Unit Title (Topic/Theme): Pentatonic Scales Class / Yr Group: 3Length of unit:6Start Date:

So what do you want pupils to learn in this unit?

Objectives for the unit – what will you see and hear by the end?

Core Activities / Pupils’ Challenge

Overall Objectives unit:

· Play and sing a pentatonic scale.

· Learn of the different cultures that use pentatonic scales eg Chinese, Scottish.

· Compose and notate melodies using the pentatonic scale.

Key Words:

· Pentatonic

· Scales

· Melody

· Composition

· Octave

· Step

· Leap

· Interval

· Accompaniment

· Drone

· Ostinato

Skills:

· Developing aural skills

· Coordination in developing skills in playing a tuned instrument.

· Simple notation reading

· Play simple melodic patterns

· Compose simple melodic patterns

· Simple notation writing

· Play confidently

· Learn to work in small groups

Key Questions:

· What do the words penta and tonic mean?

· What is a scale?

· Which notes are used in a pentatonic scale?

· How many notes are in a pentatonic scale?

· What would happen if we added another layer to our performance?

· How could we make our performance even more interesting?

Resources for unit:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Irii5pt2qE)

Recordings of music from a range of cultures featuring the pentatonic scale.

A range of songs/melodies in the pentatonic scale.

Tuned instruments

Outline of Core Lesson Activities:

In this unit children will develop the ability to recognise and use pentatonic scales to create short melodies and accompaniments. They should be able to recognise a pentatonic scale, sing it back and play it on an instrument. They will be able to compose their own melodies using these 5 notes, and write them down using notation. They will also be able to recognise these scales when played in a wider context e.g. Scottish or Chinese music.

By the end of the unit children will participate in a group performance demonstrating melodies created from the pentatonic scale.

What will they will achieve / present at the end of the unit?

All Children will: Be able to recognize a pentatonic scale; perform a simple given melody.

Most children will: Be able to sing this scale and play it on an instrument; compose and perform a simple pentatonic melody with confidence to a steady beat.

Some children will have progressed further and will: Be able to create a longer melody/simple accompaniment using the scale; lead a small group of players.

Lesson

Learning Outcomes

About pentatonic scales and how they are used in music

· Listen to excerpts of pentatonic music.

· Sing songs based on pentatonic scale.

· Understand what a pentatonic scale is.

How simple tunes can be based on a pentatonic scale

• Explore the pentatonic scale on a tuned instrument

• Play a pentatonic scale

· Play a short pentatonic melody

How to create different textures using the scale

• Explore adding a second melodic layer to given melody

· Add a simple drone accompaniment under given melody

Exploring composition

•Improvise on pentatonic scale

· Work in pairs/small groups to compose a short pentatonic melody based on an agreed theme (eg Chinese Dragons)

· Ideas notated

How to create a class performance

· Using knowledge from Lesson 3 create accompaniments

· Learning and revising own melodies/accompaniments

· Deciding an order for the composition

• Practicing together as a class or groups

Performing a class/group composition

•Gain performance based skills

•Applied classroom knowledge (tempo, dynamics etc) to a practical performance..