I. Curricular Framework

Concept:

Classification

Essential Question:

Why is it important for an orchestra member to have knowledge of characteristics of each musical in

Bridge:

Family Songs

Content:

Musical Instrument Families

Outcomes:

II. Standards Aligned

III. Instruction and Assessment

1. Connect: Connecting to the Concept Experientially

Objective: Students will find creative ways of representing themselves and their families by making a collage.

Activity: Students create a collage that effectively describes and portrays themselves and their families, using photographs, pictures, art supplies, etc. Special emphasis will be placed on grandparents and special friends (in absence of student’s grandparents.)

Assessment: Successful completion of aforementioned task; quality of project as determined by teacher

2. Attend: Attending to the Connection

Objective: Students will share their projects, demonstrating both their personal and family values. Teacher will lead a discussion that will allow students to positively identify the diversity of different people’s collages.

Activity: Students present their collages, and those who wish to may share their collages with the class. Similarities and differences within the students’ collages are identified. All collages will be collected to create a classroom “family” bulletin board. The teacher will also participate and share his/her collage with the class.

Assessment: Successful completion of aforementioned task; quality of discussion as determined by teacher.

Assessment, Phase One, Level of Engagement, Fascination:

3. Image: Creating a Mental Picture

Objective: Students will receive a preview of the concept and apply their current understanding of instrument families by choosing or composing a song to represent each family.

Activity: Students count off in fours and divide themselves into four groups. Each group will represent a family. Each family will be given a last name: the String, Brass, Percussion and Woodwind family. Each family will be asked to choose or compose a short song that best represents their family name. Students may be as creative as possible in their song selection/composition and are free to use classroom instruments and recordings. Students share their song with the class.

Assessment: Successful completion of aforementioned task: song selection/composition that somehow connects to the instrumental family assigned.

Assessment, Phase Two, Seeing the Big Picture:

4. Inform: Receiving Facts & Knowledge

Objective: Students will understand the relationship of how certain instruments are grouped into families.

Activity: After the song presentations, teacher will explain in detail the various musical instruments and how they are classified into different families according to their method of sound production. (Strings are bowed or plucked and resonate air around them, producing pitch that is determined by the length of the string; woodwinds are blown, often with the use of a reed, and the vibrating column of air that produces pitch by bouncing around inside the instrument can be shortened or lengthened by opening or closing holes; brass instruments are buzzed with the assistance of a mouthpiece and use valves instead of woodwind openings to control pitch; percussive instruments are struck in some form or another and in most cases do not produce pitch.)

Assessment: Cards that contain photos and brief descriptions of musical instruments will be laid out randomly. Each student group must collect the cards that belong in their family. After all cards are collected, students groups will present their family of instruments to the class and briefly summarize why they belong to that family.

Assessment, Phase Three, Success with Acquiring Knowledge:

5. Practice: Developing Skills

Objective: Students will experience playing various instruments and obtain a general idea of how some of them work.

Activity: Teacher will demonstrate proper use of various instruments, making sure to at least present one instrument in every family, depending on time and instrument availability. Students will be encouraged to try playing the instruments. Additionally, students who have their own instruments will be invited to bring them in and play for the class, as well as oversee other students who may wish to try playing. Several different demonstration groups may operate at the same time, depending on the number of student leaders.

Assessment: Quality of participation, determined by teacher

Assessment, Phase Four, Success with Acquiring Skills:

6. Extend: Extending Learning to the Outside World

Objective: Students will demonstrate their understanding of instrument families by choosing one of the activities below.

Activity: Students may have the option of (1) choosing a favorite instrument and writing a research paper, including description, history, relationship in appropriate family, method of playing, sound (timbre), etc. of that instrument; (2) giving an accurate presentation of an instrument: how it is played, how it produces its sound, and how it fits in its respective family. Student must be able to demonstrate by playing the instruments themselves. Quality of playing will not affect student’s assessment, although it would be an added bonus; (3) making a poster/banner that pictures the different instruments named and organized into families with a description of how each family is unique; (4) giving a quality performance on an instrument, suitable to the student’s ability and pre-approved by the teacher. Performances should be memorized, unless teacher permits otherwise.

Assessment: Successful completion of aforementioned tasks

7. Refine: Refining the Extension

Objective: Students will assess their prior song selections/compositions that represented the instrumental families and be asked to choose/compose a new song that might more accurately represent the instrumental family.

Activity: Students will reconvene in their original group families and assess their previous family song. Those groups that chose a preexisting song will be asked to improvise/compose a new one, and vice-versa. Teacher will return student collages to be given as gifts to grandparents and special friends for Grandparent’s Day.

Assessment: Quality of new song selection/composition.

8. Perform: Creative Manifestation of Material Learned

Objective: Students present their final projects and demonstrate mastery of concept.

Activity: Students present their projects to the class, concluding with those who chose to perform. Teacher (1) puts research papers on display in the library; (2) films presentations and final performances, offering copies to students to take home; (3) displays posters/banners on classroom bulletin board.

Assessment: Successful completion of aforementioned tasks finished by due date.

Assessment, Phase Five,Performance, Creative Use of Material Learned: