Overview and Background: Unit: Dynamic Demonstrations

Theresa Walker : Cheney USD 268

Art, Drama, Music. : Art, Drama, Music. : Art, Drama, Music.

Cheney : Grades 4 - 4 : Aug. - Jun.

Title:	Dynamic Demonstrations
Topics:	Music, Dynamics, Performance
Time Frame:	5-8 days of 20-25 minute sessions
Start Date:	-

Other Designers:

Summary:
This unit focuses on recognizing dynamics in music (hearing, seeing, writing, and performing them).

Print Materials Needed:
Music that you have been singing together in class recently.

Resources:
Kamien, Roger. Music: An Appreciation. McGraw-Hill Co. New York. 1996.
Share the Music-2nd grade. McGraw-Hill School Division. New York. 1998.

Resource Attachments:

Internet Resource Links:

Notes:

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results

State:	KS
Title:
Standard(s):	1.Singing, alone and with others. 2.Performing on instruments, alone and with others. 5.Reading and notating music.6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music. 7.Evaluating music and music performances. 9.Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Understandings:
user	Musical elements are combined in various ways to create different sounds and shapes (overarching understanding).
user	When you add dynamics to a piece, it makes the music more interesting while listening as well as performing (unit understanding).

Essential Questions:
user	What are dynamics?
user	Why should we perform dynamics?

Knowledge and Skills:

K
-The definition of dynamics.

-The Italian names and definitions for each dynamic symbol or abbreviation (pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff).

-The gradual changes in dynamics are called decrescendo or diminuendo and crescendo along with their corresponding symbols and definitions.

-About the composer Paul Hindemith.

-The difference between the four categories of voices (whispering, speaking, singing, & shouting).

S
The letters and numbers in front of each of these are the MENC Content Standards broken down into Achievement Standards:
1b. Students sing expressively, with appropriate dynamics, phrasing, and interpretation.

1e. Student sings in groups, blending vocal timbres, matching dynamic levels.

2a. Students perform on pitch, in rhythm, with appropriate dynamics and timbre, and maintain a steady tempo.

2b. Students perform easy rhythmic, melodic, and chordal patterns accurately and independently on rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic classroom instruments.

2d. Students echo short rhythms and melodic patterns.

2e. Students perform in groups, blending instrumental timbres, matching dynamic levels, and responding to the cues of a conductor.

5a. Students read whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meter signatures.

5b. Students use a system (that is, syllables, numbers, or letters) to read simple pitch notation in the treble clef in major keys.

5c. Students identify symbols and traditional terms referred to dynamics, tempo, and articulation and interpret them correctly when performing.

5d. Students use standard symbols to notate meter, rhythm, pitch, and dynamics in simple patterns presented by the teacher.

6c. Students use appropriate terminology in explaining music, music notation, music instruments and voices, and music performances.

6e. Students respond through purposeful movement to selected prominent music characteristics or to specific music events while listening to music.

7a. Students devise criteria for evaluating performances and compositions.

7b. Students explain, using appropriate music terminology, their personal preferences for specific musical works and styles.

9d. Students identify and describe roles of musicians in various music settings and cultures.

9e. Students demonstrate audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed.

Stage 2: Determine Acceptable Evidence

Assessment Summary:
The students will work in their cooperative learning groups to perform a song using several different dynamic markings. They will sing the words and also use classroom instruments of their choice to produce the dynamic changes (accompanied by the recorded music on CD). When they have completed and practiced their song together, they will perform it together for the rest of the class.
Key Criteria
They will perform their End Performance Task as described below, and I will grade it according to a rubric that the students and I have created together in class (including creativity, appropriate usage, performance, written directions, team work).

Task/Prompt: Performance Task:

Type:Performance Task

Topics: Musical Performer

Summary:
The students will work in their cooperative learning groups to perform a song using several different dynamic markings. They will sing the words and also use classroom instruments of their choice to produce the dynamic changes (accompanied by the recorded music on CD). When they have completed and practiced their song together, they will perform it together for the rest of the class.

Print Materials Needed:
Several songs recently sung together in class (copies for them to write on dynamic changes).

Resources:
An assortment of classroom instruments for the students to use while performing the songs.

Resource Attachments:

Internet Resource Links:
Link 1:
Link 2:
Link 3:
Link 4:
Link 5:

State:	KS       1,2,5,7,9
Title:	Music
Standard(s):	1e. Student sings in groups, blending vocal timbres, matching dynamic levels. 2a. Students perform on pitch, in rhythm, with appropriate dynamics and timbre, and maintain a steady tempo. 2b. Students perform easy rhythmic, melodic, and chordal patterns accurately and independently on rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic classroom instruments. 2e. Students perform in groups, blending instrumental timbres, matching dynamic levels, and responding to the cues of a conductor. 5a. Students read whole, half, dotted half, quarter, and eighth notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meter signatures. 5b. Students use a system (that is, syllables, numbers, or letters) to read simple pitch notation in the treble clef in major keys. 5c. Students identify symbols and traditional terms referred to dynamics, tempo, and articulation and interpret them correctly when performing. 5d. Students use standard symbols to notate meter, rhythm, pitch, and dynamics in simple patterns presented by the teacher. 7a. Students devise criteria for evaluating performances and compositions. 7b. Students explain, using appropriate music terminology, their personal preferences for specific musical works and styles. 9e. Students demonstrate audience behavior appropriate for the context and style of music performed.

Notes:
The students are all going to be evaluating the other group's performances. So, make an overhead of the rubric to remind the students how they are evaluating their peers.

Student Directions:
You are a musical performer. Decide where and who you are playing for. You will need to choose several instruments as well as a song that we have recently sung in class. You want your audience to be attentive to your performance, so you will need to present it with several dynamic changes. Write down the appropriate markings in the music and then perform it with the altered changes. The rest of the class will evaluate your performance in their groups by writing down the dynamic levels they believe you were performing during the song, and we will discuss it together.

Other assessment evidence to be collected:
Selected Response/Short-answer test/quiz
	-They will complete a simple worksheet about dynamics. -They will identify dynamic symbols, definitions, and words on a test.
Process check
	-They will respond to dynamics by creating movements with their bodies while listening to specific music examples. One way they can show dynamics is by either having their hands close together or arms spread wide to demonstrate the varying degrees of sound.
Product check
	-They will echo short rhythmic and melodic patterns back to me by clapping, singing, and playing classroom instruments.

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Learning Activities:

W
The four categories of our voices: whispering, speaking, singing, & shouting.
How to sing and play instruments loudly and softly.
How to describe specific music examples they encounter.
How to appropriately behave during performances.
H
Have them sing a song as loudly as they can. (You may need earplugs, but they will enjoy this part!) Then have them sing the same song as softly as they possibly can. Create a list of likes/dislikes and differences for each version. Discuss.
E
Have them listen to several pieces of music. Stand (or march around the room) when it is loud and crouch down (or "float" around the room) when the music has a soft spot. In the middle dynamics, have them simply walk. They could also create their own movements appropriate for the dynamics they hear (depending on the song). Another way to show dynamics is by either having their hands close together or arms spread wide to demonstrate the varying degrees of sound.
They will learn that dynamics are the degrees of loudness or softness in music; related to the amplitude of the vibration that produces the sound; gradual increases in loudness often create excitement, and vice versa. They will also be able to use common sense about where to apply certain dynamics. For example, a lullaby wouldnít use any fortissimo markings, and a march probably wonít use many pianissimo markings.
Sing ìToaster Timeî by Eve Merriam (p60-61), ìJohn Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidtî (p68-69), and ìStoopiní at the Windowî (p73) using p and f.
Listen to ìPuisque tout passÈî by Paul Hindemith (p70-71), showing dynamic changes between loud and soft through bodily movements.
ìLa Comparsaî by Ernesto Lecuona (p98-99) showing gradual changes (crescendo and decrescendo) with movements (moving hands together and apart).[Share the Music-2nd grade]
The students will work together in a group to create their own band (with instruments) in a parade that sounds like it is coming up, passing by, and fading away using dynamic changes (including crescendo and decrescendo).
The students will echo short rhythmic and melodic patterns back to me by clapping, using all four voices, and playing classroom instruments. This could be an activity for the whole class, or it could be used as an individual assessment.
They will complete a simple worksheet about the degrees of dynamics.
They will identify dynamic symbols, definitions, and words on a test.
R
They will rethink the dynamic variations to use for the song before they perform it, remembering who is in their audience and what they want them to hear through their particular interpretation of the music.
E
The students will work in their cooperative learning groups to perform a song using several different dynamic markings. They will sing the words and also use classroom instruments of their choice to produce the dynamic changes (accompanied by the recorded music on CD). They will complete, practice, and perform it for the class.