LESSON PLAN FORM

Teacher Education Department CSUDH

CANDIDATE:

SUBJECT(S):

Marcus Gerakos

Music-- Beginning Guitar

GRADE LEVEL(S):

Standards:

1.5: Analyze and compare the use of musical elements representing various styles,
genres and cultures

DATE March 19,

2015

Single/Multi-Day
Lesson:

Multi-day lesson

1.2: Clarify word meanings through the use of definition, example, restatement, or
contrast
2.3: Perform on an instrument a repertoire representing various styles with expression,
technical accuracy, tone quality and articulation

DESCRIPTION OF CONTENT & CONTENT TYPE (Fact, Procedure, Concept, or Principle):

I.

This unit will be a continuation on our study of rhythm and blues, its musical characteristics, its roots in
gospel and African tribal music, and its influence on popular culture. We will focus on my three-part
arrangement of the classic Motown hit "My Girl" as recorded by The Temptations. We will first study the
rhythms and then the pitches in each part to simplify the learning process and accommodate individual
learners.
II.

LEARNING OUTCOME (Objective): Students will be able to analyze all three parts of the musical score to

"My Girl" and be able to play the pitches and rhythms correctly on their guitars. They will also begin
the process of developing expression, technical accuracy, tone quality and articulation.
III.

CURRICULUM CONNECTION (How This Lesson Fits into Unit Plan): This is the third lesson of the unit and

incorporates the students' knowledge of their instrument in locating correct pitches from the score. It
also activates their prior knowledge of reading and interpreting written rhythms. In this lesson students
will analyze how the different rhythms in the song fit together to create a pleasing combination. They
will listen to and play all three parts simultaneously.

IV. INSTRUCTION

1. ENGAGEMENT (Motivational Activity): I will sing the song while playing each of the three parts of the
arrangement. I'll then ask the class, "How does each part relate to the vocal line? Does it reinforce beats
one and three? Or does it reinforce beats two and four? Is there a sense of groove when you hear these
two parts together?" Their responses will be an informal assessment of their understanding of the role of
each instrument in the arrangement in relation to the vocal line.

INSTRUCTIONAL SEQUENCE (Teaching Methodology with Student Activities): Here is the order of activities:

1. After copying the day's objective in their agendas, students warm up with the chromatic scale on all six
strings, naming each note as they play it. This reinforces their knowledge of the notes on the fingerboard and
will prepare them for today's activity--locating the notes from the different parts of the "My Girl" arrangement.
2. I frontload today's topic with the engagement activity described in the previous section.
3. We then clap out the rhythms to all three parts at once. I ask students to evaluate how well they maintained
the proper rhythms and the overall tempo. Then I offer my own assessment of their rhythmic strengths and
weaknesses.
4. We read through the bass part and melody guitar part at once, with half the class playing each part.
5. We evaluate the results with respect to tempo, correctly-played notes, tone quality and articulation.
6. We play the melody guitar and rhythm guitar parts at once, with half the class playing each part. We
evaluate the results together using the above criteria.
7. I divide the class into groups of three, assigning a different part to each player in every group so that
students can work on playing the three parts together.
8. I remind students to study their vocabulary terms for tomorrows quiz, and to take their guitars home and
practice their parts, and to listen to The Temptations' original recording and observe the overall effect of the
combined rhythms and melodic content. I suggest that they play each part along with the recording if they can,
or they can play the parts they know (in order to accommodate individual learners).
APPLICATION ACTIVITY (Practice and/or Reflection): The class practices all three parts together in groups of three as

I walk around the room and assess their progress

MATERIALS & RESOURCES: Musical scores, classical guitars, music stands, picks, guitar tuners, pen or pencil,

white board

2. V. ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES (Methods for Obtaining Evidence of Learning):

Our engagement activity can also serve as my pre-assessment of the topics weve discussed over the last two days. I sing

the song while playing each of the three parts of the arrangement. I then ask the class, "How does each
part relate to the vocal line? Does it reinforce beats one and three? Or does it reinforce beats two and
four? Is there a sense of groove when you hear these two parts together?" Their responses are my preassessment of their understanding of the role of each instrument in the arrangement in relation to the
vocal line.
In my observation of each student playing in small groups and as a class, I'm able to assess what he or she is
doing well and what they need to work on. I can also formally assess their understanding in our engagement
activity question-and-answer session.

VI. ACCOMODATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL LEARNERS (CONTENT, INSTRUCTION, PRACTICE): I offer a choice between the

parts to play from the score. The bass part is the easiest, while the chords and guitar melodies are more

difficult. I allow individual learners more time in class to assimilate the parts, and do not force them to try to
learn all three parts in three days. They may stay with the bass part if they choose, and work on that during our
independent study time until they are comfortable playing it at a slow to medium tempo. As always, I make it a
point to pair up struggling learners with advanced learners so that they can guided and encouraged by their
peers as well as by their teacher.

VII. HOMEWORK (IF APPROPRIATE): The students will take home their guitars and their scores to "My Girl" so that

they can practice the part they've chosen. Advanced learners will be asked to practice all three parts. They will
also listen to the original version of the song by The Temptations on YouTube and try to play each part of the
arrangement along with the recording.