and triadq Play at least C triad or one note in time to a backing track using keyboards,

or move between chords C, F and G in time, using 1, 2 or 3 note chords.

KEYWORDS: PENTATONIC, IMPROVISE:q

Understand how a pentatonic and Blues scale can be used to create a melody,through either:

Playing pulse notes of the pentatonic/Blues scale

Improvising using the pentatonic Blues scales and appropriate rhythms intime to the backing track

KEYWORDS: AAB STRUCTURE:q Learn to sing/perform to a Blues backing trackq Compose appropriate lyrics to suggest a mood in keeping with Blues styleq Demonstrate an understanding of the structure of Blues lyrics

OPTIONAL:

q Add a bass line/drums

1. Relevant starter (whole classwarm up or singing)

2. Either carousel model or insmall groups working throughthe same objectives

3. Plenary: revise key terms;

mini-performances

5-6 q Perform and record as a whole class and workshop the components of theBlues studied applying keywords and exploring how a piece can be structured

q Understand structure in music (AAB lyric format), include head andimprovisation in the nal piece

q Video and record to assesstogether at the next lesson

q Informal assessment andreection upon performance

7 q Assess nal recordings/performances/videoq Class discussion and feedback

q Peer assessmentq Self assessment

BLUES SCHEME OF WORK: AFTER

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U s e w o r k s h e e

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Musical Futures Applying Musical Futures to an Existing Scheme of Work 6

SCHEME 1: BEFORE

The majority of learning in lesson time is teacher led,or taught through a variety of worksheets whichwould appeal mostly to aural and visual learners withgood literacy and some basic notation reading skills.Homework tasks allow students more opportunity todirect their own learning under headings providedin the project diary. NB as with any SoW teachers areencouraged to deliver content through a range ofappropriate strategies.

Listening activities within this SoW are limited andthere is no evidence of students experiencing anyauthentic Blues music beyond what they see on thevideo in the very rst lesson. Other listening tasksinclude the teacher demonstrating the elementsof the Blues that the students will be learning andlistening back to completed student work at the end.

SCHEME 2: AFTER

Authenticity

Groups and practice spaces are named after Bluesartists and each space contains an information posterabout the relevant artist. Students research their

artists background as a homework task and share thisinformation with others (see also informal learningand listening tasks below).

Informal learning and listening tasks

At the beginning of the project, students are givena selection of recordings on a CD (of the artists thegroups are named after) and in their friendshipgroups are asked to complete a series of tasks.These include: placing each piece into a timeline toemphasise the development of Blues music; multiple-choice tick charts; and comparison questions along

the lines of a simplied GCSE question. They are alsochallenged to choose one extract and complete anextended listening task to identify which elements ofthe music are typical of the style and why they preferone above another.

Informal learning

Students spend a lesson exploring a differentcomponent of the Blues using a carousel model withthe aim of getting the class together to workshop aBlues piece at the end. They work together to devisetheir own objectives in each lesson and support

learning through peer teaching and sharing of skills.

Integrating performing, listening and improvising

This new scheme uses a range of audio, video and

written resources so that students can select thebest method of learning for themselves. A backingtrack, based on a 1950s Blues genre, is provided forgroups to perform along to. Individual audio tracksfor each part in the carousel are broken down intotracks, including bass line, improvising on pentatonicand Blues scales, swing rhythms and lyrics with videotutorials, in addition to worksheets using notationand chord symbols.

Written tasks and assessment

To t with the requirements of the school assessment

policy, one opportunity for a piece of written workthat can be levelled using National Curriculumlevel criteria was included. In this scheme it was anextended listening question based on the studentsown selection of Blues music. As this was the rstopportunity for students to complete this kind ofassignment, no guidance was given beyond the initialsetting up of the task, in keeping with the informalnature of the project. In subsequent schemes,feedback, exemplar work and guidance were givenonce the areas in need of development had beenidentied. Improvements in attainment have been

tracked through the project. NUMU blogs are usedto keep an ongoing record of progress made inthe project and to encourage self evaluation,reection and describing the activities using relevantmusical language.

To incorporate formative self and peer assessmentinto each lesson, levelled tick charts, based onNational Curriculum level descriptors, have beendeveloped to be completed by students at theend of each lesson. Often used to prompt groupdiscussion and the opportunity for students to assesseach other, these are combined with formativeteacher assessments to come to an agreed level forthe practical work at the end of the unit. This alsoensures that the processes of learning, as well as theoutcomes, are assessed.

WHAT HAS CHANGED?

applying mf to scheme of work

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