UDL Unit Plan Template

Teacher Candidate’s Name: Devan Whaley

Date Created: 9/25/2019

Content Area: 8th Grade Band

School: Random School Middle School

Grade Level: 8th Grade

Unit Title: A Classical Christmas

Total Time/Frequency and Duration of Lessons: Five One-Hour Lessons (In total it is the
accumulation of two months of lessons)

Michigan Academic Standards comprehensive of the unit: (include code and standard)
MU:Pr4.1.E.8a Select a varied repertoire to study based on music reading skills (where appropriate), an
understanding of formal design in the music, context, and the technical skill of the individual and ensemble.

MU:Pr4.2.E.5a Demonstrate, using music reading skills where appropriate, how the setting and formal
characteristics of musical works contribute to understanding the context of the music in prepared or
improvised performances.

MU:Pr4.3.E.8a Demonstrate understanding and application of expressive qualities in a varied repertoire of

music through prepared and improvised performances.

MU:Pr5.3.E.8a Develop strategies to address technical challenges in a varied repertoire of music and evaluate
their success using feedback from ensemble peers and other sources to refine performances.

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 (This is a skill about preparing for a performance, not one utilized in an actual performance so it will not be
present in the Final Evaluation Rubric)

MU:Pr6.1.E.8a Demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive qualities in prepared and
improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music representing diverse cultures and styles.

Performance Based Learning Objectives comprehensive of the unit:(By the end of Unit)
● Students will be able to:
o Play through Beethoven’s Fifth Christmas with 50% accuracy and 20 beats per minute(BPM)
under tempo

o Read conducting in one beat for African Bell Carol and play through with 50% accuracy 20
BPM under tempo

o Play through Canon for Christmas at tempo with 60% accuracy and 15 BPM under at measure
54 with 50% accuracy

o Play through Christmas at the Symphony at tempo with 60% accuracy for the first movement
and 50% accuracy for the second and third movements.

Guiding Questions:
● What keys does our band usually play in?
o How does this relate to what scales we play in warm-ups?
● Why would a composer ask us to play notes that aren’t in the key signature?
● Why would we start a piece on a beat other than beat one?

Knowledge of Students:
● What do you know about the students for whom the unit was designed including their backgrounds,
cultures, skills, language proficiency, interests, special needs, and approaches to learning?
● How do you know about your students?
● How has your knowledge of your students shaped this unit plan?

● Stacy is a tuba player. I have decided this because the tuba requires practicing, and since she has
problems with scheduling homework, and will be using an online calendar. I will ask for daily updates,

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 simply checking to see that her schedule has been updated at the end of each period. I also chose tuba
for her because in most scenarios, tuba players take one tuba home to leave at home, and one for
school. this is because a tuba takes entirely too much room on a bus, but in this case it means there is
no excuse not to practice.

● In this scenario I have Martin placed on bass clarinet. I presume that if he has a D in music, then he has
been not participating and failing his playing tests. He would have started out on clarinet but would
have been moved to bass clarinet as the fingerings are similar but the level of difficulty in embouchure
and rhythms are much lower.

● Martin has the freedom, at any point, to take his instrument into a practice room and for a sensory
break. He does not have to ask, he can simply go and return to the class when he feels comfortable, or
practice for a bit in the room, as most practice rooms are not soundproof I would be able to hear they
he is indeed playing.

● In this scenario I have Victor placed on baritone. He would have originally been placed on trumpet in
beginning band but with his lack of time management/practicing he cannot develop the embouchure
necessary to play the higher notes. Reading the T.C. Baritone music allows him to retain all of the same
fingerings but the instrument is easier to play as the mouthpiece is larger.

● I have placed Amora on the oboe. The oboe is a difficult instrument to learn as it is a double read, it
requires a lot of practicing and it is common to put your most dedicated student on it. Amora would
have been originally on clarinet, then moved to oboe in 7th grade.

● Victor and Amora are both class researchers. When others take playing tests the two of them have the
duty of researching something for the class. They will look up something of my choosing and when it is
their respective turn to do the playing test they can tell me about what they learned. They will submit a
video of them doing their playing tests via email before the next class. All students already have the
option to send in their playing tests via email, but students who aren’t the Class Researchers have to
submit it the day before, while class Researchers have until the day after.

● I have decided this for two reasons:

o Victor will not have the chance to fail in a playing test and shut down if his playing tests are
online and he can retry as much as he likes.

o Amora’s playing tests will probably be perfect every time, and she is interested in history. This
way she can focus on something she finds enjoyable.

● The questions I will have them answering/facts to look up are the following, or variations of the
following:

o Why is it called Beethoven’s Fifth Christmas? Tell me about the life of Beethoven and what
made this piece significant.

o What is Pachelbel’s canon commonly used for ceremonially today?

o What pieces are in Christmas at the Symphony? One is from a special type of dance, which one
is it and what is the dance?

● Ismael was placed on the trumpet. This is an instrument that cuts above the rest of the band, and allows
me to know if he understood me or not based on his playing. It is technically possible to hide in an
ensemble while playing the trumpet, but it is noticeable when it is absent.

● I will place notes on all of the important things in the classroom with the names of objects in English and

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 Spanish such as:

o Instrument names, valve oil, chair, music stand, key signature, measure, “count”, numbers.

● Before lessons I will provide Ismael with a vocabulary sheet with translations of the titles of the songs,
instrument names, and other vocab words relative to the lesson such as: clef, key, sharp/flat, etc.

● I know rudimentary Spanish that would get me through what he is generally asking about, but I would
prefer if a translator were in the classroom. If not I could leave my computer open to translate whenever
we have a problem.

Bibliography of Resources:
● [Alfred Music Concert Band]. (2016, October 4th). African Bell Carol(for Percussion and Winds), arr.
Robert W. Smith-Score and Sound. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPmLc4vaXlg

● [Alfred Music Concert Band]. (2019, August 30th). Beethoven’s Fifth Christmas, arr. Michael Story-
Score and Sound. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PIUURT--Kw

● [Alfred Music Concert Band]. (2017, April 28th). Christmas at the Symphony, arr. Michael Story-Score
and Sound. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFndurQTluc

● [Carl Fischer Music]. (2015, September 18th). Canon for Christmas (YPS148) by Larry Clark. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckZFn5ksC28

● Clark, L. (Arranger). Canon for Christmas. [Sheet Music]. Carl Fischer LLC.

● [J. Jay]. (2018, December). Carol of the Bells-Trans-Siberian Orchestra -Higher Quality. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCabI3MdV9g

● [L'Orchestra Cinématique]. (2018, November 28th). Deck the Halls-Epic Version| Christmas Songs.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=PukaXiro9xM&list=PLkmghnJPShXRSGkMXy4FHfZ_7fRsWqYhT&index=14

● [L'Orchestra Cinématique]. (2018, December 12th). Little Drummer Boy-Epic Version| Christmas
Songs. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqYT48o4HtM

● [RHINO]. (2018, December). Trans-Siberian Orchestra -Christmas Canon (Official Music Video).
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cP26ndrmtg

● Smith, R. (Arranger). African Bell Carol. [Sheet Music]. Alfred Publishing Company Inc.

● Story, M. (Arranger). Christmas at the Symphony. [Sheet Music]. Alfred Publishing Belwin Division

● Williams, M. (Arranger). Beethoven’s Fifth Christmas. [Sheet Music]. Alfred Music Publishing.

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Notes: The Summative Assessment is the final performance that the band will be playing for the
Christmas Concert.

Regarding the Summative Assessment:

● Alignment: comprehensive of the unit’s guiding questions, standards, and objectives
● Design: chosen format is appropriately authentic and rigorous, looks professional, and is ready for
student implementation
● Criterion: clear, appropriate, and measurable; and answer key and/or rubric is included with a
“minimum cut score” indicated

Regarding Conventions:
● Professionalism is reflected in accurate spelling, capitalization, punctuation, paragraphing, and
sentence structure.