Understanding By Design Unit Template

Title of Unit Can You Hear by Jim Papoulis (SATB) Grade Level 10-12 Mixed Chorus
Curriculum Area Music Time Frame 6 weeks
Developed By Zachary Gates

Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)
Content Standards
In this lesson, students encounter the 4 artistic processes that frame the National Core Music Standards, developed in 2014 by the National Coalition for
Core Arts Standards (NCCAS) and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). They are create, perform, respond and connect. The unit meets
NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards1.1.8.B.1, 1.1.8.B.2, 1.3.8.B.3, 1.4.8.B.1, 1.4.8.B.3. In this unit, students also develop P21 skills (www.p21.org) of
creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication.

Understandings Essential Questions
Overarching Understanding Overarching Topical

Students in chorus will be able to accurately and artistically perform the world-song
influenced Can You Hear with a success rate of 80%.
In what ways will students connect ideas
about style and genre from singing a
piece of world-music composed in the
21
st
century?
How might singers apply their own sense
of musicality and artistry to a piece of
music with various cultural influences.
(Cognitive objective).

Students will develop as singers in a choral ensemble and will realize the importance of
multiculturalism within single pieces of repertoire as well as the uplifting spirit of
music.

(Focusing Question)

(Constructivist objective)

Related M i s c o n c e p t i o n s
Choir is an easy A. Just show up, bring a pencil and smile.
There is no homework or outside preparation one needs for choir. The
conductor tells you everything you need to do and how to do it.
There is no need to do anything at home to prepare for rehearsals.

Knowledge Skills
Students will know Students will be able to

Students in Chorus will be able to accurately and artistically perform the world-
song influenced Can You Hear with a success rate of 80%.
By the end of this lesson, singers will experience singing an uplifting song that
peaks by use of form, key change, and dynamics, and performing in an ensemble
(Behavioral objective) (Experiential objective)

2

Assessment Evidence (Stage 2)
Performance Task Description
Goal For students to perform the piece with artistic integrity and demonstrate evidence of mastering:
Technical Skills
Strong consonants for accents of text, Blend and balance as parts sing together. Good posture for singing to ensure the proper tone for this
piece as well as healthy breathing to ensure a healthy non-screaming forte. Singing with tall Ah vowels. Intonation especially with
intervals of a minor 2nd
Musical Concepts
(Melody, Rhythm, Harmony, Form, Timbre, Texture)
Thick texture being layered, and what that means in terms of strength within a vocal section. Suring the sha oonamaye section, focusing
on the rhythm of a duple melody sounding within a triple meter. Ostinato with rounded form, as well as translating the whole song to a
different key.
Empowering Musicianship
(Historical Perspective, Stylistic Integrity, Musical Artistry)
By learning to sing this piece, the members of the ensemble will apply their own understanding of musical artistry to Can You Hear. In
addition, with Can You Hear being a new piece, students will explore the historical background of how pop, choral, and world music
come together in this selection.

Role Throughout, students act as evaluators assessing their own individual performance and the performance of the ensemble.
Audience High School Mixed Chorus
Situation Daily Choral Rehearsal
Product/Performance Students will perform this piece in an upcoming concert.
Standards Students will meet the ensemble benchmarks in the National Core Music Standards for creating, performing, responding, connecting for
their grade level.
3
Other Evidence
Formative: The singers will demonstrate their awareness of musical style as it relates to timbre, texture, musical expression, mood, and meaning in daily choral rehearsals
throughout the semester. Through open discussion, partnering, and questioning techniques, the singers and conductor will gain a better understanding of the importance
of literary understanding and gestural expression for musical integrity.

Summative: The singers will demonstrate their mastery of musical concepts as well as the effects of stylistic understanding of musical expression by performing the
piece Can You Hear in concert.

Integrative: Teacher reflects on the following questions:

1. How did each step of the lesson contribute to students attempting to answer the focusing question and demonstrate understanding of each goal?

2. In what ways did the engagement with the instruction and instructional content nurture a change in perception on the part of the student and enable the student
to answer the focusing question?

3. What did student comments reveal that would help me improve future teaching of this topic?











From: Wiggins, Grant and J. McTighe. (2005). Understanding by Design (2
nd
edition), Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.
4

Learning Plan (Stage 3)

Where are your students headed? Where have they been? Teacher facilitates guided practice throughout and monitors student
How will you make sure the students know where they are engagement and quality of performance. The goal is to bring the
going? music to performance level for an upcoming concert.
How will you hook students at the beginning of the unit?
Students will work with each other to correct problems within a section, and
to discuss possible areas that could use fixing or more attention. In addition,
students will be assigned to work together to write in solfege for various
portions of the piece.




(Partner section of the lesson)
What events will help students experience and explore the big
idea and questions in the unit? How will you equip them with


1) The conductor will distribute copies of Can You Hear for chorus to sing.
Students will chant the rhythm of the sha-onamayaye section. Due to
vowels in the text, students will have to be corrected during this proves to
ensure the tallness of vowels and the accurate handling of diphthongs.

2) Students will then learn the notes to this sha-oonamaye section by
singing with the piano. Each section will layer in their part and then use
physical gestures to make sure they dont rush the tempo and that the
proper beats are accented.
with needed skills and knowledge?
3) The conductor will lead the Chorus in exploring changes in sound due to
changes in gesture to assist in having Chorus learn to watch the conductor,
as well as achieve proper dynamics as they relate to form and proper
accents as they relate to musical style. This will help in working towards a
build up feeling for the climax of Can You Hear.
4) Notes will be learned by trying to develop musical literacy within the
chorus. Chorus does not read music, but literacy is a goal. Therefore,
directional singing will be encouraged for the learning of multiple sections.
Students will be tasked with singing the direction of the notes. Making
mistakes will be met with understanding, as Chorus needs to not be afraid
of making loud mistakes.
5) Students will practice singing through Can You Hear in a scrambled
formation. Chorus is primarily filled with students who have never sung in
chorus before. This exercise will help in the balance of the group as well as
the listening skills of the singers. Lastly, it will reinforce the importance of
independence taking place during unity, as the singers will be separated
from their section.
6) Students will perform the Personalize section of the Lesson Plan for Can
You Hear.






(Present)
How will you cause students to reflect and rethink? How will
Students will be assigned to go home and find relevant and current issues
with children that the song may have been written for. As this is an uplifting
song, have the students possibly find their own uplifting song and talk about
what in the music makes it uplifting it to them ie. lyrics, melody, harmonic
progression, etc.



(Personalize)
you guide them in rehearsing, revising, and refining their The conductor and members of the ensemble will work together to bring
work? the piece to performance level with strong attention to musical style,
intonation in close-harmony, and accentuation of spirit as discussed and
How will you help students to exhibit and self- evaluate their improved upon by the entire choir. (Perform)
growing skills, knowledge, and understanding throughout



Sectional rehearsals as appropriate.
the unit?

How will you tailor and otherwise personalize the learning Rehearsal plan honors the tenets of Critical Pedagogy for Music Education:
plan to optimize the engagement and effectiveness of ALL Partner, Present, Personalize, and Perform.
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