Piece #1: “Halloween”

Analysis—What are the teachable aspects in this piece?

Rhythm: paired eighths, quarter notes 4/4

Melody: F major: La-ti-do-mi / D Minor: do-re-me-sol

La-based minor scale

Harmony: C Major: vi-iii-vi Timbre: Children’s voices, rhythm sticks, xylophone

A Minor: i-v-i
Expression: Crescendo: measures 1, 3, 5 Style: Nursery rhyme
Decrescendo: measures 2, 4, and 6
 Form: Lyrics A-B-A History/Culture/Other Disciplines: n/a
Melody: A-A-A
*Highlight, bold, or color the teachable technical and meaningful aspects of the piece.

Grade/Level: 3rd
Objectives/Outcomes (Standard) Assessment
After learning this piece, each student will: Each student will be assessed by:
1. play a percussion accompaniment for the song Halloween on 1. performing the song in small groups while the rest of the
pitched percussion with proper mallet technique, a steady beat, class sings the song. The teacher will use a rubric to assess
correct notes (low-la), and correct rhythm students’ achievement of proper mallet technique, steady beat,
correct notes, and correct rhythms.

Reinforced (Prior) Content: Pre-Assessment Process:

-do and mi -ask students to find the teacher’s beat when singing the song
-Crescendo/decrescendo (steady beat)
-paired eighth notes -warm-up the class using rhythm examples with paired eighth
-quarter notes notes and quarter notes (paired eighth and quarter notes)
-notes on a staff -put a blank staff on the board and have different notes appear
-notes on a barred percussion instrument on different places on the staff and have students name the
-how to hold a mallet note (notes on a staff)
Steady beat
Rubrics/Assessment Tools:

Performances Level 3 Level 2 Level 1

Steady beat Student maintained a steady Student did not maintain a
beat. (1) steady beat. (2)
Correct Notes Student played all three notes Student played all but one Student played one or fewer
(low-la, do, and mi) on the note (low-la, do, or mi) on the notes (low-la, do, or mi) on the
barred percussion instrument. barred percussion instrument. barred percussion instrument.
(3) (2) (1)
Correct Rhythm Students played both the Student played one of the Student played neither the
paired eighth notes and the rhythms (paired eighth or paired eighth nor quarter note
quarter notes correctly. (2) quarter) correctly. (1) rhythm correctly. (0)
Proper Mallet Technique Student meets all three Student meets two of the Students meets one or fewer
criteria for proper mallet criteria for proper mallet of the criteria for proper
playing; mallet in hand with playing; mallet in hand with mallet playing; mallet in hand
palm face down, index finger palm face down, index finger with palm face down, index
wrapped around mallet, plays wrapped around mallet, plays finger wrapped around mallet,
by moving only the wrist. (3) by moving only the wrist. (2) plays by moving only the wrist.
(1)
Total /9
Teaching Process:
Lesson 1:
Goal/Focus: teach low-la and ti, major scale starting on ‘la’ (minor scale)
1. Warm-up with the class on tonal patterns (do-mi-sol-la) using a neutral syllable. Teacher sings first and students echo.
2. Tonal patterns on solfege with hand signs and students repeat it on solfege with hand signs
3. The teacher will sing neutral tonal patterns to the students and they must repeat them on solfege with hand signs.
4. Go back to patterns with neutral syllables. Sing the pattern “do- low la- do”
5. Ask students, “Was the second pitch higher or lower than the first pitch?” (students will answer, “Lower!”)
6. Tell students “This note is ‘la.’ Just like how we have a ‘al’ up high, we also have a ‘la’ down low!”
7. Sing more patterns using solfege and hand signs using low-la, do, re, mi, sol, and high-la.
 8. Tell students, “We have one more note friend to learn. Its name is ‘ti!’ ‘Ti’ lives right in between ‘la’ and ‘do’.
9. Sing patterns on solfege with low-la, ti, do, re, and mi.
10. Tell students, “When we start a scale on ‘la’ it is called a minor scale.”
11. Play a major and a minor scale on the piano and ask students to raise their hands and describe the differences in how each
scale feels.
Informal assessment: Ask students to sing the first five notes on the minor scale beginning on ‘la’ and notice any students that are
singing the major scale still just on the wrong solfege.

Lesson 2:
Goal/Focus: Learn the words and rhythms to Halloween.
1. Warm-up with the class on rhythm patterns including paired eighth notes and quarter notes. First on neutral syllables, then
using Takadimi.
2. Project the rhythms to Halloween on the front board. Ask students to read the rhythms on the board using Takadimi.
3. Review tonal patterns from last class. Sing patterns on neutral syllables and solfege that contain low-la, ti, do, re, mi.
4. Ask the class, “Does anybody remember the name of the scale that we learned about last class?” (Students with answer,
“Minor Scale.”)
5. Sing the first five notes of the minor scale beginning on ‘la.’
6. Project only the music to Halloween on the front board with do marked on the staff.
7. Ask students, “Where on the staff is ‘do’ located? (Students will answer, “the top space.”)
8. Ask students, “Does the piece start on’do’?” (Students will answer, “NO!”)
9. Ask the class, “Is the starting note right below ‘do’ or is it two notes below ‘do’?” (Students will answer, “Two notes below.”)
10. Ask the class, “Using what we reviewed during our warm-up, what solfege does this piece start on?” (Students will answer,
“La.”)
11. Ask the class, “Are there any notes during the song that are between ‘la’ and ‘do’?” (Students will answer, “Yes.”)
12. Ask the class, “What would we call that note that comes between them?” (Students will answer, “Ti.”)
13. Ask students, “What is the highest solfege syllable in this song?” (Students will answer, “Mi.”)
14. Sing through the piece on solfege with the teacher pointing at each note and having students sing that note using solfege.
15. Sing the entire piece on solfege with rhythms.
16. Add the words to the music being projected on the board. The teacher will sing the song with lyrics while students follow
along with the music.
17. Sing the song with lyrics with the students.
 18. Allow students to sing the song by themselves with lyrics.
Informal assessment: Watch as they sing the song alone and notice any students having trouble putting the words with the music.

Lesson 3:
Goal/Focus: Teach the mallet part and play on instruments.
1. Project Halloween on the board with the music and lyrics all together.
2. Have the teacher sing through with the class once.
3. Allow students to sing it by themselves.
4. Project an arrangement of Halloween for barred instruments on the board. The notes contained in this arrangement are ‘la’,
‘ti’, ‘do’, and ‘mi.’
5. Practice the instrument parts by putting each note on the body. When students must play ‘la’ they will pat the outside of
their left leg, for ‘ti’ tap the front of their left leg, for ‘do’ pat the front of their right leg, and for ‘mi’ students will play the
outside of their right leg.
6. Have the teacher sing the song and have the students pat their legs according how the arrangement says.
7. Have about half of the students play a barred percussion instrument and have them find the notes A, C, and E and the other
half of the class will sing the lyrics to the song. The half that is singing will use rhythm stick (skeleton bones) to keep a steady
beat.
Informal assessment: Watch as students play the barred instruments to ensure that they are hitting the correct notes with the
correct hand, and that they are using proper mallet technique.

On Target:

Wound Back:

Wound Forward:
Accommodations/Adaptations: (Pacing, Color, Size, Modality)
Pacing: Spend time when learning the instrument part on the body and have the teacher sing it and students to the patting, have
the students sing and pat at the same time, or have small groups sing and the rest of the class pat.

Color: Make the notes that will be played on barred instruments a different color in addition to the ghosts.

Size: Give students print outs of the music so they can have it at their instrument while they play.

Modality: use hands to mark which notes are higher and lower as they sing the song, and that way they can have a stronger sense
of the contour since the intervals are close.
Modifications of Curriculum: (forward/backward)

Forward: Have students sing and play the barred accompaniment at the same time.

Backwards: allow student to keep the beat on an ‘A’ while the class sings the song.

Reflection on Teaching:

Unit/Program
Rationale for the musical
experiences
Enduring Understandings
Essential Questions
Piece 1 Piece 2 Piece 3 Piece 4
Objectives: Objectives: Objectives: Objectives:

Assessments: Assessments: Assessments: Assessments:

 Standards: Standards: Standards: Standards:

Concepts Matrix
Briefly describe in which piece(s) each of the musical elements become a focus. Each element needs to be addressed for knowledge
and skill development over time; however, not every element may become a focus for every plan. There may be a few empty boxes.
Bold those that are objectives.

Concepts/ Piece 1 Piece 2 Piece 3 Piece 4

Elements
Melody

Harmony

Rhythm

Expression
(dynamics, tempo,
articulations)
Timbre

Form

Style

Skills Matrix
Briefly describe in which plan(s) each of the musical processes become a focus. Each process needs to be addressed for knowledge
and skill development over time; however, not every process may become a focus for every plan. There may be a few empty boxes.
Bold those that are objectives.

Skills/ Piece 1 Piece 2 Piece 3 Piece 4

Processes
Singing
 Playing

Improvising

Composing

Listening
(analyzing &
describing)
Evaluating

Connecting to
Other
disciplines
Connecting to
History/
Culture

Daily Plans
Date:

Warm-Up:

Piece #:
Objective/Focus:

Process:

Formal/Informal Assessment: