Alexandra Bruder

MUS 149
April 8, 2020

High School Music Appreciation Class; “The Moon” Rhythm Activity

Section 1: Essential Questions & Standards

Essential Questions ● How can we identify rhythms through composed text?
How are we learning?
(Element, not
concept!)

Standards MU:Cr1.1.C.IIa Describe and demonstrate how sounds and musical

What is the ideas can be used to represent sonic events, memories, visual
framework for our images, concepts, texts, or storylines.
learning outcome? MU:Re9.1.C.IIa Explain the effectiveness of the technical and
expressive aspects of selected music and performances,
demonstrating understanding of music theory as well as
compositional techniques and procedures.
MU:Cn11.0.IIa Demonstrate understanding of relationships between
music and the other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts,
and daily life.
MU:Pr6.1.C.IIa Share live or recorded performances of works (both
personal and others’), and explain how the elements of music
and compositional techniques are used to convey intent.

Section 2: Learning Outcomes

Learning 1. The students will create note durations based on texts that they
Outcomes have made and explain their reasoning.
How are we relating 2. Students will use their prior knowledge of note durations to give
the standards to the emphasis to the text based on syllables and syllabic stress.
lesson? 3. Students will connect their knowledge of these rhythms to outside
“Students will…” examples through an exit slip (question #1).
4. Students will perform their composition against their text and
discuss intent in an exit slip (question #2).

Section 3: Materials, Vocabulary, & Prerequisites

Materials ⮚ A black/whiteboard
⮚ Laptop attached to projector (optional)

Glossary of Terms ⮚ Note Duration: The length of time that a note is sounded.
& Abbreviations o Duration. (2016, May 24). Retrieved April 7, 2020, from
http://dictionary.onmusic.org/terms/1254-duration
⮚ Whole Note: The whole note is the longest music note in general
use today. The duration of the whole note is 4 quarter notes.
 ⮚ Half Note: The half note duration is 2 quarter notes. 1 half note is
worth 2 beats (in 4/4 timing).
⮚ Quarter Note: The quarter note has become the de facto
standard 1 beat music note.
⮚ Eighth Note: The eighth note is worth ½ of a Quarter note.
o Music Note Values. (2013). Retrieved April 7, 2020, from
https://www.essential-music-theory.com/music-
note.html
⮚ Triplet: Three notes of equal length that are to be performed in
the duration of two notes of equal length.
o Triplet. (2016, May 11). Retrieved April 7, 2020, from
http://dictionary.onmusic.org/terms/3690-triplet

Previous Learning ⮚ Students have spent a few weeks with note durations, rhythms,
/ Context and meter.
Topic students have
obtained earlier.

Section 4: Procedures
“Catch A Story” 1) The teacher will take the time before class to write these
phrases and their note durations on the board, as close to the
top as possible:

2) The teacher will say each example while pointing to the note
durations, and then ask the students to say the examples when
the teacher points to one (go through each one at least once).
3) The teacher will then ask the students why (or why not) they
think each note duration works for the examples (“why do we
use a triplet for the word galaxy?”)
a. Reasonings can include, but are not limited to, number of
syllables or syllabic stress (ex. “We put stress on the
word ‘moon’ instead of ‘the’, so the note duration is
longer” or “the word’ galaxy’ has three syllables spoken
close together which can make it a triplet”)
4) After this discussion, the teacher will have students stand in a
circle while explaining the first game.
 5) The teacher will explain that they will create a story together
using only one word per person, going around the circle
starting on the right of the teacher.
a. If students need more explanation, give a trial run where
the first five people play the game before moving
forward onto the “The Moon” version.
6) The teacher will give the first two words “The Moon”. From
there, the teacher will step out of the circle to turn to their
electronic device (laptop with projection to board) and type the
words each student adds to the story.
a. Worry about punctuation later, and don’t change words
for grammar-- the story is what it is!
b. (If a laptop and projector are not available, use the
board.)
7) Once every student has given a word, the teacher will ask the
students to face the board and read the story they created. This
is where the teacher will ask for punctuation recommendations
to divide the story into smaller chunks if necessary.
8) Once sentences are made, the teacher will put the first sentence
on the board. Since the first words will be “The Moon”, the
teacher will also put the note durations written for “the moon”
before class on top of the story’s.
9) The teacher will then ask students to volunteer to pick one
word and give it a rhythm based on what they talked before.
a. Give guidance if questioned or if there is a struggle.
10) Once each word has been given a note duration, go through the
sentence and ask why the word was given that duration
a. Use this time to assess students based on the rubric (fig.
1)
11) The teacher will continue the exercise by writing the next
sentence (if there is one), and having new students write a note
duration for a word.
12) After the whole story has been given note durations, the
teacher will ask the class to split in half. One half of the class
will only clap the rhythms while the other half only speaks the
words.
13) Following the performance, the teacher will ask how well the
rhythms aligned with the words and if any changes could be
made to make it smoother.
14) In the last minutes, the teacher will give the students an exit
slip to fill out (fig. 2).

Section 5: Assessment & Extensions

Assessment ✔ Using a rubric (fig. 1), the teacher will assess students’ connection
Checking to text in relation to note duration.
understanding of ✔ The teacher will assess individual explanations of chosen note
objectives. durations in relation to intent, using a rubric (fig. 1).
✔ The teacher will use an exit slip (fig. 2, q. 1) to assess extensions of
rhythm to other aspects of life.
✔ The teacher will use the exit slip to assess intent in the students’
compositions through question #2 (fig. 2).

Extension of ⮚ If there is extra time, the teacher will hand out staff paper and will
Lesson break the students into small groups of three.
Where can this ⮚ Once the groups are seated and paper is handed out, the teacher
lesson go in context? will ask the students to take the rhythms on
the board and put them into measures of 4/4.
o Give the tip of conducting in 4/4 to self-
assess their measures. Use this diagram
of the conducting to draw where each
note duration will go.
o If this visualization does not work, draw
one bar of four even lines. The first note
(it will be a quarter note due to the controlled part of the
exercise) will go on the first line. Then the second note (a
half note) will be put on the second and third line since it
takes up two quarter notes. Ask the students to continue
from there.

Honor Code
I affirm that I have upheld the highest principles of honesty and integrity in my academic
work, and have not witnessed a violation of the honor code.

Alexandra Bruder
Figure 1. Rubric for note duration activity

Figure 2. Exit slip