Amanda Whitten

Elementary Lesson Plan

Objective:  Students will be able to read the note names for notes in the treble clef staff, including the use of one or two ledger lines above and below the staff.

Purpose:  To begin preparing for our 4th grade concert, which will include vocal performance and instrumental performance on recorders.  (These 4th graders will be participating in Band or Chorus next year and it is one of our curricular goals to teach them to read music rather than teaching by rote as was done in the younger grades.)

Materials Needed:  Mac Computer with Internet access, projector connected to the computer, Music Ace II Software, Encore Software

Anticipatory Set:  Students will decipher ten "musical words" comprised of notes on the staff.  This will be dispayed on the screen, and created using the Encore notation software.  There will be a "key" at the top of the screen reminding them of the letter names for the treble clef staff.

Procedure:  After the students have figured out the "musical words," I will collect the papers and we will review as a class what the note names spell in words.   

Using Music Flashcards online, students will take turns naming the letter names for the notes in and directly above and below the staff (up to two ledger lines).  I will keep a record of how many notes are correct versus incorrect, and the time it takes the class to complete one set of flashcards.

Using Music Ace II, the class will participate in a lesson about the note names in the treble clef, view examples, and answer questions about these notes.  

Check for Understanding:  Students will participate in a related music game through Music Ace II, which will allow them to use what they have just been taught (actually it should be a review!) in the online lesson.

Closure:  The class will repeat the Music Flashcards, with each student seeing if he or she can beat their record for notes correct and complete the flashcards in a faster time.  This time it will be an individual assessment versus a class assessment.  I will record their scores for comparison in the future. 

Extensions:  For homework, the class will figure out the notes for their new piece, The Water Is Wide, and be able to name them as they do the fingerings on the recorder.  If they use the Music Flashcards online during the week, they can count that practice towards their weekly practice record time.  We will try to set a new class record for the online flashcards next class so they are strongly encouraged to review on their own.