Lesson Plan AMV 36: Oct.

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Grade/Subject: AMV

Unit: Folk/Choralfest

LEARNING OBJECTIVES/BIG IDEAS

A2.1 apply the elements of music and related

concepts appropriately and effectively when
interpreting and performing increasingly
complex and difficult notated music
A3.1 extend their technical skills when
performing increasingly complex and difficult
notated and/or improvised music
C1.2 demonstrate an understanding of, and use
proper terminology when referring to,
fundamental concepts associated with notation.
C3.1 demonstrate an understanding of
performance related injuries connected to the
field of music and ways of minimizing such
injuries (Stretching)

Lesson Duration: 115min

ASSESSMENTS
(Observations, Key Questions, Written
Assessments, Performance Assessments)

Observations:
Observe students as they respond to said questions.
Observe students ability to project and follow their
own lines of music.
Observe students abilities to reflect and self assess
their own skills as well as others.
Key Questions:
Am I enunciating the text clearly when I am
singing?
How can I project and use my head voice within
the given pieces of music?
Am I pronouncing the text properly in Ave Verum
Corpus?
Am I blending with my neighbours properly when
singing.

PROCEDURE
Introduction (10-15min.):
Hook/Attention Grabber: Run over Agenda for the class. Ciara presents her first assignment to the
class. Students will take out their active listening journals and follow along to the presentation filling
out specific criteria for their active listening assignments. We will re-cap, who liked the song, who
did not, why or why not? (Supporting my over arching questions for the course, what makes
good music)
**This was not finished for today so we moved right into Agenda/Stretching***
Expectations for Learning and Behaviour:
- Respect- I will show up on time, prepared and ready to work and I expect everyone to do the
same.
Transition: Have students stand up and follow me to the back of the room to lead our stretch. Make
sure students are breathing properly, and extending through their stretching, opening up their posture.

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Body (50min.):
Learning Activity #1: Warm ups
-Stretching: Internal and external rotations/cat cow curls/back and shoulder exercises. Students will
follow my lead with opening up their necks/back/shoulders.
-Solfege: Students will sing in Solfege whole notes, half notes, quarter notes while I conduct. I will
gradually add in faster and slower tempi, louder and softer dynamics. Students will reproduce tempo
and dynamic changes to major scales.
-I will conduct through the scales, students will be my mirror to help with coordination.
-I will choose one student to come and conduct in front of the choir. That student will conduct
through one Solfege exercise. The class will critique on basic skills.
-Warm ups (Part Singing)- Heigh Ho- Students will sing through Heigh ho in unison first then
broken into two parts, then three parts listening for blend. I will add accompaniment when students
are comfortable with their parts.
Learning Activity #2: Land of the Silver Birch Folk Song
-Students will listen and work on balance and blend between top and bottom voice-I will go over the meaning of the song with students once again, discuss the idea of work songs
with students and where the term came from.
-I will break into two different parts at first, top and bottom. The Soprano section will sing through
first verse so lower voices will be able to pick up on the melodic lines within the song.
-Next students in the Alto section of the band will sing through the first verse working on
projection so the top voice does not over power the bottom voice. Diction: Make sure students are
not lagging on the Boom Diddy Boom Boom section.
-Students will sing the first verse together unaccompanied to listen to both parts working together, if
it sounds like blend and balance are working well they will continue through to the next verse.
-Once projection/balance/blend are working well I will add guitar accompaniment for the choir (this
usually provides support and helps the students to project)
***Discuss with some of the seniors mashing up Hanging Tree with land of the silver birch, if
interested have them work on an arrangement over the weekend .**
Learning Activity #3: Ave Verum Corpus
-Students will continue working on balance and blend. Students will continue to work on
diction and pronunciation. Make sure students have translation written into this piece word for
word.
-Head voice exercise: Students will hum with tongue against roof of mouth, gradually bring tongue
down and sing on aww
-Students will sing through the piece from the beginning. (Pre-assessment: Checking to see how
many students had practiced)
-Students will use their own creative judgement to decide where or where not to breath and when the
phrases begin and end.
-Students will sing through measures, 22-30, listening to different melodic lines, listening for the
intervalic relationships and resolutions.
-Separate lines within the piece and allow both top and bottom voice plenty of time to feel
comfortable with their own lines before blending both together.
****Work in Tech break/bathroom break for these students***
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Body Cont/Closure
Extension Activity: Landslide
-Students will sing accompanied through landslide listening for entrances/melodic changes, and
blend.
-Students will double up on the solo parts to bring out these sections more.
-Students will work on this song from a performance level perspective working on some of the
smaller details in order to create a strong overall performance of this song.
**Review ending with the students, Students will decide how to approach the ending using
different creative choices
Closure: Remind students I will be posting a recording online tonight of both top and bottom voices
so to practice these over the weekend to prepare for Choralfest. Remind students to work on diction
and pronunciation as well as writing in the translation of the text under the words. I will also record
landslide (if time) and post it to my website.

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