Unit+Plan

 =**Unit Title: ** Spirituals=

Teacher name:
Cindy Gregg

Email address:
orffteacher1@verizon.net

School and District:
Washington Park Intermediate School, Washington School District, Washington, PA 15301



Title of unit:
African-American Music 

**Overview:**
During our unit on traditional Spirituals and code songs, the students will communicate the anguish of the slaves in the Pre-Civil War Era through their use of original stories, narrations, verses, and improvised melodies. The culminating activity will be a brief performance of their work for the fourth grade music classes.

Time needed to complete the unit:
One 9 week grading period, on a 6 day rotation-approximately eight 40 minute classes.

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Big idea:
Artistic expression not only reflects one's emotional life, but it can also serve as a means of communication.

Essential question(s):

 * What is communication?
 * What was the relevance of the African American songs to the slaves in the years immediately preceding the Civil War?
 * Why did the slaves use various types of songs to communicate these ideas?
 * Is it possible to communicate different messages with the same words?
 * Why might communication be important to slaves and slave owners?
 * Why did the plantation owners not realize that some of these songs had hidden meanings?

Summative Task:
The fifth grade students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of African-American code songs and their feelings of desperation or hope by writing songs, verses, and narrations to be used in a brief program for the fourth grade classes that will also include student performances of traditional songs from the Pre-Civil War period.



Grade: 5

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Performance ** ||= ||= Advanced:


 * The trials and tribulations of the slaves are expressively communicated through creative and innovative songs, narrations, verses, a play, and pentatonic improvisatons.**

Complementary phrases are improvised on the Orff instruments, correctly utilizing the pentatonic scale and the designated number of beats in a question and answer style that can clearly be heard by the listener. ||= **<span style="font-size: 200%; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Proficient: **


 * The trials and tribulations of the slaves are subtly communicated through the singing of traditional African-American songs and by playing simple Orff accompaniments.**

The Orff instruments are used to improvise a pentatonic phrase, employing the correct number of steady beats, and ending on the tonic. ||= <span style="font-size: 200%; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Basic:


 * The trials and tribulations of the slaves are communicated through limited participation in the program.**

The Orff instruments are used to play a simple bordun pattern and to maintain a steady beat. ||= **<span style="font-size: 115%; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Below Basic: **

The trials and tribulations of the slaves are barely communicated, are off-task, and inappropriate, with inaccurate pitches, poor diction, and incorrect rhythm patterns.

The bordun pattern is unsteady or erratic during the performance. ||

<span style="font-size: 75%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">**(APPLICATION)** || The students will recognize, know, and demonstrate a variety of appropriate art elements and principles to produce, review, and revise original works in the arts.
 * **<span style="font-size: 150%; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">PA Academic Standards: ** || **<span style="font-size: 150%; font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Content Indicators: **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(KNOW and UNDERSTAND) ** || **<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Process Indicators: **
 * 9.1.5 B

9.2.5 A The students will be able to explain the historical, cultural, and social context of an individual work in the arts || (1) After reading about the underground railroad and the life of Harriet Tubman, the students will have a better understanding about the roots and many of the hardships faced by the African-American slaves, as well as syncopated patterns, pentatonic melodies, call and response songs, and be able to explain the role of the spirituals in their daily lives. || (1a) The students will paraphrase the reading of Harriet Tubman for a partner.

(1b) The students will discuss the meanings of the verses of the songs.

(1c) The students will cite examples of syncopation within the songs and play pentatonic phrases.

(1d) The students will echo rhythms using body percussion and vocal melodies, then they will transfer this knowledge to echo phrases on the percussion and Orff instruments. || The students will recognize, know, and demonstrate a variety of appropriate art elements and principles to produce, review, and revise original works in the arts. || (2) The students will demonstrate their understanding of simple borduns, chord structures, and repeated patterns by identifying and playing them on the instruments. || (2) The students will play borduns and chords on the Orff instruments, resonator bells, and boomwhackers. || The students will know and use the elements and principles of music to create works in the arts and humanities. || (3) The students will demonstrate their understanding of the structure of the pentatonic scale and its importance in improvisation by playing simple pentatonic phrases. || (3a) The students will play the pentatonic scales and tonic and dominant chords on the Orff instruments in a variety of keys.
 * 9.1.5 B
 * 9.1.5 A

(3b) The students will improvise pentatonic melodies to simple questions on the Orff instruments: What is your name? Where do you live? What is your phone number? What is your favorite food/dessert?

(3c) The students will continue to practice their improvisations within a 4 beat, then an 8 beat phrase structure.

(3d) The students will practice question (me) and answer (them) phrases to end on the tonic.

(3e) The students will play tonic and dominant cadences of the Orff instruments by practicing question and answer phrases with a partner. || The students will identify, explain, and analyze common themes, forms, and techniques from works in the arts. || (4) The students will demonstrate their knowledge of the form of "The Ballad of the Underground Railroad" by analyzing its new and repeated sections. || (4a)The students will sing the A section of the Ballad.
 * 9.2.5 L

(4b) The students will listen to the recording and raise their hands or clap the off beat to signify the recurrence of the A section.

(4c) The students will analyze the Ballad by listening for other songs/sections within this piece and by writing the corresponding letters.

(4d) The students will review "Wade in the Water"and "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd" and sing one of the partner songs with their assigned group.

(4e) The students will count the number of repetitions of the chordal phrase, then break into groups to sing and play the harmony of the chords on the Orff instruments, resonator bells, and boomwhackers. || The students will recognize, know, and demonstrate a variety of appropriate art elements and principles to produce, review, and revise original works in the arts. || (5) The students will demonstrate their knowledge of several traditional African-American songs by singing and comparing and contrasting the methods of communication. || (5a) The students will sing some of the Spirituals that were learned earlier in the year.
 * 9.1.5 B

(5b) The students will sing "Wade in the Water," "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd," "Underground Railroad," and other African-American songs. || The students will demonstrate after reading understanding and interpretation of both fiction and nonfiction text.
 * 1.1.5 G

1.2.5 A The students will read and understand essential content of informational texts and documents in all academic areas. || (1) The students will demonstrate the knowledge about the roots and hardships of African-American slaves, syncopated patterns, pentatonic melodies, call and response songs, and the role of the spirituals in their daily lives through large and small group discussions, writing narrations, plays, verses, and songs.

(2) The students will read an article for homework about a topic related to the Underground Railroad, Harriet Tubman, or life on the plantations, and discuss it in class. || (1a) The students will see the Reading Rainbow video of "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd" and discuss the significance of Peg Leg, the escapees' silence, the safe houses,etc., within small groups, while pondering a group question facillitated by the teacher.

(1b)The students will read about Harriet Tubman and summarize her plight with a small group of students.

(1c) Some classes/ groups of students will write a short play to act out the life of Harriet Tubman.

(1d) Some students will work together in small ensembles to write new verses or songs.

(1e) The other students will write narratives to tell of the plight of the enslaved African-Americans. || The students will acquire a reading vocabulary by correctly identifying and using words. || (2) The students will illustrate their knowledge of the meanings of several traditional African-American songs by identifying terms associated with the underground railroad.. || (2a) The students will sing some of the Spirituals that we did earlier in the year and compile a list of terms used in the songs that held special significance to the slaves.
 * 1.1.5 E

(2b) The students will learn to sing "Wade in the Water," "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd," "Underground Railroad," and other African-American songs and add to their list of terms. || Students will write multi-paragraph informational pieces. || (3) The students will demonstrate their understanding of why the songs were written and sung through their narrations, plays, songs, and discussions. || (3) Students will write narratives, songs, and plays to describe the plight of the enslaved African-Americans. || =<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> =
 * 1.4.5 B
 * 1.6.5 E Participate in small and large group discussions and presentations. || ( 4) After modeling group discussions about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, the students will understand how to successfully participate in their small/large group discussions to communicate the feelings and hardships of the slaves. || (4) After modeling group discussions about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad, the students will articulate the opinions and ideas about the hardships that were faced before and during the slaves' escape. ||

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Teacher materials needed: **

 * CD player and CDs of various African-American songs..
 * Orff Instruments (xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels)
 * Book about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad.
 * Reading Rainbow VCR tape, "Follow the Drinkin Gourd"
 * Old Macmillan Fifth Grade Book for "Wade in the Water."
 * Download Mose Hogan's arrangement of "Wade in the Water" and "Green Sally Up."
 * http://cgregg.wikispaces.com/Spiritual+Music+Selections
 * Teacher-made questions for small group discussions.

=<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> =

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Student materials needed: **

 * Fifth Grade Spotlight on Music Book
 * Boomwhackers
 * Individual tone/resonator bells
 * Orff Instruments
 * Vocabulary worksheets

=<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> =

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Unit vocabulary:
code songs, pentatonic, call and response, partner songs, Harriet Tubman, Underground Railroad, conductor, Moses, form, Drinkin Gourd, cut time, //a cappella//, improvise, ballad, chord structure, coda, //dal segno//, first and second endings, Big Dipper, tonic and dominant chords

**Unit warm-up:**

 * Review "In That Great Git'n Up Mornin'" and review call and response.
 * Read the "Story of the Underground Railroad" and discuss the story.

**Assessing Prior Knowledge**:

 * Verbal Pre-Test to determine historical understanding
 * Previously introduced musical vocabulary

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;"> =**<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Lesson 1 **=

**Topic:** "Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho"
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**Instruction:**

 * The students will listen to the song.
 * The students will discuss the historical significance of the song.
 * The students will learn the refrain.
 * The students will learn about syncopation and identify the syncopated patterns within the song.
 * The students will play the Orff instruments on the A section and Coda.
 * The students will learn the verses.

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**Formative assessment:**
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 * The teacher will observe the students' analyzation of the form by raising their hand when the A section occurs.
 * The teacher will monitor the students as they sing and /or play instruments on the A section.
 * The teacher will observe the students' participation.

**Accommodations for Special Learners**

 * Students will use boomwhackers or individual tone/resonator bells to keep a beat on the A section.
 * They will receive preferential seating.
 * They will have peer assistance.
 * They will receive clear and concise instructions.
 * They will be given additional time to perform the tasks.

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**Accommodations for Gifted Learners**
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 * The students will work, during Orff Ensemble, to improvise a simple eight beat phrase on the Orff instruments and extend the phrase into question and answer phrases, ending on the dominant and tonic.
 * The students will work in small groups to write additional verses to the song.

**Unit accommodations for ESL students:**

 * The students will sing call and response songs.
 * The students will sing the word "Jericho" and play the syncopated pattern.
 * They will be given a list of vocabulary words.
 * They will have a peer tutor.

**Instruction:**

 * The students will watch the Reading Rainbow VCR tape, "Follow the Drinkin Gourd," and discuss the video in small groups.
 * The students will learn to sing the song's refrain.
 * The students will learn the verses, reviewing the meaning of the words.
 * The students will review cut time and syncopation, as used in this song.
 * Later, students will add a bordun to the A section.

=**Formative assessment:**=
 * The teacher will monitor and confer with small groups of students during their discussions concerning the hardships the slaves faced on the plantation and the difficulties that were encountered during their exodus.
 * The teacher will observe as the students raise their hand to signify the singing of the refrain.
 * The teacher will observe as the students sing and/or play repeated patterns and borduns on the Orff/ resonator bells/ boomwhacker instruments.
 * The teacher will monitor and confer with the students as they begin to write their narrations about the trials and tribulations of the slaves.

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**Accommodations for Special Learners**

 * Students will use boomwhackers or individual tone bells to keep a beat on the verse.
 * They will receive preferential seating.
 * They will have peer assistance.
 * They will receive clear and concise instructions.
 * They will be given additional time to complete their assignment.

=**Accommodations for Gifted Learners**=
 * The students will continue to practice pentatonic improvisations on the Orff instruments.
 * The students will work in small groups to write additional verses to the song and, perhaps, to write a play about the hardships that were faced during the slaves' escape.

=**Unit accommodations for ESL students:**=
 * The students will play the simple bordun.
 * The students will sing the phrase "follow the drinkin' gourd."

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**Instruction:**

 * The students will listen to the CD, "Wade in the Water," and discuss the style.
 * The students will listen to the recorded arrangement and compare and contrast the two styles.
 * The students will learn to sing the refrain.
 * The students will learn the verses, reviewing the meaning of the words.
 * The students will review syncopation, as used in this song.
 * The students will add a bordun to the A section.
 * The students will review the pentatonic scale and how it is employed in this song.
 * The students will echo clap, then improvise the rhythms, using the pentatonic scale on the Orff instruments.

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**Formative assessment:**

 * The teacher will monitor and offer suggestions during the students' discussions comparing and contrasting the two arrangements.
 * The teacher will observe the students' ability to analyze the form by snapping the beat to the A section.
 * The teacher will monitor the students' abitlity to sing the refrain, play the Orff instruments, and/or improvise, using a pentatonic scale.
 * The teacher will listen for students who will be able to sing the solo parts.

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**Accommodations for Special Learners**

 * Students will use boomwhackers or individual tone bells to keep a steady beat on the refrain.
 * They will receive preferential seating.
 * They will have peer assistance.
 * They will receive clear and concise instructions.
 * They will be given additional time to complete the task.

=**Accommodations for Gifted Learners**=
 * The students will improvise a simple eight beat phrase on the Orff instruments and extend the phrase into question and answer phrases.
 * The students will work in small groups to write additional verses to the song.
 * The students will sing the solo parts for the verses, perhaps creating their own verses.

=**Unit accommodations for ESL students:**=
 * The students will sing call and response songs and play the simple bordun.
 * The students will sing the phrase "wade in the water."
 * They will be given a list of vocabulary words, prior to the lesson, through their ESL teacher.
 * They will be given additional time to complete the task.

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**Instruction:**

 * The students will listen to "The Ballad of the Underground Railroad."
 * The students will sing the A section.
 * The students will sing the refrain for "Follow the Drinkin' Gourd" and "Wade in the Water" and try to sing as partner songs.
 * The students will read about Harriet Tubman, and discuss her plight.
 * The students will learn the verses, reviewing the meaning of the words.
 * The students will review syncopation and the pentatonic scale, as used in this song.
 * The students will add a bordun to the A section.
 * The students will learn about chords and chord structure, paying particular attention to the terracing of the notes.
 * The students will observe the D.S. and musical "road" signs.

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**Formative assessment:**

 * The teacher will observe the students' analyzation of the form by their raising of hands each time that the refrain is sung, or by their ability to clap the off beats on the repeated section.
 * The teacher will observe as the students follow the musical symbols of the song.
 * The teacher will monitor the students' discussion about Harriet Tubman's life and confer with the groups as they continue to write their narrations concerning the trials and tribulations that faced the slaves.

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**Accommodations for Special Learners**
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 * The students will be partnered with a more proficient reader to help them follow the music.
 * The students will be able to sing the A section each time that it returns.
 * They will receive preferential seating.
 * They will receive clear and concise instructions.
 * The learning support teachers will discuss this topic further during social studies.
 * The students will be given additional time to complete the assignment.
 * The students will work with their Learning Support teachers to write 3-4 sentences about what they learned.
 * The teacher will supply a word bank.

**Accommodations for Gifted Learners**

 * The students will continue to polish their improvisations on the Orff instruments and extend the phrases into question and answer phrases.
 * The students will work in small groups to write additional verses to one of the songs.
 * The students will work in small groups to write additional sections to "The Underground Railroad."
 * The students will write a brief play about Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad and act it out.

=**Unit accommodations for ESL students:**=
 * The students will sing and clap the beat on the refrain.
 * Prior to the lesson, the students will be given a list of vocabulary words to work with their ESL teacher.
 * They will be given additional time to complete the assignment.

Review

 * Instruction:**
 * The students will review the songs and the accompaniments.
 * The students will write a brief synopsis about what they learned during this Unit.

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**Accommodations for Special Learners**

 * The students will work with their Learning Support teachers to write 3-4 sentences about what they learned.
 * The teacher will supply a word bank.
 * The students will be given additional time to complete the assignment.

=**Accommodations for Gifted Learners**=
 * The students will improvise a simple eight beat phrase on the Orff instruments and extend the phrase into question and answer phrases.
 * The students will work, during Orff Ensemble, to practice their improvisations.
 * The students will work in small groups to write additional verses to one, or more, of the songs.
 * The students will work with me to select the best written papers and to organize them into a cohesive program.

=**Unit accommodations for ESL students:**=
 * The students will sing as much as they can, and play simple borduns.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">

<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Unit accommodations for students not proficient on Summative Task:
=<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif;">Unit Enrichments: = = = =**Unit Reflection:**=
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Students will sing repeated sections and play simple borduns.
 * Students will participate in other ways, such as passing out programs, helping with instrumental organization (moving to and from the auditorium, seeing that each instrument has the proper mallets, etc)
 * Students who are artistically talented will design posters announcing the program.
 * The students will improvise a simple eight beat phrase on the Orff instruments and extend the phrase into question and answer phrases.
 * The students will write the narrations for a program.
 * The students will design the cover for the program.
 * The students will work in small groups to write additional verses to one or more of the songs.
 * The students will write and act out a play to communicate some of the hardships of the slaves prior to the Civil War.
 * The students will organize an African-American music program for the fourth grade, sequencing the order of the selections, and inviting the fourth grade classes.
 * They will assign readers to each of the narrations and practice these in the auditorium with the narrator.

This lesson is designed to be presented in January and February for Black History Month. Portions of this lesson were taught to this year's fifth grade students who sang many of the songs that are listed. Most of the classes played the borduns on the refrains, while my Orff ensemble improvised musical pentatonic phrases as warm-up exercises for their enrichment class. Furthermore, all of the students analyzed the "Underground Railroad." The majority of classes saw the "Drinkin' Gourd" video and read about Harriet Tubman. Because of time constraints and other programs for which my students were preparing, in some of the classes, the students merely made one oral statement about what they learned. Next year, however, I would like to teach this unit as written and present the program to the fourth grade classes. Due to the fact that I will only see these students three more classes, at best, and rumor has it that this will be their final general music class (ever), I am frantically presenting everything that I feel is necessary to know before graduation. Consequently, I regret that I cannot afford to take time to reteach or videotape any of the fifth grade classes for this unit. = =

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=See Partner Grant = = =