Unit of Work for Music

Unit of work for Music

(Mid-term planning)

Week No. / Learning Objectives / Planned Activities / Key Questions and Assessment / N.C Links
And musical elements. / Resources
and Vocabulary / Organisation / Key Skills and Cross Curricular Links
1 / Children will focus on the use of structure in the piece of music ‘Vltava’ when appraising.
Children will listen with concentration and some engagement for longer periods of time (5-10 mins) / Activity 1
·  Tell the pupils they will be listening to a piece of music called Vltava by Smetana. Explain that it is a symphonic poem and define the term – the music tells a story. Ask question 1.
·  Give each child a pack of sequencing cards which are the same as the large pictures to use on the board. Group 1/2 will have a dot on the first picture so they know where the sequence will start. Ask question 2.
·  Explain the sequencing work. You need to keep thinking of this question – question 3.
·  When listening to the music pupils need to sequence the cards by matching it to the different sections of the piece of music. Play music. / Key Questions:-
1.  From the work that we have done in geography who thinks they know what story the music is going to tell?
2.  We know this piece of music is a symphonic poem and will tell us the story of the River Vltava but who can tell me where the River Vltava starts/finishes?
3.  What picture fits best to the music in each section?
Assessment:
·  Have the pupils focused on the structure of the music?
·  Did the pupils listen to the music with concentration for longer? / 3.1
3.2
3.3
Structure / Resources:-
·  CD player
·  CD – Smetana Má Vlast (Czech Philharmonic) (Track No. 2 Vltava.) Bedřich Smetna
·  Sequencing cards
·  Large pictures to sequencing on the board.
Vocabulary:-
·  Structure
·  Symphonic poem
·  Appraising / Whole class when appraising music. / Communication skills – listening skills will be developed when appraising the music.
Links with the POS in English – as the pupils are require to listen carefully and show an understanding of what they hear making relevant comments.
Links with the POS for maths as the pupils have to sequence the pictures.
Week No. / Learning Objectives / Planned Activities / Key Questions and Assessment / N.C Links
And musical elements. / Resources
and Vocabulary / Organisation / Key Skills and Cross Curricular Links
1 / Pupils will focus on the use of structure in the piece of music ‘Vltava’ when appraising.
Pupils will listen with concentration and some engagement for longer periods of time (5-10 mins) / Activity 1 cont…
·  Ask individuals for their sequence. Ask question 4.
·  Put correct sequence on the board. Have a brief discussion about the sequence, the mood of the music and how the music made you feel.
·  Ask question 5, 6 and 7.
·  If no one suggests the River Usk suggest it to the class and then discuss where it starts. / Key Questions:-
4.  Why did you put the pictures in that order?
5.  What does the term symphonic poem mean?
6.  Who can give me the name of a piece of music that is a symphonic poem?
7.  If we wanted to compose a symphonic poem/piece of music with a story what could we base it on? (River Usk)
Assessment:
·  Have the pupils focused on the structure of the music?
·  Did the pupils listen to the music with concentration for longer? / 3.1
3.2
3.3
Structure / Resources:-
·  CD player
·  CD – Smetana Má Vlast (Czech Philharmonic) (Track No. 2 Vltava.) Bedřich Smetana
·  Sequencing cards
·  Large pictures to sequencing on the board.
· 
Vocabulary:-
·  Structure
·  Symphonic poem
·  Appraising / Whole class when appraising music. / Communication skills – listening skills will be developed when appraising the music.
Links with the POS in English – as the pupils are require to listen carefully and show an understanding of what they hear making relevant comments.
Links with the POS for maths as the pupils have to sequence the pictures.
Links to geography – Two contrasting localities are being focused on.
Week No. / Learning Objectives / Planned Activities / Key Questions and Assessment / N.C Links
And musical elements. / Resources
and Vocabulary / Organisation / Key Skills and Cross Curricular Links
1 / Pupils will focus on the use of pitch and timbre using the stimulus of the picture (Brecon Beacons). / Activity 2
·  Explain that they will be composing a symphonic poem based on the River Usk and that each week they will be working on a different section.
·  Give out picture of Brecon Beacons. In your groups you will compose section A of your composition using the picture as a stimulus. Think carefully about what sounds you would hear there. You must consider pitch and timbre. Discuss ideas before going off in to differentiated groups. Ask questions 8-12.
·  Composing time. Key focus is pitch and timbre. Encourage use of voice for the wind etc. If a child plays an instrument encourage them to bring it in next lesson.
·  Each group can choose the instruments they want must include at least 1 tuned percussion instrument.
·  Circulate class and listen to ideas and provide advice for development.
·  Half way through this activity stop the class and get each group to show their ideas to the class. Discuss strengths and weakness. Write on target for improvement sheets.
·  Work on weakness (10mins).
·  Bring class back together and record each groups work. / Key Questions:-
8.  What does the musical term pitch mean?
9.  What does the musical term timbre mean?
10.  How can we make wind/water/leaves rustling noises using our voices?
11.  Would sound echo at the mountain?
12.  Would we need to use high or low sounds?
Assessment:-
·  Have the pupils considered the use of pitch in this section of the composition?
·  Have the pupils considered the use of timbre in this section of the composition?
·  Using the stimuli have they considered carefully what types of sounds are appropriate? / 1.1
2.1
2.3
3.1
3.2
Timbre
Pitch / Resources:-
·  CD player
·  Large pictures to sequencing on the board.
·  Target sheet
·  Picture of River Usk
·  Cassette tapes – one for each group
·  Tape recorder.
·  Tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments. (Glockenspiel, tambour, tambourine, guiro, Chinese block, cow bell, maracas, drum etc.) keyboards
Vocabulary:-
·  Timbre
·  Pitch
·  Symphonic poem
·  Structure
·  Appraising / Groups of no more than 5 to compose.
Whole class – to discuss ideas and evaluate work. / Communication skills – listening skills will be developed when discussing ideas.
Creative skills will be developed through thinking of ideas.
Curriculum Cymreig – is being developed through studying the River Usk.
Links with the POS in English – when extending vocabulary through expressing ideas and opinions about music and when developing and using musical vocabulary.
Links to geography – Two contrasting localities.
Week No. / Learning Objectives / Planned Activities / Key Questions and Assessment / N.C Links
And musical elements. / Resources
and Vocabulary / Organisation / Key Skills and Cross Curricular Links
2 / Using pitch pupils will select appropriate sounds for fishing on the River Usk. / Activity 3
·  Recap over last weeks work by asking key questions 1-3.
·  Play opening 2 sections of the Vltava and briefly discuss.
·  Play back the composition work that was recorded last week. As a class discuss strengths and some targets for improvement.
·  Give each group a picture of a man fishing and a picture of different fishing reels.
·  Explain that in the lesson they will be composing section B of their symphonic poem. This section is based at Usk which is very well known for angling.
·  As a class discuss the answer to question 4. Offer some suggestions for making sounds – using a football rattle or hand whisk with turning handle. Encourage using voice e.g. to make the swishing noise of the line and for splashing noises.
·  Go into groups and work on section B.
·  Extension: - develop a link between section A and B.
·  Bring class back together and record each groups work. As a class evaluate each groups work offering constructive criticism. Each group must write at least 1 target for improvement down. / Key Questions:-
1.  What does the term symphonic poem mean?
2.  What does the musical term pitch/timbre mean?
3.  What was the name of the symphonic poem we listened to last week? What were we basing our symphonic poem on?
4.  What sounds would you hear when you were fishing?
Assessment:-
·  Have the pupils used pitch appropriately when composing this section? / 1.1
2.1
2.3
3.1
3.2
3.3
Pitch / Resources:-
·  CD player
·  CD – Smetana Má Vlast (Track No. 2 Vltava.)
·  Target sheet
·  Picture of River Usk
·  Cassette tapes
·  Tape recorder.
·  Tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments. (Glockenspiel, tambour, tambourine, guiro, Chinese block, cow bell, maracas, drum etc.)
·  Own instruments
·  keyboards
·  Football rattles
·  Hand whisks
·  Fishing reels
Vocabulary:-
·  Symphonic poem
·  Pitch
·  Timbre / Whole class – to discuss music (Vltava). When recording compositions.
Groups – to work on composition. / Communication skills – listening skills will be developed when discussing ideas.
Creative skills will be developed through thinking of ideas.
Links to geography – Two contrasting localities are being focused on.
Curriculum Cymreig – is being developed through studying the River Usk.
Week No. / Learning Objectives / Planned Activities / Key Questions and Assessment / N.C Links
And musical elements. / Resources
and Vocabulary / Organisation / Key Skills and Cross Curricular Links
3 / Using their own experiences of the Romans at Caerleon and pictures create suitable sounds for a roman town in which pace and texture will be used. / Activity 4
·  Play The Battle from the Gladiator sound track. Starting 1 minute in till 3 minutes 30 seconds. (This should get their creative skills going.)
·  When listening to the music they will fill out an appraising worksheet.
·  Discuss the pace of the music –fast with a very steady beat. Also discuss texture and how the music builds up.
·  Give each group a set of pictures of Caerleon. In this lesson they will be composing section C of the symphonic poem. Ask questions 1and 2.
·  Composing time. Key area to consider is the use of pace and texture.
·  Stop class; ask groups to play their ideas. As a group discuss and evaluate each groups work offering targets for improvement.
·  Continue to compose with a strong focus on putting each section together.
·  Record each group’s work whether it is just section C or all the sections.
·  Last 10 minutes draw a pictorial score of each section using the same format as the example for Vltava. / Key Questions:-
1.  What types of sounds would you hear in Roman times?
2.  Who can remember what the Romans did for entertainment?
Assessment:-
·  Have the pupils used the knowledge of the Romans to help them to compose?
·  Have they used suitable pace and texture? / 1.1
2.1
2.3
3.1
3.2
3.3
Pace
Texture / Resources:-
·  CD player
·  Gladiator sound track. Track 3.
·  Cassette tapes
·  Tape recorder.
·  Tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments. (Glockenspiel, tambour, tambourine, guiro, Chinese block, cow bell, maracas, drum etc.)
·  Own instruments
·  Target sheet
·  Picture of River Usk
·  Appraising worksheets
Vocabulary:-
·  Pace
·  Texture / Whole class – to discuss music (The Battle) When recording compositions.
Groups – to work on composition. / Curriculum Cymreig – is being developed through studying the River Usk.
Creative skills will be developed through thinking of ideas.
Links to history POS – Looking at The Romans and taking into consideration their lifestyle when composing.
Links to geography – Two contrasting localities are being focused on.
Week No. / Learning Objectives / Planned Activities / Key Questions and Assessment / N.C Links
And musical elements. / Resources
and Vocabulary / Organisation / Key Skills and Cross Curricular Links
4 / Using pictures of Newport and own knowledge of busy cities create city noises using texture and dynamics. / Activity 5
·  Play the last two sections of Vltava as it enters the city of Prague and fades away in to the distance.
·  Discuss dynamics and how it is used in these to sections of the music.
·  Give out pictures of Newport and ask questions 1-3
·  Encourage pupils to use keyboards and use voices.
·  Need to focus on the texture and the dynamics of the section. Give an example of a traffic jam one car horn then another one until it builds up.
·  Composing time15 minutes on section D. Bring class back together to share ideas.