LESSON:1 OF 6
OBJECTIVES: To understand the conventions of a march
To practise the notes of the pentatonic march
RESOURCES:Piano
Keyboards
CD player + CD
Projector
Worksheets
METHOD:Starter:
What? Why? Who? - Get pupils to march to various styles of music and discuss what is best – tempo, beats in bar, mood, instruments?
Main:
1. What?Why?Who? – powerpoint using images, audio and videos of 3 different marches (sport, military and funeral), pupils to fill in sheet with different reasons for What? Who? and Why?.
2. Begin to teach pentatonic march – without worksheets to start with = explain where to find the notes and what fingers to use.
Lower ability – teacher to write on board notes of first 4 bars but miss out certain notes, model tune 3 times on piano – give pupils 5 minutes to fill in the gaps by trial and error. Repeat model and trials 2 times.
Higher ability – Get straight onto tune. Point out repetition so they know how to move through the piece. Teacher Models twice pupils practise for 5 minutes and then teacher plays reminder.
Some classes maybe able to play melody with 063 rhythm backing – aim for correct rhythm and good timing
DIFFERENTIATION: If pupil will find the above too easy then provide them with the ‘Grand Old Duke of York’ instead.
Plenary:
Performances – formative feedback
Assessment
opportunities: Note pupils with particularly good timing and ear.
LESSON:2 OF 6
OBJECTIVES: To understand the term pentatonic
To play the tune in time with a march backing
RESOURCES:Piano
Keyboards
Projector/laptops
Worksheets
METHOD:Starter:
Sing ‘Oh when the Saints’ add movement to compliment the song.
Higher ability - Add harmony / sing in two parts
Main:
- Play the class the Pentatonic March and discuss the term pentatonic
- Sing the tune with numbers
This will get the dotted rhythm into the pupils’ heads and help them to remember that there is 5 notes in the scale.
- Class to practise tune using authentic march tone (brass sound)
Higher – straight into using backing using casio chords G & D
- Extension – Add G D ostinato accompaniment alongside
backing. Record onto keyboard.
5. Hear a few performances (different to last weeks).
‘Grand Old Duke of York’: Work on both right and left hand as solo or pair. They can also add rhythm backing with casio/fingered chords.
Plenary:
Performances – formative feedback
Assessment
opportunities: Note pupils with particularly good timing and singing
LESSON:3 OF 6
OBJECTIVES: To perform the March tune, focusing on fluency, accuracy and style.
To evaluate your performance, discussing how to refine and
improve your work
RESOURCES:Piano
Keyboards
Projector/laptops
Worksheets
METHOD:Starter:
Build assessment criteria with the class (use sheet as guide)
Main:
- Class to make final refinements to performance of Pentatonic March
- Pupils to have 5 minutes to answer before written assessment questions (sheet on moodle)
- Pupils perform and answer after assessment questions
Questions:
Before
- How well can you play the notes of the march?
If well, how did you achieve this success?
- How fluent is your performance? Why is fluency important in a
march?
After
-If you performed live, did it go as well as you had hoped?
-How could you improve your performance?
-Were you happy with your performance in relation to others? Why?
Plenary:
Feedback evaluations and teacher comments. Give out marks and
rewards.
LESSON:4 OF 6
OBJECTIVES: To analyse the way March accompaniment is constructed
To compose a March accompaniment using the listening activity as a guide.
RESOURCES:Piano
Keyboards
Projector + laptops
CD player + CD
METHOD:Starter:
1. Listen to March extracts (from CD) and pick out drum rhythms tap/clap rhythms with class – pick students to play on drums.
2. What else provides the accompaniment for these marches?
3. Add other percussion.
Main:
4. Explain composition project (see sheet) – choose groups of 4and chose regiment name and character for I.L task
(e.g. The Butterfly Regiment –pretty, colourful, quick)
(Each pairs will compose an 8/16 beat march composition, in week 5 the pairs will put their sections together to form ABA structure)
5. From listening, set task 1st task to compose a March backing.
Lower – give strict outline of steady pulse on drum of their choice (228) and one other simple ostinato using a mixture of crotchets and quavers on a percussion instrument.
Higher – allow more freedom with this and encourage to compose more layers. Remember it is based around C major pentatonic scale (C D E G A)
Own instruments can be used if appropriate!
6. Pupils to record there work using the provided sheet on moodle
using note letters.
Plenary:
Listen to a few and give some feedback
Set I.L - Using the template on Moodle design a possible military regiment logo for your group (individual task!) – upload I.L and send to teacher before next lesson.
LESSON:5 OF 6
OBJECTIVES: To understand the concept of improvisation
To practise improvising a short melody in a March style
RESOURCES:Piano
Keyboards
Projector + laptops
METHOD:Starter:
- Teacher provides backing for march improvisation and plays to class, pupils have 2 minutes to practise improvising in pairs – one person plays C G and the other improvises
Lower rules – Use 3 given notes – C E G
Start and finish on C
Use mixture of crotchets and quavers
Each person to plays for 8 beats
Higher rules – Use all 5 notes C D E G A
Use different octaves
Use some dotted rhythms
Each person plays for 8 beat
- Improvisation played to rest of class with teacher accompanying.
3. Feedback what do you need to consider when improvising.
Main:
- Give pupils 15 minutes to remember and complete their March backings – make sure guidelines are still in place and being followed. (on board/projector)
- Pupils to have 10 minutes to improvise over their backing
- Pairs to merge and blend their pieces together to form ABA structure (pupils decide on group to repeat!)
PUPILS MUST NOTE DOWN THERE WORK ON THE SHEET SO NOT TO FORGET NEXT WEEK.
Plenary:
Listen to a few and give some feedback
LESSON:6 OF 6
OBJECTIVES: To perform an improvised melody over composed March backing
To evaluate your work and the works of others
RESOURCES:
Keyboards
Projector + laptops
METHOD:Starter:
Reminder of task and mark scheme – display on board.
Main/Plenary:
- Pupils have 10/15 minutes to practise improvising and to also ensure each pair knows what their role is within the group.
- Each group performs. (Logos displayed during the performance on power point)
- Teacher assessment in electronic mark book.
- Each pupil to fill out self and peer assessment sheet during performance time. (individually)
- Give levels and discuss
- Pupils to fill in tracker sheet with comment, level and target
- Give out rewards.
- Learning emphasis on performance and improvisation task. If a class need more time on Pentatonic march task, miss out composition element and allow time for improvisation practise over pre-recorded rhythm march backing.
- Higher ability should get onto composition task to allow them access to higher levels.
Year 7 / Unit 3 / Title: The March / 6 Weeks / Spring Term
Student targets:
- To understand the purpose and conventions of a March
- To perform a Pentatonic March on the keyboards
- To compose an accompaniment in a March style
- To understand the concept of improvisation and attempt to improvise over your composed accompaniment.
Brief description of unit:
This unit will focus on the genre of the March, looking at the conventions of the style and what key musical ideas make it work for its purpose. This includes mentioning funeral marches as a flip side to the style. In pairs pupils will be asked to perform a pentatonic march on the keyboard, looking at the pentatonic scale on the side, most will add an accompaniment of some form. In small groups pupils will then form regiments and will be asked to compose their own March this will include an accompaniment which they will then learn to improvise over in a march style.
Relevant vocabulary:
March Metre - 2/4 beats in a bar Pentatonic Pitch Rhythm
Brass Trumpets Trombones Tuba
Percussion Funeral March Major Beat Minor Tempo
Improvisation Military March
Resources:
Keyboards
CD Player + CD
Worksheets
Notebooks – access to MOODLE
Piano / Cross curricular links:
Art – Regiment Logos
Evidence of assessment;
Lesson 1 – Notes on particularly good/bad timing – teacher ongoing observations
Lesson 2 – Singing ability - teacher ongoing observations, notes in register
Lesson 3 – Pupil self assessment of performance – written and verbal. Teacher formative and with pupil results, summative.
Lesson 4 – Listening skills – verbal feedback
Lesson 6 – Summative and formative self/peer and teacher assessment – mainly verbal. Levels written down.
Literacy:
Use of alphabet to gain access to keyboard layout
Focus on Key terms
Range of bullet point to paragraph answers depending on banding / ICT:
Use of moodle – sheets and game
Projector
Links with other units:
Year 7 – Keyboard skills, musical notation,
Year 8 – Composing/performing within a style – Rock ‘n’ Roll, Minimalism
ICT skills – texture project.
Year / 7
Title / Understanding the conventions of The March
Stage and objective of understanding /
- Learn how to produce an accompaniment within a particular style using combinations of rhythms
- Learn how to improvise using combinations of rhythms and rhythmic devices that reflect on the given context.
Context
(matched to stage of understanding) / Learning how the march is constructed using particular instruments and used in several contexts including sports and military morale boosting.
Conventions, process and procedures
(matched to stage of understanding) / Learn how the March features:
- Simple and regular pulse
- Movement with instruments – mainly brass/percussion
- Energetic rhythms
- Clear predictable melodies – regular, balanced shape
Focus of practical experience / Creative composing and ensemble performances. Groups create their own military regiment with logo and then compose a military style march piece with the choice of adding their own instruments. Pupils will take part in singing and creating a marching band atmosphere.
Features of musical elements / Rhythm: Understanding and knowledge of ostinati
Metre: Knowledge and understanding of 2/4 beats in a bar
Tempo: Understanding of tempos for occasions and contexts
Development of skills / Ensemble performing: maintain individual parts of given piece.
Composition: Maintaining and developing ideas within a structure. Development of composition through the use of tempo, pitch and improvisation. Pupils will get the chance to use their own instruments in the performance.
Expected outcome of understanding
(related to context and conventions and how it will be demonstrated in practical work) / Pupils will show their understanding of the march by discussing and explaining the way in which metre, timbre and tempo are used to produce music that works alongside the movement of a march. They will show this in their own practical work showing an awareness of the contextual implications and controlling the conventions of the music with the support of teachers and their peers. All pupils will be starting to develop this understanding; some will be secure in their understanding: and few will be starting to move beyond this understanding.
The March – Year 7