Understanding By Design Unit

Title of Unit
Curriculum Area
Developed By

Spoken Word & Music

Advanced Band

Grade Level
Time Frame

7th Grade
2 Class periods

Identify Desired Results (Stage 1)

Content Standards

The student improvises melodies, variations, and accompaniments. (MU.B.1.3)

The student listens to, analyzes, and describes music. (MU.D.1.3)
Play three-to-five note melodies and or accompaniments on classroom instruments (MU.1.S.3.2)
Respond to contrasts in music as a foundation for understanding structure (MU.1.O.1.1)
Compose a short musical piece. (MU.68.S.1.2)
Understandings

Essential Questions

Overarching Understanding

Overarching

How do the students

manipulate the musical
elements to bring out the
feelings of the spoken word?

Related Misconceptions

Knowledge

Skills

Students will know

Students will engage with

ABABC form of songs

Students will learn to combine two contrasting ideas and
then infuse them into one.
Students will know the difference between the textures of
the sounds the different instruments give to create
different feeling, moods, or emotions.

Topical

1) How did the students

select the vocabulary to
describe the two elements of
their spoken word?
2) What words and
musical techniques did the
students use to resolve the
piece at the end?

Students will engage with arrangement,

performance, teamwork, and contrast.

Procedures

1. Present an example of a contrasting spoken word in ABABC format, with A and B as contrasting
elements and C as a resolution of both A and B.
2. Have students break into groups and come up with their own spoken word in a similar format with
two contrasting elements using ABABC format.
3. Play different songs with different instruments, and have students write on a piece of paper what
the songs make them feel (happy, sad, mad, evil, etc.)
4. Once the students have heard over the songs explain to them how the
Instruments compliment the feelings.
5. Based off of the spoken word, have students break into groups and select musical elements using
specific instruments that compliment the two contrasting elements of the spoken word.
Example:
o Peace and War
o The Up theme is a happy and peaceful song, which compliments the spoken word for
peace.
o The Blues Brothers theme gives a feeling of war or confrontation.
o The final chord in the presentation gives it a sense of closure.