LESSON 1

Name: Katelyn Novak Date: 12/9/17

Lesson Title: Instrument Classification by Appearance Grade/Level: 4th grade

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal
Standard 6.1 Identify and classify, visually and Students will identify the five families in which
aurally, orchestral instruments individually and/or by instruments are classified, specifically focusing on
family. the visual similarities between the instruments
within the various families.
Lesson Objective(s)
Students will be able to differentiate between the five instrument families.
Students will be able to classify various instruments based on their appearance.
Students will be able to articulate the defining visual aspects of instrument classification.

Vocabulary/ Academic Language

Classification, strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion, keyboard

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

What visual clues do you use to classify instruments?
Can you predict in which family these instruments belong based on the way they look?

Assessment/Evaluation

Informal: The students will be informally assessed through their performance on the instrument
identification game, the instrument Go Fish, and a concluding question/answer time.

Formal: There is no formal evaluation included in this lesson

Materials
Instrument cards, slide of instruments, slides for instrument guessing game

Bell Ringer
Class starts with a call and response session, where the teacher sings a phrase and the class sings it back.

Anticipatory Set
Students will be broken into teams and each team given a collection of cards with pictures of various
instruments. The teams then race to decide how the instruments get broken down into groups. Students will
discuss their reasoning behind their classification system.

Instruction
The teacher will introduce the five instrument families: strings, woodwinds, brass, keyboard, and percussion
instruments.
The teacher will then provide background information for each family. She will show pictures of string
instruments on slides and point out how each instrument has strings, whether shaped like a harp or like a
violin. The teacher will show pictures of woodwind instrument and point out how they are made of wood and
made to be blown through. This will be followed by pictures of brass instruments. The teacher will point out
how they are made of shiny brass metal. The teacher will then show a picture of a flute and explain that
although this is a metal instrument it actually belongs in the woodwinds! Next the teacher will show pictures
of keyboard instruments and point out how they all have keys. Lastly, the teacher will show pictures of
percussion instruments and ask students if they see any similarities. They may not and if so, she should
explain that percussion instruments often look like the oddballs.

Guided and Independent Practice

The teacher and students will then play an instrument identification game. Pictures of four instruments will
be shown on a slide, three of which belong to and instrument family. The students must guess which
instrument does not belong.

Once the students are more confident with their instrument classification skills, they will be broken into
groups of four and each group will move on to play Go Fish with the instrument cards they used in the
anticipatory set. The goal of the game is to get as many sets as possible, a set being four cards of the same
instrument family.

Closure
The teacher will close with a recap by showing a collection of images for each instrument family and having
the students shout out the proper name of the classification.

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

Information can be presented through the spoken word, visual aids and pictures, and/or written on the
whiteboard depending on the learning styles present.

Cross-curricular connections
The students will practice their number skills while playing instrument Go Fish.
 LESSON 2
Name: Katelyn Novak Date: 12/9/17

Lesson Title: Instrument Classification by Sound Grade/Level: 4th grade

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal
Standard 6.1 Identify and classify, visually and Students will identify the family in which
aurally, orchestral instruments individually and/or by instruments are classified, specifically focusing on
family. the sound produced by the instruments.

Lesson Objective(s)
Students will be able to differentiate between instruments based on their sound
Students will be able to classify instruments based on the similarities of their sound.

Vocabulary/ Academic Language

Vibration

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

How would you describe the sound of a string instrument? What about instruments from other
families?
Why would we want instruments that make different sounds?

Assessment/Evaluation

Informal: The students will be informally evaluated by their performance of Instrument Says.

Formal: The students will be formally evaluated through their listening quiz (graded).

Materials
Instrument cards, five small buckets, slides with pictures of instruments and sound clips, red/green cards
violin, an instrument from every instrument family, worksheets for listening quiz.

Bell Ringer
The students have to collect the instrument cards that have been placed around the classroom and deposit
them in the front of the classroom in the bucket labeled with the proper instrument family classification.

Anticipatory Set
The teacher shows a picture of an instrument on a slide and plays an accompanying sound. The students raise
a green card if they think the sound matches the picture and a red card if they think it does not. This is
repeated with multiple slides.

Instruction
The teacher will explain how instruments in a particular instrument family not only look similar, but also
sound similar.
She will then demonstrate the sounds of instruments from various instrument families. She will begin with
play the violin and asking students to describe the sound with descriptive language. Words that describe the
sound of the music family are written on the white board under the header, Strings. This is repeated for
each instrument family with the teacher playing a representative instrument from each family and discussing
the qualities of the sound with the class.

Guided and Independent Practice

The students will then play Instrument Says. In this game, there is a particular dance move associated with
each instrument family. When a clip of music is played, the students must dance the move associated with
the instrument family heard in the music clip.

The students will then return to their seats and take a listening quiz. The students will be given a sheet with
five columns, labeled with one for each instrument family, and twelve rows. For each row, the students will
listen to one of the music clips from the beginning of the lesson and color in the box for the instrument
family it belongs to.

Closure
The teacher will review the answers to the listening quiz with the students, re-listening to the music clips.

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

Students who are uncomfortable or unable to dance can create hand motions to signify each instrument
family.

Cross-curricular connections
Student will practice language skills when using descriptive word for the sounds made by various
instruments.
 LESSON 3
Name: Katelyn Novak Date: 12/9/17

Lesson Title: Instrument Classification by Sound Production Grade/Level: 4th grade

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal
Standard 6.1 Identify and classify, visually and Students will identify the family in which
aurally, orchestral instruments individually and/or by instruments are classified, specifically focusing on
family. similarities in the method by which sound is
Standard 9.1 Describe and perform music of various produced on various instruments.
cultures and historical periods.
Lesson Objective(s)
Students will be able to classify instruments based on the method by which they produce sound.
Students will be able to compare and contrast the materials with which instruments are made and the
type of actions by which they are caused to produce sound.

Vocabulary/ Academic Language

bow, pluck, material

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

In what ways can sounds be produced on instruments?
How does the size of the instrument affect the sound it produces?
How does the material of the instrument affect the sound it produces?
How does the method by which the sound is produced change the nature of the sound?

Assessment/Evaluation

Informal: The students will be informally assessed through participation in discussions and question/answer
sessions and the presentation of their invented instrument.

Formal: The students will be formally assessed through the sound production matching quiz (not graded).
The students will be formally assessed through the homework of designing and drawing their own instrument
and being prepared to describe its material and method of sound production during the next class (graded).

Materials
Music clips of various instruments, worksheet for matching quiz, supplies creating instrument: boxes, cans,
straws, rubber bands, etc.

Bell Ringer
The class listens to music clips. If the instrument playing is a string instrument, the students rub their tummy.
If the instrument playing is a woodwind, the students tough their nose. If the instrument playing is a brass
instrument, the students pat their head. If the instrument playing is a keyboard instrument, the students clap
their hands. If the instrument playing is a percussion instrument, the students stomp their feet.

Anticipatory Set
The teacher will make a variety of sounds which will be repeated by the students. The teacher will then
encourage the students to try creating their own sound. After a moment of noise making, the teacher will
have the students listen to the London Philharmonic play Carol of the Bells and will ask the student how
many different types of noises they hear.

Instruction
The teacher will discuss how, just like the sounds made by the class in the anticipatory set, various factors
affect the way an instrument sounds, such as the size of the instrument, the material it is made out of, and the
method by which the sound is produced. She will point out that, out of these three, instrument classification
is primarily based on the latter two.

The teacher will have the students recall characteristics of the visual classification and ask if they can
determine the common material used in each instrument family.

The teacher will describe how the sound production for each instrument family varies. She will discuss how
string instruments produce sound when plucked or bowed, how woodwinds produce sound when a musician
blows into them or across them, how brass instruments produce sound when the musician buzzes into them,
how keyboard instruments produce sound when a key or pedal is pressed, and how percussion instruments
produce sound when struck or shaken.

The teacher will show the class the Piano Guys Christmas video clip and discuss the various different ways
the produced sounds from the different materials that make up a piano.

Guided and Independent Practice

The students will practice comparing methods of sound production through a matching quiz. The students
will be given a sheet with five columns, labeled with one for each instrument family, and twelve rows. The
teacher shows a picture of a historical or cultural instrument and describes the way it is used to make sound.
The student then color in the correct box to indicate which instrument family the instrument falls into.

The students then have an opportunity to create their own instrument using various materials such as boxes,
cans, straws, and rubber bands.

Closure
The students take turns presenting the concept of the instrument they designed to the rest of the class and
collectively decide which instrument family it would fall into.

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

Students can create their instruments alone or in teams of two depending on the abilities and learning
preference of the students.

Cross-curricular connections
The students will be exposed to the scientific concept of vibrations and how they are created.
 LESSON 4
Name: Katelyn Novak Date: 12/9/17

Lesson Title: Melody: Auld Lang Syne Grade/Level: 4th grade

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal
Standard 1.1 Sing melodies in varied styles with Students will sing Auld Lang Syne from sheet
accurate pitch and rhythm. music.
Standard 5.1 Identify and explain symbols represented
in rhythm and melody.
Standard 5.2 Use symbols to read, notate and perform.
Standard 5.3 Identify and interpret terms and symbols
referring to musicality.
Standard 9.1 Describe and perform music of various
cultures and historical periods.
Lesson Objective(s)
Students will practice the melody Auld Lang Syne.
Students with associate Auld Lang Syne with its historical and cultural context
Students will recognize the various aspects of the notation in Auld Lang Syne.

Vocabulary/ Academic Language

Acquaintance, slur, note value, pitch

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

What is the historical context of Auld Lang Syne?

Assessment/Evaluation

Informal: The students will be informally assessed by their participation in group singing.

Formal: There is no formal evaluation in this lesson.

Materials
Auld Lang Syne sheet music.

Bell Ringer
Students will present the outcomes of their homework of designing/drawing instruments and will describe
the material the instrument is made from and the method by which it produces sound.

Anticipatory Set
The teacher discusses Christmas and New Years and shares her favorite part of the holidays. The students are
encouraged to mention their favorite part of the holidays.

Instruction
The teacher has different students take turns reading the lyrics of the song. She then meaning of Auld Lang
Syne and discusses its historical and cultural context. The teacher will ask the students what things about
the holidays they wish to remember and what memories and traditions they find memorable

Guided and Independent Practice

The teacher will work through the song with the students. She will ask if any student can tell what the first
note is. She will then ask another student to tell the second note. The teacher will ask if the second note is
higher or lower than the first note and the general shape of the first phrase of the song. The teacher will play
the first phrase, while the students listen. The students will then sing along with the teachers help and then on
their own. This will be repeated for each line of the song.

If needed, the teacher will review aspects of the notation.

Closure
The teacher will close by discussing how during the next lesson the class will consider how the use of
different instrument families in Auld Lang Syne might affect its sound.

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

The teacher may include a short ear training or rhythmic exercise for students who struggle matching pitch or
rhythm.

Cross-curricular connections
Students will practice their reading skills as they learn the lyrics. The teacher will incorporate history and
geography when discussing the context of the melody.
 LESSON 5
Name: Katelyn Novak Date: 12/9/17

Lesson Title: Music Analysis by Instrumentation Grade/Level: 4th grade

Curriculum Standards Focus Question/Big Idea/Goal
Standard 6.1 Identify and classify, visually and Students will compare the use of instruments of
aurally, orchestral instruments individually and/or by various families in multiple arrangements of Auld
family. Lang Syne.
Standard 7.1 Devise and apply, with teacher guidance,
criteria for evaluating music and music performances.
Lesson Objective(s)
Students will observe the uses of instrument families in musical arrangements.
Students will express the impact various instrument families have on the mood and texture of the
arrangement.

Vocabulary/ Academic Language

Combination, musical texture, mood,

Questions for higher order thinking and assessment

How does the instrumentation of the musical arrangement change the mood and texture of the music?
Which arrangement do you prefer and why?
Why do composers and arrangers use a wide variety of instruments?

Assessment/Evaluation

Informal: The students will be informally assessed by their participation in the music family dance and the
singing of Auld Lang Syne.

Formal: The students will be formally evaluated through their written response to the prompt, Which is your
favorite instrument family combination for Auld Lang Syne and why? plus the picture depicting what the
music made them imagine.

Materials
Music clips, various arrangements of Auld Lang Syne, Auld Lang Syne sheet music, crayons, paper

Bell Ringer
Students will be asked their favorite instrument family and will be separated into groups around the room
according to their preference.

Anticipatory Set
As music clips play, whenever the students hear their chosen instrument family incorporated into the music,
they will come to the center of the room and dance. When their instrument family stops playing they will
return to their designated corner of the room. There will be multiple groups dance at once as music families
are combined the music.
Instruction
The teacher will play different arrangements of Auld Lang Syne that incorporate different combinations of
instruments. She will discuss how different combinations affect the musical texture and mood of the song.

Guided and Independent Practice

The student will then use dance to identify the instrument families used in the various arrangements, just as
in the anticipatory set. The teacher will ask which instrument family is used the most and which is used the
least.

The students will listen to the arrangements again and vote on their favorite. They will then be asked to
identify and list the instrument families included in that arrangement, write a sentence about why they chose
that arrangement, and then draw a picture of what that arrangement made them imagine.

Closure
The students will sing Auld Land Syne with the arrangement that received the most votes.

Adaptations to Meet Individual Needs

Students that are uncomfortable or incapable of dancing can use a form of Hokey-Pokey by putting out their
hand when they hear their designated instrument family.

Cross-curricular connections
Students will practice their writing skills while completing the written prompt.
 UNIT PLAN TEMPLATE
Name: Katelyn Novak Date: 11/29
Subject/Content: Music Grade Level: 4th grade
Curriculum Standards Unit Goals
Standard 1.1 Sing melodies in varied styles Students will identify the five families in
with accurate pitch and rhythm. which instruments are classified, specifically
Standard 5.1 Identify and explain symbols focusing on the visual similarities between the
represented in rhythm and melody. instruments within the various families.
Standard 5.2 Use symbols to read, notate and Students will identify the family in which
perform. instruments are classified, specifically focusing
Standard 5.3 Identify and interpret terms and on the sound produced by the instruments.
symbols referring to musicality. Students will identify the family in which
Standard 6.1 Identify and classify, visually and instruments are classified, specifically focusing
aurally, orchestral instruments individually on similarities in the method by which sound is
and/or by family. produced on various instruments.
Standard 7.1 Devise and apply, with teacher Students will sing Auld Lang Syne from
guidance, criteria for evaluating music and sheet music.
music performances. Students will compare the use of instruments
Standard 9.1 Describe and perform music of of various families in multiple arrangements of
various cultures and historical periods. Auld Lang Syne.

Activities Planned
Lesson One: Instrument Classification by Appearance
Teacher and Students will play What doesnt belong instrument classification game.
Students will play instrument family Go Fish
Lesson Two: Instrument Classification by Sound
Students will listen to samples of solo instruments from each instrument family.
Students will play Instrument Says dance game
Students will take a short listening quiz
Lesson Three: Instrument Classification by Sound Production
Students will watch the Pianos Guys Christmas video clip
Students will take a short sound production matching quiz
Students will create their own instrument from various materials.
Lesson Four: Melody: Auld Lang Syne
Students will learn to sing Auld Lang Syne
The teacher will discuss the historical and cultural context of Auld Lang Syne
Lesson Five: Music Analysis by Instrumentation
Students will compare different combinations of instrument families in arrangements of
Auld Lang Syne.
Students will use dance to signify the instrument families used in an arrangement.
Students will use writing and illustrating to describe their favorite arrangement of Auld
Lang Syne.
Assessment

Informal: Students will be assessed through the unit through question/answer sessions and
participation in discussions, games, and projects

Formal: Students will be assessed through two instrument classification quizzes, an instrument
design homework project, and a simple music arrangement analysis.