Understanding By Design Unit Template

Title of Unit

Grade Level


Curriculum Area

Time Frame


Developed By


Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Content Standards








Understandings Essential Questions
Overarching Understanding Overarching Topical












Related Misconceptions






Knowledge
Students will know
Skills
Students will be able to










General Music
Music - Keyboards
Alexa Kleiman Zimmerman
Eight
October 2014
Students will apply the chords that they have learned throughout their cycle
to The Lion Sleeps Tonight as a performance. (Cognitive objective)
Students will have perspective on how to develop as piano players and play
in time with a track. In addition, they will learn how breaking down chords
can transition into accompanying a song that is well known. (Constructivist
objective)
How might students will apply their
own sense of musicianship when
playing chord changes on the
piano with an uptempo track and
without hesitations?
Beginner piano students usually become hesitant when switching chords with
their left hand. Beginner students often believe that the small exercises to
achieve skills (like chord switches) is all they practice. It is often overlooked to
incorporate music more meaningful to them to bridge the gap.
By the end of this lesson, the students in the eighth grade general music class
will be able to perform the chord changes from The Lion Sleeps Tonight from
by Elton John on the keyboard with a success rate of 80%. (Behavioral
objective)
In what ways will students be able
to connect how to learn chords on
the piano to accompanying a track
for a performance?
Students will play along with The Lion Sleeps Tonight with the chords they
have learned throughout the general music cycle. (Experiential objective)
The unit meets NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards 1.1.8.B.1, 1.3.8.B.4, 1.3.8.A.1, 1.3.8.B.2, 1.3.8.B.3. In this unit, students experience the four artistic
processes within the National Core Music 2014 Standards: create, perform, respond, and connect.
Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)
Performance Task Description
Goal


Role


Audience


Situation


Product/Performance


Standards


Other Evidence


Learning Plan (Stage 3)
Where are your students headed? Where have
they been? How will you make sure the
students know where they are going?


How will you hook students at the beginning of
the unit?


What events will help students experience and
explore the big idea and questions in the unit?
How will you equip them with needed skills and
knowledge?


How will you cause students to reflect and
rethink? How will you guide them in rehearsing,
revising, and refining their work?


How will you help students to exhibit and self-
evaluate their growing skills, knowledge, and
understanding throughout the unit?


How will you tailor and otherwise personalize
the learning plan to optimize the engagement
and effectiveness of ALL students, without
compromising the goals of the unit?


How will you organize and sequence the
learning activities to optimize the engagement
and achievement of ALL students?




From: Wiggins, Grant and J. Mc Tighe. (1998). Understanding by Design, Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
For students to be able to use the chords they have learned throughout the cycle and play as an ensemble with their classmates.
Students will be crucial members of an ensemble. Teacher will help with improvisational rhythms
General music students.
Classroom music
Students will take off their headphones and play along with the entire class as an ensemble.
Student work will meet the benchmarks of the National Core Music Standards for creating, performing, responding, and connecting
1) Formative: Teacher monitors students creating their own four bar patterns using the chords they have studied. 2) Summative: Students will be graded on their
ability to play chord changes without hesitation and with their classmates as an ensemble. 3) Integrative: Teacher documents reections about the lesson process
and makes adjustments for future lessons.
Teacher talks about what it is like to play in an ensemble, and monitors student participation,
engagement in performing in a class-like musical group.
This is a continuation from yesterday when the students learned the F chord on the piano. There will
be various combinations to practice changing chord positions becoming more uid.
Usually the students practice with headphones. This time, the lesson is going to be completely live.
Their focus will have to be on the activity and not on improvising melodies within the lesson.
Students play along with various chord combinations in a 4/4 bar pattern to practice changing
chords. Students will create their own chord combinations as well. (Experiential)
Students will work with a partner to compose a four bar pattern and practice before showing the rest
of the class.
Students will self evaluate their performance of The Lion Sleeps Tonight in performance.
(Perform)
Connection of practice to performance.
First review chords learned throughout the cycle: C, G7, and F. Then create a four beat pattern of
chord changes. Have students pair up and create their own four beat pattern. Teacher creates
patterns to relate to The Lion Sleeps Tonight. Students perform The Lion Sleeps Tonight.
ISBN # 0-87120-313-8 (ppk)