CTMS Cougar Band

Teacher:Tracey Redus, Jared Adams

Date(s): Feb. 6 - 10, 2012

Subject area / course / grade level: Beginning Band-6th Grade

TEKS/SEs:

 1C, 2B, 2C, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D

Lesson objective(s): To review basic music theory, to develop good posture, breathing habits, tone quality, and music reading literacy.

1. Breathing Exercises
2. Long Tones
3. Lip Slurs/Scale studies
4. Prepare Book lines quicker
5. Begin Section Solo
6. Begin Challenge Piece

ENGAGEMENT

·         Describe how the teacher will capture students’ interest. The students will play fun exercises that not only help them learn to play with quality but also teach them how to practice these things at home to become a better player.

·         What kind of questions should the students ask themselves after the engagement?

        1. Did I use enough air?
        2. Did I play with no mistakes?
        3. Was each note played with clarity? 

            4. Did I achieve the proper musical tone?  

EXPLORATION

·         Describe what hands-on/minds-on activities students will be doing.  Students will be working on flexibilty, breathing, warm-ups that help with tone and use of air.  They will also be working on scales which has a direct correlation to the music we play everyday in band.

·         List “big idea” conceptual questions the teacher will use to encourage and/or focus students’ exploration

               1. Why should we play with more air?
               2. How does sitting up help produce more air?
               3.  What is the number one quality a musician should be concerned about? (Tone, Rhythm, Articulation, etc.  Which one?

EXPLANATION

·         Student explanations should precede introduction of terms or explanations by the teacher. What questions or techniques will the teacher use to help students connect their exploration to the concept under examination?

Correct Posture                                                           Breathing together                                                   Correct Hand positions
Continuous use of air                                                    Articulation                                                             Dynamics
Full Sound

·         List higher order thinking questions which teachers will use to solicit student explanations and help them to justify their explanations.

            What makes a good tone? 

            How can we better prepare for the first note played?
            Why is it important to practice every night of the week?
            Why do we articulate notes?   

ELABORATION

·         Describe how students will develop a more sophisticated understanding of the concept.The students will have a better understanding of what a good tone is.  How to identify a good tone.  What it takes to make a good tone.

·         What vocabulary will be introduced and how will it connect to students’ observations?
Dynamics(pianissimo, forte, mezzo forte, mezzo piano, piano)
Articulation(legato, staccato, long lift, short lift, marcato)

·         How is this knowledge applied in our daily lives? Everything we do in music is about teamwork, productivity and dependability.  We count on each other to help make this a good sounding and playing unit.

EVALUATION

·         How will students demonstrate that they have achieved the lesson objective? They will play scales or excerpts given ahead of time on an individual basis so we can make notes and help them in their problem areas.

·         This should be embedded throughout the lesson as well as at the end of the lesson

Teacher: Jared Adams

Date(s):Feb. 6 - 10, 2012

Subject area / course / grade level: Symphonic Band

TEKS/SEs:

 1C, 2B, 2C, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D

Lesson objective(s):To prepare for UIL, Spring Semester, and High School for 8th graders.  Work on basic fundamentals throughout. Students will be able to recognize contrasting sections within a given piece.

1. Chisholm Trail Warm-Ups 
2. Articulation exercises
3.  Work on Fundamentals of Technique with Scales

4. Work on basic fundamentals (sound, breathing, rhythm)
5. Improve Listening Skills through tuning with Drone CD
6. Work on UIL music
7. Work as individuals on Solo and Ensemble Music

ENGAGEMENT

·         Describe how the teacher will capture students’ interest. By playing music that each has its own style, story, and specific characteristics. Describing contrasting sections with my voice by singing, clapping, and using syllables in the particular styles and rhythms.

·         What kind of questions should the students ask themselves after the engagement?

1. What style should each piece be played?
2. Am I using the right articulations?
3. Am I matching style of the melodies being passed around?
4. Am I using enough air?
5. Can I hear the melody? Am I the Melody? If not, what do I need to do? 

EXPLORATION

·         Describe what hands-on/minds-on activities students will be doing. * aside from normal playing, students clap rhythms, play rhythm sheets, articulation patterns, and long tone exercises.

·         List “big idea” conceptual questions the teacher will use to encourage and/or focus students’ exploration

1. What makes a band sound dark?
2. How do we blend and balance?
3. How do we articulate differently?
4. Why use a continuous flow of air?
5. Why tongue start each note?
6. How do we make a centered focused sound? 

EXPLANATION

·         Student explanations should precede introduction of terms or explanations by the teacher. What questions or techniques will the teacher use to help students connect their exploration to the concept under examination?
1. Correct embouchures and air production
2. knowing where the melody is and how to identify what  the melody is.
3. We articulate differently with each different style of a piece using certain syllables such as "dee" and "do"
4. we use enough air to sustain notes and enforce corrent pitch tendencies
·         List higher order thinking questions which teachers will use to solicit student explanations and help them to justify their explanations.

1. Did we all articulate the same? If not how do we fix it?
2. Are we in tune and in tone? 
3. Did we start and end the notes together?
4. Are we all sitting with good posture? What is good posture? Why does it help us play better?
5. Breathing-  Are we breathing together to play together? Air in and quickly back out.  

ELABORATION

·         Describe how students will develop a more sophisticated understanding of the concept.
1. Understanding dynamics and definitions of each dynamic level
2. tuning- are there waves between a notes within a section? How do we fix it?
3. Starting and ending notes together- Did we breathe together? Did we hold our breath before starting a note?
4. Posture- sitting straight and tall, feet flat, backs away from the back of the chairs, tall torso, tapping toes to the beat of the metronome

·         What vocabulary will be introduced and how will it connect to students’ observations?
1. Terms of articulation styles, dynamic levels and what each symbol means, Tempo markings, tone, tuning.
Students will identify each of these terms and reproduce those terms when asked questions or playing sections pertaining to the music

·         How is this knowledge applied in our daily lives?

It is applied in everyday language in class, playing each piece with reinforcement plus repetition of terms and concepts. 

EVALUATION

·         How will students demonstrate that they have achieved the lesson objective?
1. By demonstrating and understanding of concepts in the questions listed above in everyday playing

·         This should be embedded throughout the lesson as well as at the end of the lesson

Teacher:Tracey Redus

Date(s):Feb. 6 - 10, 2012

Subject area / course / grade level:Honor Band

TEKS/SEs:1C, 2B, 2C, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D

Lesson objective(s):To build on all of our successes this year, refine music for Honor Band taping

1. Chisholm Trail Warm-ups 

2. Articulation Studies
3. Tuning with the Harmony Dirctor.  
4. Play Chorales
6. Work on UIl Music
7. Work as individuals on Solo and Ensemble Music

ENGAGEMENT

·         Describe how the teacher will capture students’ interest. Each piece has a specfic style.  They also have their own story.  The students will be encouraged to research and share their findings as well as the information I give them.

·         What kind of questions should the students ask themselves after the engagement?

      1. Was I playing musically with my section?
      2. Is the band making a dark, rich sound? 

            3. What style should each piece be played?  
            4. Am I using enough air?
            5. Can I hear the melody?  If not, what do I need to do?

EXPLORATION

·         Describe what hands-on/minds-on activities students will be doing. Aside from our normal playing, they will also be singing parts, clapping parts, playing rhythm sheet in different articulation styles.

·         List “big idea” conceptual questions the teacher will use to encourage and/or focus students’ exploration

               1. What makes a band sound dark?
               2. How do we articulate differently?
               3. Why use a continuous flow of air? 

EXPLANATION

·         Student explanations should precede introduction of terms or explanations by the teacher. What questions or techniques will the teacher use to help students connect their exploration to the concept under examination?

·         List higher order thinking questions which teachers will use to solicit student explanations and help them to justify their explanations.

ELABORATION

·         Describe how students will develop a more sophisticated understanding of the concept.

·         What vocabulary will be introduced and how will it connect to students’ observations?

·         How is this knowledge applied in our daily lives?

EVALUATION

·         How will students demonstrate that they have achieved the lesson objective?

·         This should be embedded throughout the lesson as well as at the end of the lesson

Teacher:Stephen Roeder

Date(s): Feb. 6 - 10, 2012

Subject area / course / grade level:Percussion Ensemble

TEKS/SEs: 1C, 2B, 2C, 3B, 3C, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D

Lesson objective(s):To prepare upcoming concerts and District/Region Band auditions.  Both mallets and snare exercises.

1. Warm-up exercises 

2. Rudiments
3. Scales and mallet exercises
4. Percussion method books 
5. Work on Solo and Ensemble Music
6. Work on UIL music

ENGAGEMENT

·         Describe how the teacher will capture students’ interest. Much of what we do in percussion is continues vertically with the drum line at the High School.  The percussionist will spend time learning important rudiments that will help them get excited about future events.

·         What kind of questions should the students ask themselves after the engagement?

 1. Are the rhythms even?

       2. How is my stick height?
       3. Am I playing musically with dynamics?
       4. Am I being sensitive to the wind instruments in the band?  Not overpowering. 

EXPLORATION

·         Describe what hands-on/minds-on activities students will be doing.

·         List “big idea” conceptual questions the teacher will use to encourage and/or focus students’ exploration

EXPLANATION

·         Student explanations should precede introduction of terms or explanations by the teacher. What questions or techniques will the teacher use to help students connect their exploration to the concept under examination?

·         List higher order thinking questions which teachers will use to solicit student explanations and help them to justify their explanations.

ELABORATION

·         Describe how students will develop a more sophisticated understanding of the concept.

·         What vocabulary will be introduced and how will it connect to students’ observations?

·         How is this knowledge applied in our daily lives?

EVALUATION

·         How will students demonstrate that they have achieved the lesson objective?

·         This should be embedded throughout the lesson as well as at the end of the lesson