Lesson Plan

Name: Rose Mooney Date: November 17, 2020

Grade: High School Class Type: High School blues class

1.Measurable Objective(s): (Measurable learning objectives use action verbs to describe what you want the
students to be able to do by the end of the class.)

Students will be able to identify the components of a blues song

Students will be able to compose a blues song with all the components
Students will be able to identify a blues song and know what the genre of blues is
2.Assessment: (What evidence will show that the students understand? Describe the assessment used – formal
and informal assessments based on learning objectives.)

Students will create their own blues song, taking what they learned about blues songs- informal- will
be able to see if students comprehend what they just learned
3. National Standards: (Creating, Performing, Responding – Write out the standards that you will be
addressing in their entirety.)

MU:Cr1.1.C.Ia Describe how sounds and short musical ideas can be used to represent personal experiences,
moods, visual images, and/or storylines.

MU:Cr2.1.C.Ia Assemble and organize sounds or short musical ideas to create initial expressions of selected
experiences, moods, images, or storylines.

MU:Cr2.1.C.Ib Identify and describe the development of sounds or short musical ideas in drafts of music within
simple forms (such as one-part, cyclical, or binary).

MU:Cr3.2.C.Ia Share music through the use of notation, performance, or technology, and demonstrate how the
elements of music have been employed to realize expressive intent.

MU:Pr4.2.C.Ia Analyze how the elements of music (including form) of selected works relate to style and mood,
and explain the implications for rehearsal or performance.

MU:Pr6.1.C.Ia Share live or recorded performances of works (both personal and others’), and explain how the
elements of music are used to convey intent.

MU:Re7.2.C.Ia Analyze aurally the elements of music (including form) of musical works, relating them to style,
mood, and context, and describe how the analysis provides models for personal growth as composer, performer,
and/or listener.

MU:Cn10.0.Ia Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when
creating, performing, and responding to music.

4. State Standards: (Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting - Write out the standards that you will be
addressing in their entirety.)

Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work. Consistently apply research to generate
compositional ideas (e.g., to help generate new ideas, students listen to several different recordings
of pieces that use industrial sounds). (AG.M.Cr.01)

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 Select, analyze and interpret artistic work for presentation. Explain how one’s composition relates to
established musical genres, styles, forms (e.g., explain how one’s piece combines elements of jazz and
Celtic music). (AG.M.P.04)

Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art. Explain the development of
one’s musicality or musical style and how it relates to a composition. (AG.M.Co.10)

5. Required Prior Knowledge and Skills: (What must students know to be successful.)

Recognize basic chords of the major key by listening

Read music
Know major and minor scales and know how to raise or lower a note in the scale
Know form of a song (song structure)
Know how to actively listen and analyze songs
6. Material, Repertoire, Equipment needed: (Be sure to include music titles, composer/arranger, text etc.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqUfuW6kZnY “Do now” song – Blues with a Feeling

lined/staff paper and pencil
powerpoint
7. Review Needed: (What needs to be reviewed to reinforce prior learning related to this lesson.)
None
8. Accommodations: (Special Needs, ELL, etc.)
Students will be able to sit and can write a song in their own language
9. Agenda: (List items to be taught and post.)

- DO NOW: listen and respond

- blues
- chords
- form
- lyrics
- melody
- improv
- your own blues song
- blues warm down
- assignment

10. Lesson Sequence (Be sure to list time in the Pacing Section) Pacing
A. Brief Opening: (A teacher posted group or brief individual assignment. Brief A.…………………...
reading writing, editing, or problem-solving activity to ready them for learning – may
be a question about the rehearsal music or at the younger levels it may be a learning
activity to set up for today's lesson such as a "Do Now.")

Blues with a Feeling:

3 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqUfuW6kZnY
Blues music will be playing while students walk into the classroom. There will
be a do now on the board that asks what genre of music this is and what chords
they hear (hint: try and find root of chord)
B. Learning Activities: (What learning experiences and instruction will enable B
students to achieve the desired results – have more learning activities than you need.)

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 1. After listening, students will discuss/share what chords they heard and what 1. 2 minutes
genre of music this is

2. 12 bar Blues chord progressions: usually consists of I, IV, and V 2. 2 minutes

Basic chord progression of this song:
I IV I I IV IV I I V IV I V and then repeats

3. Song form: 3. 3 minutes

AAB –
A – first four bars melody
A – repeat first four bar melody only change key to fit the IV chord
B – third four bars melody answering the A, usually with a twist
Example from song (sing it):
A – blues with a feelin’, that’s what I have today
A – blues with a feelin’, that’s what I have today
B – I’m gonna find my baby if it takes all night and day
Lyrics are usually about struggle and hardship

4. Blues scale 4. 5 minutes

- melodies usually use the blues scale:
1 ♭3 4 #4 5 ♭7 1
Blues scale singing exercise

5. improv activity: students play/sing blues chord progression while one 5. 5 minutes
student at a time improvs using the blues scale

6. review the components of a 12 bar blues: 6. 1 minute

- chord progression (I IV I I IV IV I I V IV I V and then repeats)
- 12 bars (4 bars for each phrase)
- AAB form
- struggling/hardship lyrics
- melody: blues scale

7. students will then take what they learned about harmony, song form, lyrics, 7. 5 minutes
and melody used in blues music and create their own blues song:
Guidelines:
Must have all components of a blues song that we just reviewed

8. students will share their songs and talk about their process of writing and 8. 4 minutes
components of their song
C. Closing/Wrap-up: (This is a recap of the key learning of the day to check for C.
understanding. Could be a ticket to leave as individuals or group answers.)

Blues warm down (blues scale exercise) 1 minute

D. Assignment: D.
Find a blues song and talk about what makes it blues

11.Reflection Prompt: What do you think went particularly well? How did this strength impact your students’
learning?

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 12.Reflection Prompt: If you could teach this lesson again, is there anything you would do differently? How
would this have impacted your students’ learning?

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