Lesson Plan for Week 7

 

This post is the seventh in a series of beginning-of-the-year lesson plans.  For previous weeks, please see:

• Lesson Plan for Week 1
• Lesson Plan for Week 2
• Lesson Plan for Week 3
• Lesson Plan for Week 4
• Lesson Plan for Week 5
• Lesson Plan for Week 6

Week 7!  I like how each week of teaching is different for me; while I do more or less the same thing during the day and throughout the week in my position, one week to another is quite different.  Week 7 is no exception.  Students are writing their second composition of the year, this time using the notes on the D string (pizzicato) as well as doing their first big playing checkup of the year.  My goal is to get through the directions for the composition quickly to leave enough time to get to all of the students in the small group for their bowing checkup.  Ideally there will be a few minutes at the end to play something together, but that may or may not happen for each group.

Again, the format for this lesson plan is a 30-minute small group, with three to four students in a small group.  The most students I have been able to get through on a playing checkup/composition day is six, but that is really pushing it and doesn't allow me to give each student the individual time I would like to spend conferencing, going through their comments together and checking for understanding.

NEED:

• Extra Composition #2 worksheets
• Bowing checkup slips already labeled with student name and instrument, in order by small group schedule
• Pencil for me

ON THE BOARD:

• Agenda on screen
• The five D string notes written on the staff (D, E, F#, G, A), already labeled with finger number (above) and letter name (underneath)

ALSO NEEDED:

• Have spare folders and Orchestra Expressions books handy in case students forgot theirs
• Spare instrument for me
• iPad/phone/camera to scan playing checkup rubric sheets before returning to students (in Notes app)
• 1-page Google Doc condensed version of this lesson plan (includes lesson plan for full orchestra too)

COMPOSITION #2:

We have been pressing down our fingers on the D string to play different notes, so today we get to write a composition using our new D string notes!  I'll take a volunteer to read the paragraph at the top.

[Student reads]

Thanks [name].  Let's look at my composition, "A Walk Down the D String."  Before playing, let's say the letter names. 

[I play on piano while everyone is saying the letter names]

Let's play "A Walk Down the D String."  Playing position, all four fingers on the D string, L shape, plant the thumb.  Ready, play.

[Play while I'm saying letter names/finger numbers]

Let's set instruments gently in cases, grab your pencil, and let's go through the check list together.

As usual, we'll need a title.  I named my piece "A Walk Down the D String"; you can name your piece whatever you like.  Next, we need the name of the composer, so go ahead and write your name on the "by" line.  

We need a treble clef at the beginning so we know it's violin music--that's been done for us already!  We can check off "treble clef."

Next, we need a time signature after the treble clef so we know how many beats go in each measure.  Your choices are 3 beats or 4 beats in a measure.  I chose 4 beats in a measure for my composition, so I wrote the 4/4 time signature after the treble clef.  If you'd rather have 3 beats in a measure, write the 3/4 time signature after the treble clef.

We need bar lines between each measure--that's been done for us, so we can check off "bar lines."

At the end we need a...double bar line.  That's been done for us too, so you can check that off.

For rhythms, we'll use quarter notes and quarter rests, which each count as one beat.

Then, you can use any of the D string notes, so D, E, F#, G, A.

When we draw the notes, we start with the note head, the oval part, color it in, and then all these notes get up-stems, up to the right.  [Draw sample note next to the labeled D string notes] If you want to include a rest, you can draw a zig-zag or lightning bolt shape.

Any questions before we begin composing?

We also have our bowing checkup to do today too.  Who would like to play first?  Who would like to play second?  Third?  [Get comment slips in order of student volunteers; if there's not a volunteer, sometimes I do Rock, Paper, Scissors, with winner going first]

[If students want to try out different sounds on their instrument to get ideas of what to write, that's fine.  If students are done composing while I'm still listening to playing checkups, they can play the pieces on p. 16--all pizz.  If they finish those, then they can move on to p. 17, but those are arco so it's harder to hear whoever is doing their playing checkup.  In-between checkups, while the next person is getting their bow and getting set up, I quickly glance at other students' compositions and help get them on track if they need help with number of beats in a measure or how to draw the notes or that you only need the sharp sign in front of the first F# in a measure, etc.]

[For each student doing the bowing checkup, I open their book to p. 13 while they're grabbing their bow and instrument]

We're going to play "G String Level" today.  Think about how you're sitting in your chair and holding your instrument and bow, and whenever you're ready you can begin.

[Student plays; I'm circling numbers and jotting comments for Proper Playing Position and Bow Hold, maybe comments for Bowing]

Now we're going to play "Cross Bows."  Remember we play the first half two times and the second half two times. [Pointing in the music how the roadmap works]

[Circle numbers and finish jotting comments for the remaining categories]

Thanks, Name.  I'm just finishing scribbling...  Okay, let's go through my picky comments together.

[Walk through each category together, starting with a positive comment.  Have student find bow hold again and make adjustments as needed.  Try out bowing the open strings with the comments/suggestions I wrote]

Any questions for me?  Okay, thanks for playing and happy composing!

[Once I'm done with everyone, I set all their comment sheets on my desk and use my iPad to scan them using the Notes app.  I'll return the comment sheets to each student so they can take them home.  Then, I'll see how students are doing with their composition or collect those that are finished and guide students to practice the piece on p. 16 and then 17 when they're ready for something else to do.  If everyone is done with some time to spare, we will play some of the bow lift pieces on p. 17 together]

It is time to start packing up.  For practicing this week, we have the pieces on p. 14-17 in the book, our green sheet with the D string notes, and then Serenata.  I'll get your pieces typed up this week so we can play everyone's next time.

---

Before the following week, I write comments on compositions (which may just mean starring each of the check boxes, starring the composition itself, and correcting errors in notation with a colored pencil), type them up and put them in a Google Doc by instrument, print out one copy on colored paper to post on the STAR musician wall, and record grades for Rhythm and Music Literacy.  For the bowing checkups, I have the scans of the paper slips to use when recording grades into the grade book.  I also need to make copies of the note-reading pre-test, Version A.

Scale Warm-up Sheet (D Major, G Major, C Major)

 

In about January of students' second year of string playing, I introduce this D Major scale sheet.  Before then, we often warm up in full orchestra with a D Major scale with different rhythm patterns or adding slurs or as a round.  In small groups, we go through each line and review technique.  The hooked bowing is pretty new for students at this point.  In full orchestra, at first we have to pause and regroup between each bowing, but I tell students our goal will be to play straight through the whole sheet.  Eventually a student leader will stand in front and give the breath to start (I'll call out the next bowing as we get close to the end of a line).  It seems pretty straightforward, but I'm always surprised by how much room for growth is evident the first week we attempt this as a full orchestra--and by how proud the students are when we are able to make it all the way through more-or-less together.  

• D Major scale sheet (PDF)

Pretty soon we move into our unit on G Major, so we transfer this warmup to the new key.  Violins and cellos also learn the upper octave in G Major (starting the G above open G), so I usually have them play the warmup in the upper octave too.  In past years, I haven't made a new scale sheet for the new keys; students just have to play the same bowing patterns but in the new key.  They can look at the scale written out in quarter notes in the book if they want a visual.  This year I've made a new scale sheet for both G and C Major, and I anticipate students will appreciate being able to follow along on the page as they play.  Maybe they will be less likely to forget the line with the single eighth notes exists :)  It's funny how often students just stop playing after the repeated eighth notes scale and we have to restart "the fast one."  Anyway, with our focus on the upper octave scale, that's what I typed out for violin/cello, with the scale starting on open G only included in the first line, as half notes.

• G Major scale sheet (PDF)

In the spring (usually around the time of spring break), we do a playing checkup on all the scale bowings in G Major.  We go through the rubric together the week before, and then during small groups the week of, students play individually for me while the other students in their small group are working on their G Major composition.

• G Major scale checkup rubric (Google Doc)--three per page to cut apart and write on for each student
• G Major scale checkup rubric (Google Form)--for any virtual students (I save the individual scores/comments as a PDF and email to the student afterwards)
• G Major scale checkup rubric (PDF)--one to share with students ahead of time for reference

Our last key of the year is C Major, so we apply these bowing patterns to this key too.  Violas and cellos get the higher octave written out (starting an octave above open C), with the scale starting on open C only included in the first line, as half notes.

• C Major scale sheet (PDF)

String Fest Reflection Letters

Our annual district-wide String Fest field trip and concert is done for another year!  Instead of having students write up a reflection sheet to share their thoughts about their experience, this year elementary orchestra students wrote letters to the middle and high school orchestra students.  They answered essentially the same questions I would have asked them anyway, but this way they were able to communicate with students they performed alongside last week.  We took a large chunk of time during full orchestra to write letters, and I graded them based on how many questions were responded to in the letter.  Next, I sent them to our middle and high school teachers to distribute to their students.  Students really got into this writing assignment because they knew they were writing to real people--some even addressed their letter to an older sibling or neighbor in orchestra :)

Elementary students were super excited when they came to full orchestra a later week and found handwritten letters to each of them on their stands!  The high school orchestra members had taken a letter, written a response, and then stapled the two together so it was easy to return to the correct elementary musician.  The response letters were so positive and encouraging; it was so nice to read through them!  What a great way to make connections between the different grade levels and schools in our orchestra community! 

Update: I've added a second letter template with sentence starters to make it easier for those students who need the support.  I print the letters double-sided, and students can choose which side they write theirs on.  I've also started marking in the top right corner the student's school and grade level because each middle/high school receives letters from two elementary schools.  This way it is easier to sort and send the letters back to the correct elementary school :)

• Letter templates plus directions (Google Doc)

Playing Checkups

From time to time, we have checkup days in small groups, where each student plays for me individually and then I can give some one-on-one feedback to each student.  I prefer to emphasize the value of the individualized feedback, talking about what's going well and where there is room for improvement, rather than calling it a playing test and emphasizing the grade part of it.  I do enter grades from these checkups, but I don't think that's as useful to students as the one-on-one mini-lesson part of it.  I try to keep the atmosphere relaxed, low-key, and positive to keep students from feeling too anxious or nervous.

I usually pair checkup days with compositions--I get everyone started on their compositions and then I ask who would like to play first while the others begin work on their compositions.

I've created a generic checkup sheet that can be easily modified.  I like to put the grade level and name of piece on the top.  I also add a 4/3/2/1 for each characteristic listed; it's quick to circle numbers for each bullet point.  I write in the student name and instrument ahead of time, and I have the sheets already in the order I'll be seeing students that day so I don't have to take any time writing names or digging for the right slip.

While students are playing, I will circle numbers, underline phrases, and write specific comments.  Afterwards, we have a quick conference, talking through the comments I wrote and trying out the comments I had.  It really is like a mini-lesson.  I keep the slip long enough to make a copy of everyone's for myself (to record grades into my grade book later), and then I return the originals to students hopefully by the end of the same day so they can be a reference during home practice.

My district uses achievement based grading, so I enter 4s, 3s, 2s, or 1s into whichever categories are being recorded.

Checkup sheet (generic)

• Word document

Feel free to modify and use with your students!