LESSON PLAN

(revised SP14)



Teacher: Collin Dennen Date: 4/8/14
Grade: 4


1. Learning Outcome/Behavioral Objectives: (As a result of this lesson students
will know and/or be able to demonstrate the following...) Students will be able to
identify the sound of a basic 12-bar blues progression and will use colors of
boomwhackers to identify the notes in each chord. Students will also experience
playing in a group. They will observe when to play and when not to play during a
song.


2. Required Prior Knowledge and Skills: (What the students must know to be
successful) Students must know the notes on the staff and be able to keep
steady half, quarter, and eighth note pulses.

Anticipated deficits: Keeping students engaged during a brief explanation of the
blues progression. Introducing harmonic progression. Making sure the students
use the boomwhackers appropriately.


3. Standards and Frameworks: (Check all that apply)
National Standards x Singing xPerforming on Instruments
x Improvising ! Composing and arranging x Reading and notating
x Listening to, analyzing and describing ! Evaluating music and performances
! Understanding relationships between music, the arts and disciplines
x Understanding music in relation to history and culture

State Frameworks x Singing ! Reading and notation
x Playing Instruments x Improvisation and composition
! Critical response x Purposes and meaning in the arts
x Role of artists in communities
x Concepts of style, stylistic influence and stylistic change
! Inventions technologies and the arts ! Interdisciplinary connections


4. Assessment: (Formal and Informal based on objectives) Students participation
observed by teacher. Make sure kids are playing with the boomwhackers during
the activity. If students are able to play their part at the appropriate time they have
been focusing and on the tune.

5. Processes: Should include at least 2 of the following
x Creating x Performing x Listening

6. Materials, Repertoire, Equipment needed: Boomwhackers, colored markers,
whiteboard, Blues audio examples, guitar or piano.

7. Accommodations:
a. Special needs: For students with red-green color deficiency we will
also take into account the size of the boomwhackers. For students
with learning disabilities, simplify it by handing out the roots of each
chord. Give each kid two boomwhackers so they can play the whole
thing together. Give them one of the three boomwhackers and let them
keep that one for the whole exercise and switch the other.
b. ELL: Speak clearly and slower. Have them teach the class the color of
their boomwhacker in their language.


8. Lesson Sequence: (Add or delete activities as needed for the lesson list
individual steps for each activity)

a. Activity: Activator/Warm Up Estimated Time: 3 minutes
Great Big House in New Orleans

b. Activity: Students sit at desks or in front of whiteboard for a brief explanation
of what the blues is and why its important Estimated Time: 3-5 minutes


c. Activity: Students form a circle on the floor. Close their eyes and hold out their
hands. Each gets a boomwhacker pitched C, D, E, F, G, A, B in that order. On the
board I will explain that a chord is three notes played at the same time. I will ask
kids to give me the notes of each chord in a C Major blues by pointing to each
line or space. I will ask what color each note is based on the boomwhackers. I will
write the note on the board in that color. By the end, a multicolored 12-bar blues
progression will be written on the board. Estimated Time: 5-8 minutes

d. Activity: We will perform the tune we wrote on the board. Students will read
and play when we reach their pitch/color on the board. Students will tap
boomwhackers on their shoes, hand, or floor. At the very end we will turn-
around, pass it down. The kids will pass their boomwachers to the person beside
them. This will continue until everyone has gotten to play each note.
Estimated Time: 5-8 minutes

e. Activity: Next Ill put on an example of a blues song in a different key and pass
out the different boomwhackers for it. Examples could be Mary Had a Little
Lamb by Buddy Guy or Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan. I will write the
progression on the board using the colors of each boomwhackers and we will play
along. Estimated Time: 5-8 minutes

f. Activity: For cleanup: Ask What note is red? When students answer C, or
whatever note that corresponds with the color, the students with that
boomwhacker will quietly put them away until all the colors used are called and
all the boomwhackers are stored. Estimated Time: 1-2 minutes

g. Activity: Summarizer/Foreshadowing: Ask kids what the three chords in a C
blues are. Is blues always sad? There are more colors in the blues than just blue!
Next time we will write our own blues progressions! If there is time, play a couple
rounds of Charlie Over the Ocean since were all in a circle and we didnt sing
much today. Estimated Time: 3-5 minutes


Assignments: Go home and listen to some blues!


9. Contingency plan: If the students arent understanding, we will use the
boomwhackers to play Great Big House in New Orleans. That song can be played
all over one chord. I will do a similar activity using the colors on the board to
make the chord but maybe very the rhythm a little more since it is all one chord.
Then I will add the IV chord to the board and well just take it piece by piece until
we get through the V writing the chords one by one with various rhythmic
variations. There will be less emphasis on the harmony but it will still be present
as a rhythmic exercise.



10. Evaluation/Diagnosis/Remediation: Notes to self about teacher procedure,
student response, and things to fix in the future
Have blues playing when you greet the kids at the door. Make sure its exciting
and upbeat like Jimi Hendrix or SRV. This has the potential to be extremely
boring for kids so introduce them to some attention grabbing blues. Play piano or
guitar with them when theyre using the boomwhackers. Dont just stand up at the
board and point the whole time.