Overview and Background: Unit: Dynamics

Theresa Reinke : Cheney USD 268

Music : Music : Vocal Music

Cheney : Grades 0 - 12 : day : Aug. - May.

Title:	Dynamics
Topics:	differences between loud and soft in music, performing music, reading and notating music, listening to and analyzing music
Start Date:	-

Other Designers:

Summary:
Students will sing and perform music on instruments, alone and with others; read and notate music; listen to, analyze, and describe music; and understand music in relation to history and culture.

Print Materials Needed:
Sing "Toaster Time", "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt", Stoopin at the Window"; Listen to "Puisque tout passe" by Paul Hindemith, "La Comparsa" by Ernesto Lecuona

Resources:
Share the Music (2nd grade). McGraw-Hill, 1998.

Resource Attachments:	http://www.cheney268.com/ESMusic/Reinke/dynamicsunit.htm
Internet Resource Links:

Notes:

Stage 1: Identify Desired Results

State:	KS       1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9,
Title:	KMEA Content Standards for Music
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	Dynamics are the differences between loud and soft in music. When you add dynamics to a particular piece, it makes the music more interesting while listening as well as performing.

Essential Questions:
user	What are dynamics? Why should we perform dynamics? How do dynamics help create music?

Knowledge and Skills:

Know: the definition of dynamics; Italian names & definitions for dynamic symbols; decrescendo or diminuendo and crescendo, their symbols and definitions; categories of voices (whispering, speaking, singing, & shouting).

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.

Task/Prompt: Making Music

Type:Performance Task

Topics: Music

Summary:

Print Materials Needed:

Resources:

Resource Attachments:

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

Notes:

Student Directions:
You are musicians who have been asked to perform a musical work for a concert. Many of the people that will be attending the concert are not aware of the impact that dynamics has on music. Your job is to show them how important dynamics are. In your groups, perform a song using several different dynamic markings. Sing the words and also use classroom instruments of your choice to produce the dynamic changes (accompanied by the recorded music on CD). When you have completed and practiced your song together, you will perform it together for the concert.

Other assessment evidence to be collected:
Process check
	Other Evidence -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. -They will echo short rhythmic and melodic patterns back to me by clapping, singing, and playing classroom instruments. -They will complete a simple worksheet about dynamics (http://www.cheney268.com/ESMusic/Reinke/definethedynamics.htm). -They will identify dynamic symbols, definitions, and words on a test (http://www.cheney268.com/ESMusic/Reinke/dynamicsvocabularymatching.htm).

Stage 3: Plan Learning Experiences and Instruction

Learning Activities:

W
Brainstorm why the loudness or softness makes a difference in the music. Create a list of likes/dislikes and differences for each version. Discuss.

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.

E
Dynamics: 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.
How to recognize the degrees of dynamics used while listening to music.
How to notate the dynamic markings correctly on a song.
How to perform the dynamics that they read in music.
Be able to use common sense about where to apply certain dynamics. For example, a lullaby wouldn't use any fortissimo markings, and a march probably won't use many pianissimo markings.
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.
Sing "Toaster Time" (page 60-61), "John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt" (page 68-69), and "Stoopin at the Window" (page 73) using p and f. [Share the Music-2nd grade]
Listen to "Puisque tout passe" by Paul Hindemith (page 70-71), showing dynamic changes between loud and soft through bodily movements.
"La Comparsa" by Ernesto Lecuona (page 98-99), showing gradual changes (crescendo and decrescendo) with movements (moving hands together and apart).
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 (page 4).
They will identify dynamic symbols, definitions, and words on a test (page 5).

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.

End performance task
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.
They will complete a simple worksheet about dynamics (http://www.cheney268.com/ESMusic/Reinke/definethedynamics.htm).
They will identify dynamic symbols, definitions, and words on a test (http://www.cheney268.com/ESMusic/Reinke/dynamicsvocabularymatching.htm).