Sarah Beglen

BT 5-3
Revised: October 12, 2016
Grade Level:

7th

grade choir

Materials Needed: "My America" scores, piano

Title of Piece and Composer: "My America" arranged by Joyce Eilers, words by
Samuel F. Smith, based on "America"
Publisher: Hal Leonard Co.
Voicing: Two - part with piano accompaniment
Behavioral Objective: The students will be able to sing through each part on
solfege and sing on their own parts through the whole song on text. The students
will learn about the history of the song by participating in the opening discussion.
The students will shape the phrases and sing with dynamics.
National Standard: (s)
7.9.1 =Explore the genre, style, composer, and historical background ofrepertoire
being studied.
7.5.2 =Sight-read music written in treble and bass clefs, major keys, and simple or
compound meter using solfege, note names or numbers.
7.1.3 =Sing expressively with attention to blend, balance, dynamics, phrasing and
articulation.

Previous lessons:
This lesson is under the assumption that my students are comfortable singing on
solfege and they have sung in harmony. Perhaps this choir has not been faced with
repertoire that has a descant part singing different words, but it is something we
have been faced with in warm ups.
Motivating Opening Script:
How does our national anthem go? (Answer: "O say can you see!") Who wrote those
lyrics? (Answer: Francis Scott Key) Does anyone know another poem that used to be
the words to our nation's national anthem? (Answer: "America" written by Samuel
F. Smith in 1831 .. .in 1889 the national anthem we know now was officially used in
the US Navy) 30 sec
(Transition to introducing ''America")

Procedure - 9 minutes
Step 1: "Let's warm up with solfege" (teacher plays EbM tonic chord, then the
tonic note, shows students a solfege pattern with Curwen hand signs,
students imitate and sing) 30 sec.
Step 2: "We are dividing the group in two parts, but for now everyone sing
part 1 beginning on measure 5 on solfege, what key do we begin in? (Answer:
Eb Major) I ask this because we go to another key, look through the score and
raise your hand when you can tell me which key and describe how it is
different than Eb Major." (Answer: Measure 43 the key is FM, a whole step
above EbM) "What solfege syllable do we start on?" (Answer: Mi). Students
sight read singing on solfege while teacher is modeling and going at a slow
tempo. Students sight-read measures 5 - 20. As a challenge ask for students
to show the Curwen hand signs while singing. Suggest having them keep a
pulse by tapping their chest if they cannot successfully balance the Curwen
hand signs and singing. The teacher explains that this same melodic material
is repeated throughout the song w ith different lyrics. The lyrics that Part
1/Descant sings are not always the same lyrics that Part 2 sings. 1 min
Transition to Step 3.
Step 3: "Skip to measure 24. What do we notice?" "Sing Part II this time, on
solfege, and it should be very familiar." Students sing on solfege and show
Curwen hand signs from measur e 24 - 39. This same melodic material is
repeated again in Part II on the following page. 1 min.
Step 4: "Turn back to measure 24. Sing on solfege with your voice part and
be confident on your notes. Do not sing the other parts' notes. I am
conducting this time so also pay attention to what I am showing you to
express musically." Students sing on solfege while the teacher conducts
measures 24 - 39. Assess the students by asking each section to demonstrate
a small excerpt of their part. 1.5 mins.
Step 5: "Now singing on words beginning at measure 24. Pay attention to
dynamics and phrase shaping." Sing through until it falls apart (could be
measure 43). 1 min
Step 6: "Measure 43 looks different but sing the same melodies as before
with different words and listen to the new key we are in." Beginning at the
transition to FM students sing on words until the end. 1 min
Step 7: Rehearse the final three measures with the ritardando and fermata.
Conduct through from the beginning. Everyone sings together until the split
at measure 24. 3-4 min.