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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Idea Web...2
Unit Plan Basics3
Topic and Synopsis
3
Scope and Sequence
4
Lesson Summaries
7
Unit Assessment Plan...12
Sample Lesson Plans15
Lesson 1
15
Lesson 2
19
Lesson 7
23
Social Context Unit Plan Rationale....27
Analytical Reflective Critique.29
Samples..32
Expression Journal rubric
32
Expression Journal assignment sheet
33
Singing test rubric
34
Bibliography.35
IDEA WEB
Culminating Activity/Products.
Briefly describe the culminating activity and products (e.g. a composition,
performance, recording) explaining how these are authentic performance
tasks and how they bring the unit to an appropriate closure.
Culminating Activity/Products:
Students will publicly perform the piece Pardon the Expression by Jill
Gallina, utilizing techniques taught throughout the unit to convey the
different musical expressions portrayed in the song. This will be recorded
and marked using a rubric. The performance will also include several
other songs (Waka Waka and Hava Nashira) that the students had started
work on before the unit and into which they will have incorporated unit
ideas on expression.
This will close the unit effectively and give me a very strong idea of how
well each student has absorbed the techniques I have taught them. As
choir is a performance group, having to prove their learning in front of a
live audience is the best way to make sure it is becoming automatic and
they have put significant thought into it.
Aim/big idea. A concept, theme or issue that gives meaning and connection to facts and skills and leads to deeper understandings and appreciations. Based on a
generative topic.
Aim/big idea: By the end of the unit, students will understand . . . that messages and emotions in songs and even in speech are not conveyed simply through
words, but through the ways in which one modifies their voice and moves their body.
Essential questions. (Two to five per unit) Important, overarching, thought-provoking questions that guide the inquiry throughout the unit.
Essential questions:
1. How can one use just their voice to express how they feel, both when singing and when simply speaking?
2. In what ways can vocal emotion be supplemented by the ways in which you move your body?
3. How can body language alone pass on messages?
GLE/GLO: 1
develop skills in listening, performing, and using notational systems.
SLE/SLO: 1.1
identify dynamic markings and tempo indications; e.g., allegro, andante and
other terms as related to the repertoire being studied.
SLE/SLO: 1.2
understand and demonstrate musical phrasing.
SLE/SLO: 1.3
successfully perform his or her part in a two- or three-part selection.
SLE/SLO: 2.2
using nuance and facial expression as aids to storytelling and picture
painting in songs.
Assessment/Evaluation
(Summative i.e. assessment of
learning at the end of the
unit)
3. Expression journal
comments and interpretations
SLE/SLO: 2.3
developing intensity; e.g., tension and release
SLE/SLO: 2.4
adding flexibility of tempo; i.e., rallentando, rubato, accelerando.
SLE/SLO: 2.5
adding dynamic contrast to repeated phrases or figures and extended
passages or selections
I modified slightly for a student in the class who has Aspergers Syndrome.
Specifically, he struggles with having a lot to say about everything and being
very overpowering in the group. I have designed several strategies for keeping
him on track. Firstly, I will be carefully addressing his powerful voice by
encouraging him to blend with the choir. Being the only male student, he tends
to overcompensate with too much volume. Also, I will be giving him a solo in
Pardon the Expression that I will encourage him to make his; he can make it
as flamboyant as he wants, which will help to curb some of his need to be seen
and heard at all time. Finally, when he starts on tangents, I will be very careful
to address his concerns or acknowledge his story, and then steer it back to the
concepts we were working on. He often just needs to know you are listening to
him, rather than shutting him down as soon as he starts talking. If I engage him
for a moment and then gently steer him back, it will work more effectively and
make him still feel welcome and acknowledged in the class.
Many of the students in this school and this area in general come from a lower
socio-economic background. This I have addressed by making sure at all
times that students have everything they need to see or use the technology I
am providing; in particular, I will make sure that they all have email and can
view videos sent through it. If they cannot, I will burn CDs so that they have
some way of listening to their singing tests and exemplar songs. I will also
offer the opportunity to come in at lunch and listen. Several of my students
come from very broken homes, and so I will be including a lot of activities
and general attitudes that are specifically designed to make them feel
welcome and safe in the classroom. I will be addressing my favourite idea of a
safe space in my classroom, and enforcing it if I hear any kind of put-downs
or inappropriate talk. This will help all students, and especially the less
fortunate ones, feel safer and able to express themselves more easily in the
class.
Lesson
1
March
Topic
Introduction to
Expressing
Emotion
17
Silent
Communication
1. Reactions to and
interpretations of non-verbal
cues and instructions.
2. Observations of students
ability to recreate and
enhance suggested changes
and expressive motions.
Silent
Communication
debrief The
importance of
expression outside
of words
March
18
3
March
20
Summary of Lessons
Learning Objectives
Assessment/Evaluation
By the end of this lesson TSWBAT . . .
Formative &/or Summative
(i.e. assessment as, of, for
learning).
1. Student answers to the
1. Begin to develop an understanding of
question: What does it mean
basic expression through body language
to be expressive?
and tone.
2. Observations on each
2. Perform basic warmups with
enthusiasm and good tone.
students natural postural and
breathing tendencies while
3. Begin to add stylistic movement and
energy to the song Waka Waka while
singing.
singing.
3. Listening to each students
proficiency while singing
warmups.
4
March
24
5
March
Expression
Journal
introduction;
Breathing and
posture work
1. Discussion of relevant
journal sources and what they
might have to look for in
each performance.
2. Observations of students
ability to assimilate practiced
posture and breathing into
rehearsal.
Expression
through spoken
word
1. Observations on the
effectiveness of each
students attempts to change
meaning using body language
and tone.
2. Discussion about the most
and least effective methods
and how to add these
methods to singing as well as
speaking.
Mock singing
tests
1. Observations of student
proficiency while singing in
small groups with only one
voice per part.
2. Short discussion on each
students potential evaluation
25
6
March
27
7
March
Adding body
movement to
emphasize
emotion
Singing Tests
Self-evaluation
debrief and
rehearsal
31
8
April 1
9
April
14
10
Visualizations to
aid in expression
Articulations as
an expressive tool
1. Observations of each
students ability to integrate
each articulation and switch
seamlessly between them as
the song dictates.
2. Continued observation of
song proficiency and
integration of more complex
expressive ideas.
Maintaining
breath support
while expressing
1. Observations of which
students continually take
shallow breaths/have bad
posture, in correlation with
who is consistently running
out of breath early.
2. Continued observation of
song proficiency and
integration of more complex
expressive ideas.
Final rehearsal
1. Observations: Who is
remembering to move? Who
April
15
11
April
17
12
April
21
13
10
April
22
is forgetting choreography?
Who is standing still unless
prompted?
2. Observations and listening
to accuracy of all pitches,
dynamics, articulations, and
movements.
11
Essential Questions:
1. How can one use just their voice to express how they feel, both when singing and
when simply speaking?
2. How can body language alone pass on messages?
3. In what ways can vocal emotion be supplemented by the ways in which you move
your body?
Assessments
Title
Learning Outcomes
Type
(Formative/Summative)
Weighting
Observation/
Participation
Formative
and
Summative
10%
Spoken
Word
Activities
Small group
assessment 1
Small group
assessment 2
Video selfassessment
Expression
Journal
Final
Performance
Formative
Formative
Summative
Formative
Summative
Summative
25%
15%
50%
13
Assessment AS
Learning
Assessment Tool
Brief Description
Observation /
Participation
Spoken Word
Activities
These will be non-musical activities that force students to use verbal nuance
and/or body language to change the meaning of given words and phrases, in
order to help them isolate that skill development outside of singing. This will be
assessed through group discussion and observation.
Small Group
Assessments
These will happen on two occasions: the first will fall on a Friday, and the second
will be the following Wednesday. The students will perform each piece in a small
group (3-4 people) in order to check pitch and rhythm accuracy and proper use of
breath control and tone. This will be assessed with a checklist. The first
assessment will be formative, with a short talk-back after the assessment to help
them identify areas of improvement for the second, summative assessment.
Video SelfAssessment
The second small group assessment will be videotaped, and the videos sent to the
students. They will be required to watch the video and make observations on how
they achieved or did not achieve the musical goals of the assessment. Then, they
will be asked to further assess their expressiveness and how they will be
continuing to improve upon it as they continue in the unit.
Expression Journal
Final Performance
This will be assigned at the beginning of the unit and due near the end, and
students will be required to reflect on three or more self-selected videos of
singers/choirs. I will use a rubric to assess the quality of their observations as they
use the different forms of verbal and physical expression they have learned in
class to relate to the music they have chosen. They can respond in writing, as a
video recording, or in another approved medium.
The final performance will be a public performance of the pieces we have worked
on in this unit, and will incorporate basic techniques we have learned and the
different forms of verbal and physical expression. The performance will be
videotaped, and a rubric will be used to assess each students level of expression
and proficiency. They will receive feedback a few days later to help improve
future performances.
Assessment OF
Learning
14
Date
Subject/Grade Level
Choir 10/20/30
Time
Duration
70 minutes
Unit
Expressing Emotion
Teacher
Maria Rosvick
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Begin to develop a concrete (P) understanding of basic expression (B) through body language and tone (C). [Domain: Cognitive]
2. Perform basic warmups (B) with enthusiasm and good tone (P) when in a group (C). [Domain: Cognitive, Psychomotor]
3. Begin (P) to add stylistic movement and energy (B) to the song Waka Waka while singing (C). [Domain: Psychomotor]
ASSESSMENTS
Observations:
Key Questions:
Products/Performances:
Listening to parts as we progress through the pieces (as a group and in sections) (3)
How each student is standing and breathing as they sing (2)
Discussion about new unit concepts (1)
What does it mean to be expressive? (3)
Singing and breathing during full piece rehearsal (1, 2, 3)
Alberta PoS
JWPepper.com
PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson
Consider:
Attention Grabber
Assessment of Prior Knowledge
Time
5 mins
15
Consider:
Time
5 mins
10 mins
2. Warm-ups
Interval exercise Play recording and have students sing through it
o Emphasize the need for very accurate pitches It is a step from one note to the
10 mins
16
next, not a slide. Each note needs to hit exactly in the centre, not somewhere on
the edge.
Arpeggios: Mee-ah, staccato once it gets too high!
o Students will be surprised how high they can get if they dont know what notes
theyre singing
Ask for someones favourite warm-up
Draw attention to breath throughout and after each warm-up Observe each students
breathing habits and remind the group as a whole (without pointing out a specific student)
about any issues that arise with anyone. This ensures the matter is addressed without
singling anyone out.
3. Waka Waka
Play Lion King musical exemplar
Ask students what they noticed about the style and expression; discuss how this might
relate to certain sections in Waka Waka or the piece as a whole
Play the exemplar one more time to emphasize the style, especially in the scoops and
slides, as they directly relate to what the students are singing in this piece.
Review hep section and the scoops earlier in the piece How can we make the scoops
stylistic rather than over-dramaticized or cheesy?
Work through the key change What intervals do you need to remember in order to move
the key from F to Gb, even when you dont have the piano to help you sing it?
Consider:
Consolidation of Learning
Feedback from Students
Feedback to Students
Transition to Next Lesson
20 mins
15 mins
Time
5 mins
17
Hava Nashira expression and hitting pitches dead centre; dynamics and how to sing softly without losing intensity.
Reflections:
The counted breathing really helped them to relax, and the stretching continued in that vein. I believe these or similar should be added at the beginning
of every lesson in order to both focus the group together with something they enjoy, and also release any tension that would later get in the way of
properly relaxed singing.
It took a bit for the students to get on the right track with the opening introduction question. Once they got there, they still seemed a tad confused as to
how this can constitute a unit as a whole. In the future, perhaps incorporate a few videos to help them see what Im talking about maybe a choir that is
very physically and vocally expressive, versus one that is less so. In the meantime, I will make sure to relate everything in the future back to the idea of
being expressive beyond words.
The posture and breathing review was very good for the girls who were absent the previous week due to sports. I asked the other students to explain the
concepts to the ones who were absent, which worked as both an informative session for the absentees and an effective review for the ones explaining.
A student suggested dancing to a full recording of another choir singing Waka Waka first, before singing themselves, and I decided it was a good idea. It
got the students moving a bit more before they had to sing themselves, and I feel it added some good energy to the group even before they sang. I think
this is an activity I could definitely get around to doing again during the unit.
18
Lesson
Date
Subject/Grade Level
Choir 10/20/30
Time
Duration
70 minutes
Unit
Expressing Emotion
Teacher
Maria Rosvick
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Correctly (P) interpret non-verbal instructions (B) both during performance and in teaching moments (C). [Domain: Cognitive, Psychomotor]
2. Continue to develop a concrete (P) understanding of basic expression (B) through body language and tone (C). [Domain: Cognitive]
ASSESSMENTS
Observations:
Key Questions:
Products/Performances:
Listening to parts as we progress through the pieces (as a group and in sections) (2)
Reactions to silent communication (1)
How can you express by saying nothing? (1)
Singing and breathing during full piece rehearsal (1, 2)
Alberta PoS
JWPepper.com
PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson
Consider:
Attention Grabber
Assessment of Prior Knowledge
Expectations for Learning and Behaviour
Advance Organizer/Agenda
Consider:
Time
5 mins
Time
19
Have students stand and put their folders on their chairs, and make sure they have enough
space to move their arms without hitting each other.
Review posture and breathing from last week. Do this through gestures alone; students
should be able to follow exactly what I am doing when I adjust my posture very obviously.
o Stand up straight, feet shoulder-width apart, knees loose, chin flat as though
looking out over a horizon
o Roll arms back until they are loose, and then let shoulders fall back naturally
o Open mouth, take a breath that pulls all the way up from the ground and fills your
lungs to the very top
Run students through several deep breaths, silently observing and correcting any
posture/breathing that is too tense, not full enough, etc. Do this through obvious
adjustments on my own part, as well as hand gestures and facial expressions such as raised
eyebrows.
Long breathing exercise - 4 seconds in, 4 out, then repeat for 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10.
Short stretch break, roll downs
o Put all your tension into your arms as you stretch them above your head, and then
release each joint one by one until you can roll down to the floor.
o Take deep breaths while you are down there Each breath should let you move a
little bit closer to the floor.
2. Warm-ups
Run all warm-ups by playing the line on the piano and mouthing the words if needed
Interval exercise Play recording and have students sing through it
o Indicate each pitch sharply with hand gestures, in order to silently emphasize the
need for landing squarely in the centre of the pitch.
Arpeggios: Mee-ah, staccato once it gets too high!
o Students will be surprised how high they can get if they dont know what notes
theyre singing
Ask for someones favourite warm-up
Oh This Is So Low Begin on high C and move lower with each interval. Cut off individual
students when they are no longer phonating effectively and thus might be hurting their
voice if they go any further.
Zooma Gesture on each ma syllable to emphasize the need to open their mouths widely
while they sing longer pitches, especially as it gets higher and higher.
Draw attention to breath throughout and after each warm-up Observe each students
breathing habits and remind the group as a whole (without pointing out a specific student)
about any issues that arise with anyone. This ensures the matter is addressed without
5 mins
10 mins
20
15 mins
10 mins
10 mins
21
Consolidation of Learning
Feedback from Students
Feedback to Students
Transition to Next Lesson
Sponge Activity/Activities
10 mins
Time
Reflections:
As very strange luck would have it, this was the day I ended up with laryngitis and so legitimately could not speak. This helped me not break my
decision to not say a word during the lesson! I loved when a student at the end got suspicious and asked Did you really lose your voice, or are you
just pretending in order to make a point? and I could legitimately say Id lost it!
This lesson went incredibly well. It took some practice in order to find gestures that the students interpreted correctly, but once we reached a sort of
understanding, we were able to communicate well enough. I found it interesting how quiet and attentive they were at all times; they clearly were
interested in what I was doing, even turning it into a sort of game of charades in which the one who interpreted my meaning correctly first won.
The posture and breathing review was very effective without words It allowed me to very easily see who was getting it and who was not, because
those who remembered adjusted with me and those who didnt just looked confused.
During warmups, students were very receptive to very obvious breaths on my part, and quickly incorporated them into their singing.
The church choir ending of Hava Nashira went beautifully They were forced to watch me closely and so they responded much more quickly to my
gestures to get quiet and grow exponentially as they went along. The church metaphor (which took awhile to interpret, Ill admit) worked very
effectively once it was understood!
The end discussion was very short Most of it will be moved to the next day. How do I get the quieter students to answer, especially when there are
outgoing students who like to drop answers and suggestions as much as possible?
22
Lesson
Date
Subject/Grade Level
Choir 10/20/30
Time
Duration
70 minutes
Unit
Expressing Emotion
Teacher
Maria Rosvick
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will:
1. Continue to develop a concrete (P) understanding of more complex expression (B) through body language and tone (C). [Domain: Cognitive]
2. Perform Waka Waka (B) with free body movement and energy (C) while maintaining 100% pitch accuracy (P). [Domain: Cognitive, Psychomotor]
3. Sing through Pardon the Expression (B) with moderate pitch accuracy (P) in a group (C). [Domain: Cognitive, Psychomotor]
ASSESSMENTS
Observations:
Key Questions:
Products/Performances:
Listening to parts as we progress through the pieces (as a group and in sections) (1,2)
Body movement both in the dark and in the light What are they doing? Who is standing still? (2,3)
What makes a good performance? What makes a great performance? (3)
Singing and breathing during full piece rehearsal (1, 2, 3)
Alberta PoS
JWPepper.com
PROCEDURE
Prior to lesson
Consider:
Attention Grabber
Assessment of Prior Knowledge
Expectations for Learning and Behaviour
Advance Organizer/Agenda
Time
5 mins
23
Body
Consider:
Time
5 mins
10 mins
10 mins
24
them that they wont look foolish doing so and I am actively encouraging them to
do it.
Maybe My Mummy Start on low C and work up chromatically. Pick up the tempo as
students grow more confident in the syllables, and over-emphasize every m while singing
it in order to make sure they are not mumbling along
To Sit In Solemn Silence Have students repeat after every line
o Tell students to spit out each consonant like a sunflower seed It should be almost
over-emphasized, especially on the alliterative words and sharp end consonants.
Draw attention to breath throughout and after each warm-up Observe each students
breathing habits and remind the group as a whole (without pointing out a specific student)
about any issues that arise with anyone. This ensures the matter is addressed without
singling anyone out.
3. Waka Waka
Ask: What makes a good performance? What makes a great performance?
o Discuss the use of movement How does it add to a vocal performance? How
might it detract from it? Which is better stillness or movement? Does it depend
on the song you are singing?
Dancing in the dark
o Have students spread out around the classroom so that they can spread their arms
without hitting another person, a wall, or a percussion instrument.
o Turn off the lights and start the accompaniment recording
o Have students sing through with the lights off entirely, moving at will as long as
theyre in a space that they wont hit anyone or anything This is designed to
make them less self-conscious about dancing, especially those who are naturally
very reserved.
o I will stand in a dark spot of the room (away from the light coming in through the
door) so my eyes can quickly adjust and I can partially observe the students as they
dance.
Sing through, identify trouble spots
5. Pardon the Expression
Sing through piece from beginning to end Students should be able to push their way
through the coda by now, even though they have only sung it once. This will help them gain
skills for improving their sight-reading.
Review the necessary articulations (such as staccato and marcato) in the second verse, and
what they should sound like in context.
20 mins
10 mins
25
Consider:
Consolidation of Learning
Feedback from Students
Feedback to Students
Transition to Next Lesson
Sponge Activity/Activities
Work through the coda in individual parts and then as a group These are longer notes
than any other section of the piece, so it feels drawn out and requires a lot more breath to
support it.
o Address the fermata note what will we need to do in order to hold that as long
as possible? Where must we breathe?
o Entertain the possibility of breathing in the middle of the word musical
Students are still struggling with breath control and might need that extra support
in order to create a long enough fermata to be properly humorous.
5 mins
Time
5 mins
Reflections:
Make sure to send the expression journal assignment sheet to X student who keeps missing class! I keep forgetting to give it to her personally, but I
know she checks her email regularly.
Dropped jaws during warmups are getting better The students were shocked by how easy the high notes felt when they were properly relaxed! Do this
more often and make it a point to sing a bit higher each day without telling them. This will boost their confidence and emphasize the idea that not
thinking of high notes as high will actually help them to hit them easier.
Several students LOVED the dancing in the dark, but others were less enthused. They didnt complain, but I know from observations that they moved
much less when the lights were off and no one was there to police them. How can I get them moving more? Can I have a lights-on dance and just
encourage them more strongly? In the past just holding out my hands and making them dance with me helped to break through their shells and get them
having a bit more fun.
Concert song choices: Hava Nashira, Waka Waka
Make sure to record all piano parts for the singing tests; playing it live both prevents me from conducting effectively, and leaves too much room for
error that would lead to an unfair testing environment.
26
27
Though I have not yet included Aboriginal materials in my choir unit, I have included several songs from other cultures, including a Hebrew lullaby and
a raucous African song. Before approaching either of these songs, I will be providing a direct translation of all non-English lyrics and will then facilitate a
discussion about why the lyrics are important and what they mean in the context of both the songs and the cultures from which they came. Respect and
understanding will be key before we ever sing them.
st
There are a number of 21 Century Learner skills embedded in my unit plan. Collaboration is a skill that students are expected to learn in a music
classroom no matter what the unit or who has planned it. I have explicitly included the final performance as part of the students grades, because it is an
important factor. They need to learn that learning is not something that can be done alone, but is something that they work on together. Communication is
also a skill that is explicitly included in the unit, as the entire premise of the unit involves communicating in different ways, besides language. One of my
essential questions is How can tone and body language convey messages? As addressed above, this will help them to understand and be understood in the
future.
Critical thinking is part of any interpretation of music, and it is also specifically included in my Expression Journal assignment, where they will be asked
to watch videos of singers or choirs and identify ways in which they communicated beyond just their words, and in what ways they might have improved. Then
the students will have to apply those ideas to their own performances, and self-assess how well they achieved them. Creativity and innovation are, of course,
vital to music and essentially a given in any music class. The students will learn and create new ways to express emotion without changing the words they are
saying, and it will force them to think outside the box and, occasionally, outside their comfort zone.
28
29
the piece) helped them to gain a focus for what they were singing and apply it to something they already knew, and it brought out a lot
of expression that, at the beginning of the unit, they had assured me they could not do because it was too hard.
I believe that several of the lessons could have used a more clear focus. Three or four of them turned into simple piece rehearsal
lessons, especially the ones that didnt have a particular topic to address (such as Adding Articulation for Expression). The unit focus
should have been brought back into every aspect of the lesson, and explicitly addressed sometime during the period. This led to
students always having to be reminded what the unit was about when I did bring it up, and I feel that they would have had a firmer
grasp of the concrete ideas if I had included it in every lesson. Instead, the students came out with a general impression that expression
is good and can be done in several ways, instead of the conviction that it needs to be added into every aspect of their musicianship.
Were the objectives age and level appropriate, and doable within the instructional setting (time, physical setting, etc.)?
The objectives were definitely age level appropriate for the students, especially considering their social interactions. For example, the
spoken word poetry activity had them using tonal and body language techniques that they use in everyday life as teenagers, such as
sarcasm and sass. It and several other activities throughout the unit helped them to get better at interpreting things that they otherwise
would not think very hard about, such as the actual meaning behind the lyrics of Say Something or the proper translation of nonEnglish lyrics. As they were all high school students, this finding-the-meaning-behind-the-words focus will be beneficial to them as
they move into their English reading comprehension exams and other diplomas in the next couple of years. Seeing beyond what is
directly posed to you is an important part of later high school education.
The space and time allotted to the unit were more than sufficient. Though the band room where we rehearse is rather small, I actually
prefer it that way. The choir consists of only nine students, and a larger band room would simply eat up their sound and make it feel
small and thin. The smaller room, especially with its lack of sound baffling and slightly boomy-er attributes, was actually a blessing in
disguise, as it made the choir sound more powerful and boosted their confidence as they sang. Seventy minute periods were also the
perfect amount of time to do a proper amount of warmup and piece work; many choir classes end up with only thirty or forty minutes,
and so have to focus immediately on song products instead of developing good techniques during pre-singing and warmups. This also
allowed the classes to feel more relaxed and welcoming to all of the students. The only thing I would want to change in the future
would be to secure a full-time accompanist, as having ours only sporadically made it difficult for the students to hear what the
accompaniment sounded like, and also made it harder for the accompanist to keep up with and understand any dynamic, articulation,
tempo, or other changes that had been effected in her absence.
30
Were the materials, repertoire, resources, and activities used interesting, of good quality, engaging and useful in achieving the
stated goals?
Pardon the Expression was a very good example for explicitly-stated expression, to the point where it essentially conveyed, this is
what we are singing and you dont need to interpret it at all. This acted as a spring board into the less explicit songs, such as Hava
Nashira and Waka Waka. The particularly effective thing about these two songs is that they are primarily in other languages, and so
they simply cant say exactly what theyre singing about. The songs require some kind of extra-lyrical expression in order to send the
message to the audience. I think that this was effectively conveyed to the students, especially when I related it to my silent lesson. I
spoke to them about how much effort I had to put in to make myself understood when I could not speak, and then related it to the
songs they are singing. You cant just say This song is sad! while youre singing; you have to do something outside of the lyrics to
prove that the song is sad.
Something I had to consider while choosing music for this unit was the make-up of the choir: we had eight girls and one boy, and it
made for a difficult time in choosing pieces that were both appropriate for the group size and voice combination, and still engaging
and fun to sing. The best way I found to do so was to look at higher-level elementary choral music, as it tends to focus on two or
perhaps three vocal lines without intensely difficult harmony or rhythmic structures. Many of the pieces I found were incredibly fun to
sing and would have appealed to the group, but I felt that Pardon the Expression was quite literally the perfect piece to frame my unit
around. The other pieces were ones that they were already working on, which worked well because they had something familiar to
relate the new concepts to, and be able to exercise new strategies immediately without having to learn an entirely new piece in
advance.
A final, very convenient point about my unit content was that it lined up perfectly with the theory unit the students had just finished
with my TA; they had been working on dynamic, articulation, and tempo markings, and Pardon the Expression used exactly what they
had just learned about. It was an interesting way for them to more effectively engage with the content, as it acted as both a review of
previous theory concepts and a way to concretely apply them to something new.
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SAMPLES
Expression Journal Rubric
Teacher Name: Ms. Rosvick
Student Name:
CATEGORY
________________________________________
Amount of
Information
One or more
topics were not
addressed.
Quality of
Information
Videos meet
criteria and relate
to ideas being
studied. It
includes several
supporting
details and/or
examples.
Videos meet
criteria and relate
to ideas being
studied. It
provides 1-2
supporting
details and/or
examples.
Videos meet
criteria and
loosely relate to
ideas being
studied. No
details and/or
examples are
given.
Videos do not
meet criteria.
Information has
little or nothing
to do with the
main topic.
Relevance
Ideas about
expression
clearly relate to
those discussed
in class. Clear
ideas for
incorporation are
expressed.
Ideas about
expression
closely relate to
those discussed
in class. A few
ideas for
incorporation are
expressed.
Ideas about
expression
loosely relate to
those discussed
in class. Vague
ideas for
incorporation are
expressed.
Ideas about
expression do not
relate to those
discussed in
class. Little or no
ideas for
incorporation are
expressed.
32
Expression Journal
Due Date: Friday, April 17, 2015
Rationale: Expressiveness is a key component in any performance, but in vocal music it can take on a whole new meaning. What one
does with ones voice and body goes beyond the words of a song; the words are just words until you inject emotion and meaning into
them. The best way to become adept at adding expressiveness is to identify it in others. Students who can effectively interpret the
gestures and emotions of another group or artist are more likely to be able to add them to their own performances.
Your task:
Create a journal consisting of at least three (3) entries. Each of these entries should be focused on one song.
You will choose video performances of three different artists or groups. One of these may be a pop/rock/modern music artist, but the
other two must be contemporary choirs or classical performances such as opera or musical theatre. These can be easily found on
YouTube or other video sites. The nature of the songs performed is up to you, but be aware of what you will be required to look for in
these performances, as described below.
Once you have chosen your three videos, write a short journal entry about each video, discussing the following ideas:
1. What are the ideas of the song that they are singing? (What is the song about? Is it happy? Sad? Angry? Something else? Is it
telling a story?)
2. How do the singer(s) modify their voice(s) to help express the story and emotions that the song suggests? If they dont modify
their voice(s), how does that change the effectiveness of the song?
3. Do they move in any way? How does this motion add to their storytelling? If they dont move, how does that change the
effectiveness of the song?
4. If you were performing this song, what might you do to improve the expressiveness? How would you draw the audience in and
make them interested in what you have to say?
This is not a formal essay; I want to hear your own thoughts and ideas in your own words. It can be typed or handwritten. There is no
specified length, but a good rule of thumb is about one typed page or 250 words in order to address all the questions in sufficient
detail.
A rubric for this assignment will be discussed before Easter break.
33
________________________________________
CATEGORY 4
Pitch
Virtually no errors.
Pitch is very accurate.
Dynamics
Attention to dynamic
levels is not obvious.
Breath
Support
Student is breathing
properly and supporting
the tone to the best of
his/her ability.
Student is rarely
breathing correctly and
never supports the tone
till the end of each
phrase.
34
BIBLIOGRAPHY
De Oliveira, Renan, (2013). The Lioness Hunt. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCHpqMb8iOY. [Last
Accessed 22 April 2015].
Gallina, Jill, (1991). Pardon the Expression recording. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.jwpepper.com/1804277.item#.VTg5m5ONrRg. [Last Accessed 22 April 2015].
Gallina, Jill, (1991). Pardon the Expression. Chester, NY : Shawnee Press, Inc.
Leavitt, John (arr.), (2008). Hava Nashira. Milwaukee, WI : Hal Leonard Corporation.
Lightfoot, Mary Lynn. (2003). Singable Solutions for Smaller Choirs. Mary Lynn Lightfoot, (2003). Singable Solutions for Smaller
Choirs. Heritage Music Press.
Robinson, Russell and Alrhouse, Jay, (1995). The Complete Choral Warm-Up Book. Florida : Alfred Publishing Co., Inc.
Shakira (2010). Waka Waka recording. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.jwpepper.com/WakaWaka/10185634.item#.VTg7P5ONrRg. [Last Accessed 22 April 2015].
Shakira, (2010). Waka Waka (This Time for Africa). Nashville, TN : Aniwi Music LLC.
Wasiak, E. B., (2013). Teaching Instrumental Music in Canadian Schools. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford University Press.
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