Lower Secondary Music Stage 9 Scheme of Work - tcm143-555157

Scheme of Work
Cambridge Lower Secondary

Music 0078
Stage 9
For use with the curriculum framework published in 2019
Version 1
Copyright © UCLES September 2019
Cambridge Assessment International Education is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of the University of
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which itself is a department of the University of Cambridge.
UCLES retains the copyright on all its publications. Registered Centres are permitted to copy material from this booklet for their own internal use. However, we
cannot give permission to Centres to photocopy any material that is acknowledged to a third party, even for internal use within a Centre.
Contents
Contents.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 3
Introduction............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4
Unit 9.1 Are you in the loop station?.................................................................................................................................................................................................... 7
Unit 9.2 Hip-hop and remixes.............................................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
Unit 9.3 And the beat goes on….......................................................................................................................................................................................................... 21
Unit 9.4 Building a modern opera........................................................................................................................................................................................................ 28
Unit 9.5 The final concert..................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 34
Sample lesson 1.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41
Sample lesson 2.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 44
Cambridge Lower Secondary Music (0078) Stage 9 Scheme of Work
Introduction
This document is a scheme of work created by Cambridge Assessment International Education for Cambridge Lower Secondary Music Stage 9.
It contains:
 suggested units showing how the learning objectives in the curriculum framework can be grouped and ordered
 at least one suggested teaching activity for each learning objective
 a list of subject-specific language that will be useful for your learners
 sample lesson plans.
You do not need to use the ideas in this scheme of work to teach Cambridge Lower Secondary Music Stage 9. It is designed to indicate the types of activities you
might use, and the intended depth and breadth of each learning objective. These activities may not fill all of the teaching time for this stage. You may choose to use
other activities with a similar level of difficulty.
The accompanying teacher guide for Cambridge Lower Secondary Music will support you to plan and deliver lessons using effective teaching and learning
approaches. You can use this scheme of work as a starting point for your planning, adapting it to suit the requirements of your school and needs of your learners.
Long-term plan
This long-term plan shows the units in this scheme of work and a suggestion of how long to spend teaching each one. The suggested teaching time is based on
45 hours of teaching for Music Stage 9. You can adapt the time, units and order of the units based on the requirements of your school and the needs of your
learners.
Unit Suggested teaching time
Unit 9.1 Are you in the loop station? 9 hours
Unit 9.2 Hip-hop and remixes 9 hours
Unit 9.3 And the beat goes on… 9 hours
Unit 9.4 Building a modern opera 9 hours
Unit 9.5 The final concert 9 hours
Total 45 hours
Sample lesson plans

You will find two sample lesson plans at the end of this scheme of work. They are designed to illustrate how the suggested activities in this document can be turned
into lessons. They are written in more detail than you would use for your own lesson plans. The Cambridge Lower Secondary Music Teacher Guide has information
on creating lesson plans.
Other support for teaching Cambridge Lower Secondary Music Stage 9

Cambridge Lower Secondary centres receive access to a range of resources when they register. The Cambridge Lower Secondary support site at
https://lowersecondary.cambridgeinternational.org is a password-protected website that is the source of the majority of Cambridge-produced resources for the
programme. Ask the Cambridge coordinator or exams officer in your school if you do not already have a log-in for this support site.
Included on this support site are:

 the Cambridge Lower Secondary Music Curriculum Framework, which contains the learning objectives that provide a structure for your teaching and learning
 grids showing the progression of learning objectives across stages
 the Cambridge Lower Secondary Music Teacher Guide, which will help you to implement Cambridge Lower Secondary Music in your school
 templates for planning
 worksheets for short teacher training activities that link to the teacher guide
 assessment guidance (to support classroom assessment)
 links to online communities of Cambridge Lower Secondary teachers.
Resources for the activities in this scheme of work

We have assumed that you will have access to these resources:
 paper, pens and pencils for learners to use, including manuscript paper
 space for learners to work in different grouping (individual, pair, groups, whole-class) on different types of activity (listening to music, composing, rehearsing and
performing)
 a range of musical instruments, for example, tuned and untuned percussion
 equipment for playing recorded music to learners
 audio or video recording equipment
 music portfolios where learners can record their music making at all stages of development.
Other suggested resources for individual units and/or activities are described in the rest of this document. You can swap these for other resources that are available
in your school.
Websites
There are many excellent online resources suitable for teaching Cambridge Lower Secondary Music. Since these are updated frequently, and many are only
available in some countries, we recommend that you and your colleagues identify and share resources that you have found to be effective for your learners.
Approaches to teaching Cambridge Lower Secondary Music Stage 9

The learning objectives are organised into two strands which aim to integrate embodied learning in a holistic way.
 Making Music
 Making Sense of Music
Music portfolios
A music portfolio allows learners to document their experiments, rehearsals, performances and reflections which will help them to reflect on their progress and next
steps. Learners should add to their portfolio regularly and this can be done either formally or informally. Depending on the availability of music technology it is likely
that this portfolio will be a combination of audio/video recordings of rehearsals and performances, compositions (recordings and/or notations) and learner’s
reflections (either written or recorded).
Teaching songs
When teaching songs, or parts of songs, it is recommended that you use repetition to help learners remember the melody. A simple way to do this is for you to sing a
line (phrase) and then ask learners to sing it back. If learners do not sing it back correctly at first, simply repeat the process until they can. For example, in a four-
phrase melody, you could sing one phrase, then two together, then the whole song to gradually build learners’ memory. To support this process, you may also wish
to use hand signs (e.g. sol-fa and Kodály-Curwen hand signs) when learners are learning or performing a song. Sol-fa gives every pitch a name and an
accompanying hand sign to help learners build a picture of how a melody is constructed and the relationships between notes. The names for the notes are do, re,
mi, fa, so, la, ti, do. You may want to research this further if you would like to use it with your learners.
Teaching notation
Not all styles of music use notation and understanding musical notation is not required in order to be a musician. However, having an awareness of notation is a
useful skill for many learners, particularly those who go on to study for qualifications in music. Notation includes written representations (e.g. stave music) or ways to
name notes (e.g. C D E or do, re, mi). By introducing ‘sound before symbol’ learners participate in lots of practical music making, which allows then to begin to hear
notes in their head (internalised sounds), before they come to understand and use notation as a way to represent those sounds.
Differentiation and extension activities

For learners who require more challenge, try adding extra parts within the same piece of music that the class is learning. These parts could be instrumental or vocal
and involve different rhythms (e.g. clapping one rhythm while singing another) or tunes (e.g. a new harmony line).
Unit 9.1 Are you in the loop station?
Unit 9.1 Are you in the loop station?

Outline of unit:
In this unit, learners will learners will compose their own piece using 'loops' (short repeated sections), while also choosing one new instrument for creating music.
Learners will work in groups to experiment with loop-based music and create their own piece. This will be refined through feedback from the class before being
performed to an audience. Depending on the availability of technology, learners may wish to use loop-pedals or music writing software to record and/or develop
their loop-based pieces
Learners will continue to consolidate their understanding of how melodies and rhythms are constructed, while further developing their practical use of chords.
Learners will improve their ensemble skills through practical group work, using their bodies, symbols and different notation systems to make connections between
sound and symbol.
Recommended prior knowledge/previous learning:

Learners will build on their previous:
 experience of singing and composing in groups
 understanding of how melodies and rhythms are constructed
 understanding of basic major and minor chords.
In addition they may have previous experience of playing tuned and un-tuned percussion instruments, and/or other musical instruments. Alongside music making,
learners may also have some experience of notating music, using a variety of different notation systems, such as graphic scores and western classical staff
notation.
Language:
 Vocabulary related to voice, singing and playing (vocals, backing vocals, loop station, vibrato, articulation, slide between two notes/portamento, glissando,
rubato, rhythm, dynamics, atmospheric, tone colour/timbre, ascending, descending, movement by step or in leaps, scale, improvising, pitch, in-tune /
intonation, melody, accompaniment, drumming, percussion, time signature, tempo, in-time, chord, triad, root position, first inversion, second inversion, rhythm
notation terms such as semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semi-quaver, stave, gig, concert, rehearsal, performance).
 Vocabulary related to songs (lyrics, backing track, unison, harmony and 2-part or 3-part harmony, singing in a round, canon, verse, chorus, feature,
instrumental section, bridge section, intro/introduction and outro/ending, loop, repetition, riff/ostinato, call and response, a cappella)
 Vocabulary related to style (popular, electro-acoustic music, loop-based, polyphonic).
Unit 9.1 Suggested activities
Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

9MM.03 Improvise and After a vocal and physical warm up, create an informal activity where learners Include lots of whole class, fun warm up
compose using a range of create a short piece of music all together. Provide a simple, repetitive backing activities to generate a safe space where
musical structures and track if possible or play some repeating chords live. In pairs, learners think of learners feel relaxed and willing to experiment
devices, with growing two words, a colour and a number and then create a sentence/line of lyrics by and take creative risks.
independence. writing all four words down in a particular order to create some meaning.
Crunch up the piece of paper and throw it in the middle of a table/box. Each Listening examples for 'loop' based music
789MM.06 Use post- pair can then pick one of the pieces of paper (ideally not their own) and spend could include: minimalist music, ceremonial
production techniques to refine a short time working out a way of performing/singing/speaking those words, music, contemporary music, beat-boxing music
own music making. while listening to the backing track. Learners can add movement alongside and popular music. For the entry music (when
their words if they wish to. Conduct the learners to contribute their parts. This learners enter the room), you could play:
could be bringing each pair in one by one until the piece has many layers of ‘Facades’ from the album Glassworks by Philip
on-going sound and then stopping the pairs one by one. Experiment with Glass.
different structures. Learners may wish to conduct the piece and experiment
also with changing the dynamics.
Learners listen to some loop-based music in a relaxing manner, such as while

walking freely around the room. For example ‘Congatron’ from the album
Multimos, by Bunty or some live loop-based material. Learners could be
encouraged to experiment vocally while they listen.
Lead a quick discussion about what people noticed about the piece of music.
Encourage learners to think for themselves and to add their own ideas. Prompt
learners to think about shapes and to discover the idea of the ‘loop’ through
discussion.
Lead a demonstration of how to create a loop-based piece of music, using

volunteers and ideas from the class to illustrate the idea of musical building For the demonstration: decide on one specific
blocks. group of notes, a chord or a ‘key’, for all of the
different loop parts and use the same
In turn give each volunteer a riff/pattern to ‘loop’/repeat multiple times. Once suggested notes/chord/key for the group work
they have memorised the short pattern (4 beats long for instance) bring them in that follows. (A ‘key’ could be A minor or the
one by one to create a layered piece. For example, this order could be used to Aeolian mode, which uses a scale on the white
bring in the parts: notes of a piano starting on A.)
 a foundation layer - (a repeating rhythm for instance) In advance, work out: a rhythmic loop; a bass
 a repeating bass line motif or drone loop; a middle-pitched loop; and
 a repeating chord loop a higher-pitched loop. In addition, a ‘guitar loop

 a mid/high range loop pedal’ would be a good tool for demonstrating
 vocal loops and harmonies this idea.
 some lyrics or a melody on top (it is not necessary for this to rely on loops).
Learners can use standard notation, visuals, symbols drawings and/or graphic
scores to jot down their ideas.
Tell learners that they will now start creating their own piece in groups using a Music portfolio: learners can add recordings of
similar loop-based model and this project will continue for the rest of this unit. their ideas, rehearsals, notations and
As this activity will take place over several lessons, ensure learners make reflections, to their music portfolio.
regular notes or recordings to help them remember their work. Learners could
also use notations or create different graphic symbols to represent their loop
ideas. This is a good opportunity to introduce learner’s music portfolios.
In groups of four, learners can spend a short time beginning to play around Depending on the availability of technology,
with ideas using voices, and any other instruments that are available. Circulate learners may wish to use loop-pedals or music
around the groups, listening and offering support if appropriate. Encourage writing software to record and/or develop their
learners to also think about texture and timbre (tone colour) while loop-based pieces.
experimenting with their loops, in order to make loops that are clearly audible
and effective. Guide learners to decide on their different musical roles within
the group by the end of the session and to start becoming familiar with a
specific set of notes.
Resources:
 Music for entering the room such as ‘Facades’ from the album Glassworks
by Philip Glass
 Live examples or audio recordings of loop-based music such as
‘Congatron’ from the album Multimos, by Bunty
 Music technology for creating loop-based music if available
 A variety of musical instruments
 Audio recording equipment (optional)
9MM.05 When composing and After a vocal warm up, listen to something rhythmically complex or interesting The following is some basic information about
arranging, demonstrate a good such as Steve Reich’s ‘Clapping Music’. Learners try clapping the pattern on Steve Reich’s ‘Clapping Music’. One performer
understanding of writing for the which the piece is based and then experiment with dividing into groups and claps a basic rhythm, a variation of the
instruments or digital media starting the pattern at different times to create a staggered effect. How many fundamental African bell pattern in 12/8 time,
they have chosen to use. different patterns can you try? for the entirety of the piece. The other claps the
same pattern, but after every 8 or 12 bars shifts
789MM.06 Use post- As a whole class, remind learners of the loop demonstration from the previous by one ‘quaver’ to the right (or starts the
production techniques to refine activity and provide any other useful reminders or supporting information to pattern one quaver later than it would have

own music making. support learners with their own creating. been if it had been just repeated straight
away). This pattern is repeated and there are
interesting results.
Learners return to the same groups from the previous activity and continue to
create a short loop-based piece of music using voices and/or instruments of Learners will need support writing music for a
their choice. At this point, learners should try and create music for a new new instrument. This will involve allowing time
instrument - one that they do not have much experience of. for experimentation and also providing
technical support and information regarding the
new instrument, for example:
Circulate around the groups, watching, listening and offering support where  how to produce sound;
appropriate. Encourage learners to think about structure; how will they  how to vary the sound;
organise their loops? If suitable equipment is available, also show learners how  the range of pitches available
to digitally record and manipulate their loops.  how many notes can be played
simultaneously
Each group joins with another group and perform their short pieces/loops to  the potential need for breathing and breath
each other. They then start to experiment with merging the two groups and control
creating one piece.  any notable stylistic features and how to
achieve these.
Ask learners:
 Do the existing loops, or some of the existing parts, fit together? When groups join they may need support to
 What would you need to do to create a convincing performance? communicate effectively with one another. This
 Would you need to adapt any of the parts and/or spend some time working process could be scaffolded, by suggesting
on the overall structure? ways in which the two merged groups can work
together. Using learners’ ideas, through high-
Again, circulate around the groups offering support where appropriate. order questioning, suggest ways in which they
may adapt or develop their existing material in
As a whole class, groups can perform to one another. order to create a new piece.
Record the performances and listen to them as a class, if possible. Music portfolio: learners can add recordings of
their ideas, rehearsals, notations and
Model effective feedback techniques and encourage learners to comment reflections, to their music portfolio.
positively and constructively on their own and others’ work.
Ask learners:
 How can pieces be refined and developed further?
 Is there constant sound throughout or do any of the groups make use of
silence or pauses?
 Do the pieces have a clear beginning, middle and end? If not, what kind of
structures could be effective for these pieces?
Resources:

 Audio recording of Steve Reich’s ‘Clapping Music’ plus supporting
information regarding the technical aspects of the piece
9MM.02 Experiment with After a vocal warm up, sing along to a class-favourite song or learn a simple As with all of the suggested music, you will
familiar material, using some song to provide variation to the loop-based work so far. One example could be need to decide whether it is suitable for your
improvisatory skills, creatively ‘No Need To Argue’ by The Cranberries, or something which could be sung in particular class. This song is fairly melancholic
and flexibly, when rehearsing two- or three- part harmonies. and is about the end of a relationship, so may
and performing. be difficult for some learners.
As a whole class, tell the learners that they will be returning to their original
9MS.03 Identify, describe and groups of four in order to experiment further with their loop pieces, and take
justify creative decisions made them in a new direction. Learners can revisit the material they have created so
by musicians in different far, and they can replicate as much or as little of the material as they choose.
contexts (including self). Tell learners that they should all swap roles, so if they were performing the
bass part previously, they could change to the higher melodic part or any of the
other parts. Model and demonstrate, using volunteers, to suggest ways in
which learners can change and adapt their pieces to create a different end
result. Such as: changing the overall structure of the piece, the style, the
dynamics, the tempo or the instrumentation.
Perform pieces to the class, even if they are still un-finished.
Lead a discussion, using effective feedback techniques.

Ask learners:
 Have the pieces changed and developed clearly since returning back to
the groups of four?
 Are they recognisable, and if so, can you describe which musical material
you recognise? Music portfolio: learners can add recordings of
 What did the groups find difficult? their ideas, rehearsals, notations and
 Are there any favourite sections or favourite loops? reflections, to their music portfolio.
 Can you describe what it is you like in particular?
Guide learners also to think about some of the specific creative decisions they
made in their groups, what influenced these decisions and also what the end
results were.
Finish by listening to another contrasting loop-based piece of music such as

‘Electric Counterpoint’, third movement, by Steve Reich. Encourage learners to
draw freely/doodle, individually, while listening. During this relaxing activity,

learners may reflect on some of what they have learned during the previous
activities in this unit so far. At the end of the piece, ask learners to write down
one thing they would like to achieve or improve personally in the next activity or
lesson. They can keep these notes in their music portfolios so they can be
referred to next time.
Resources:
 Song for singing along to and adding harmonies such as: ‘No Need To
Argue’ by The Cranberries
 Loop-based piece of music such as ‘Electric Counterpoint’, third
movement, by Steve Reich
9MM.01 Perform convincingly After a vocal warm up, listen to another piece of music (pre-recorded or live) Play learners different examples of loop-based
music from different traditions, which is loop-based or which has a repetitive feel. One example could be music as inspiration, using examples from
time and genres. ‘Music in Twelve Parts’ by Philip Glass. Examples from club dance/techno around the world if possible. ‘This Must be the
genres could also be used, such as Kraftwerk’s ‘The Man Machine’. As a whole Place’ by Talking Heads is an example of a
9MM.02 Experiment with class, learners can stand in a circle and add rhythmic accompaniment using popular piece of music which is based on the
familiar material, using some hand-held percussion. Meanwhile, in pairs, learners can take it in turns to go same harmonic loop throughout.
improvisatory skills, creatively into the middle of the circle and improvise a dance/movement loop or a sound
and flexibly, when rehearsing loop using voices or hand-held instruments. Learners could add their own loop
and performing. individually or in pairs. Foster a fun and informal quality to this activity,
modelling ways in which to join in playfully and experimentally without concern
789MM.06 Use post- for the end results.
production techniques to refine
own music making. Now return to the groups of four, for the loop-based pieces.
Spend time refining and improving work ready for a performance.
9MS.06 Use notation(s) to Use note-taking techniques, symbols or notation systems to make a record of
support musical learning changes made. These notes can be added to their music portfolio for
appropriate to the context. reference.
Ask learners:
 How might you refine your overall performance?
 What will an audience be looking for if they are to enjoy the performance?
 Are you confident starting the piece and finishing the piece?
 Are you confident with the middle section of the piece?
 What will the ending be like and what will you do once the sound has Music portfolio: learners can add recordings of
stopped? their performance, notations and reflections to

their music portfolio.
Perform to an audience. Record and listen as a class, if possible, before
discussing how the performances went. Turn to the person next to you and
spend a couple of minutes talking about what you enjoyed and what you found
more difficult. A ‘jam’ session is an informal way of describing
a session where 2 or more musicians play
As a whole class, finish the unit by creating a fun and celebratory ‘jam’ session. together informally, and often socially, without
Provide live or pre-recorded backing music using a drone or the same a concrete plan of how the session will unfold.
notes/chords used in the group pieces. Individual learners, or groups, can then A ‘jam’ often involves improvisation and
add loops freely over the top. Learners can pick and choose loops from the experimentation.
previous performances and/or improvise and create new ones.
Creating a canon effect with a loop/musical
Other ideas could be to experiment with call and response, or to take one loop pattern. One learner/group can start to play or
and try to create a canon. sing the loop and another learner/group can
start to play or sing the loop starting shortly
Resources: after the first group. The second group could
 Another loop-based piece for listening and experimenting such as ‘Music in start a beat later (a crotchet later) or half a beat
Twelve Parts’ by Philip Glass later (a quaver later). This pattern can be
 A piece of music with some loop-based material such as ‘This Must be the repeated multiple times, depending on the
Place’ by Talking Heads length of the loop. Research this idea if
 Music technology for creating loop-based music if available necessary and practise ‘conducting’ the
 A variety of musical instruments. learners with rhythmic accuracy.
 Audio recording equipment (optional).
Unit 9.2 Hip-hop and remixes
Unit 9.2 Hip-hop and remixes

Outline of unit:
In this unit, learners will study a piece of hip-hop music to become familiar with the features of this style.
Learners will then work in groups to create their own hip-hop remix before performing this to an audience.
Note: it is particularly important for this unit that all examples of music are thoroughly checked in advance to ensure that they are appropriate for your learners in all
respects.

 experience of composing and performing groups
 experience of listening to music carefully to identify its features
 understanding of melodies, harmonies, chords and rhythms
 experience of following a creative process involving cycles of experimentation, performance and feedback.
notation.
Language:
 Vocabulary related to voice, singing and playing (vocals, backing vocals, rubato, rhythm, dynamics, atmospheric, tone colour/timbre, improvising, pitch, in-
tune/intonation, melody, accompaniment, drumming, percussion, time signature, tempo, in-time, syncopation, chord, triad, root position, first inversion, second
inversion, rhythm notation terms such as semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semi-quaver, stave, gig, concert, rehearsal, performance).
 Vocabulary related to songs (lyrics, backing track, unison, harmony, verse, chorus, feature, instrumental section, bridge section, intro/introduction and
outro/ending, loop, repetition, riff/ostinato, beat-boxing, genre, context).
 Vocabulary related to style (hip hop, remix, popular, classical, rap).

9MS.01 Listen and respond to After a vocal warm up (which could include ‘tongue twisters’ or trying to copy Attention will need to be given to choosing hip-
familiar and unfamiliar musical fast or complex pieces of rap), lead a rhythmic activity focused around hip-hop hop tracks, to ensure that they are appropriate
extracts in a broad range of rhythms. Play a few live or recorded rhythms taken from one or two hip-hop for the listeners, in all respects.
musical styles, justifying tracks, such as ‘Tennessee’ by Arrested Development or ‘I’ll Find You’ by
responses with technical Lecrae featuring Tori Kelly. Learners copy the rhythms using found objects as Syncopation could be described as: ‘a change
language. percussion instruments (ideally urban or industrial objects, including kitchen or to the rhythm of a piece of music, so that the
household objects). strong beats become weak and the weak beats
9MS.02 Identify, explain and become strong’.
demonstrate how specific In advance, choose a hip-hop song or a song with some hip-hop characteristics
features of music relate to its to study in class. One example could be Sweetbox’s ‘Everything’s Gonna Be
context. Alright’. This example is also interesting as it uses a version of the ‘classical’
piece ‘Air on a G String’ by J.S. Bach as its backing.
Display a large piece of paper with the title ‘What is hip-hop?’ for all to see, and
play the chosen hip-hop song (live or pre-recorded) while learners move
around the space singing, walking, dancing or playing percussion instruments.
After listening, lead a brief discussion, asking questions to inspire high-order
thinking and write down learners’ ideas on the topic of ‘What is hip-hop?’
Prepare some cards in advance with words that describe both some of the Include one feature per card, for example :
structural features and musical features of the song. In the collection of cards,  structural features: verse, chorus, intro,
also include words that are irrelevant to the song to test the learners’ listening outro, bridge.
skills, knowledge and understanding. In groups, learners listen to the song a  musical features specific to the chosen
few times before deciding which cards are relevant and putting them in the song: rapping, instrumental, syncopation,
correct order if appropriate. rhyme, brass instruments, string
instruments.
As a whole class, listen again to the song, stopping at interesting points, and
asking learners to contribute the relevant key words from the cards. Display the
correct words for all to see.
Listen to the piece again, with learners joining in with hand-held percussion or Foster an environment of fun, informal creative
other instruments. For some learners, these songs could be a good opportunity risk-taking and if possible, model some hip-hop
to develop their skills in playing chords with fluency. inspired movement to encourage learners to
have a go.
Back in the same groups, using hand-held percussion and standing in a large
circle, listen again while adding rhythms freely; each group can take it in turns Music portfolio: learners can add recordings of

to play. their performance, notations and reflections, to
Ask if anyone in the class can break-dance or if they have any hip-hop dance their music portfolio.
moves that they would like to share with the class. This could be done solo or
in pairs, while the rest of the class play along to the track with percussion.
Resources:
 One or two hip-hop tracks for listening and analysis, such as ‘Tennessee’
by Arrested Development or ‘I’ll Find You’ by Lecrae featuring Tori Kelly
 A hip-hop song or song with some similar characteristics such as the song
‘Everything’s Gonna Be Alright’ by Sweetbox
 Multiple sets of a collection of pre-prepared cards/pieces of paper with
words and phrases relevant to the chosen song
 Found objects (e.g. household and kitchen objects) that can be used as
percussion instruments
9MM.02 Experiment with After a fun vocal and physical warm up, play the verse of the chosen hip-hop Aim for learners to become familiar with as
familiar material, using some song for all to hear. The aim is for learners to learn the main features of the many features of the chosen song as possible.
improvisatory skills, creatively verse, through singing and playing instruments. This may involve playing and singing melodies,
and flexibly, when rehearsing dancing, playing riffs and chords. This is
and performing. Isolate the main features of the verse one by one, playing small sections and important preparation for creating their own
then discussing, demonstrating and encouraging learners to join in as much as remixes.
9MS.06 Use notation(s) to possible throughout this process. Start by trying to play one of the main
support musical learning rhythms or bass lines all together. Ensure that there is an opportunity for The original parts will need to be adapted for
appropriate to the context. learners to play chords, building on their skills in this area from previous the instruments available and may need to be
stages. Use accompanying symbols, notes or standard notation as a visual aid, simplified according to the needs of the
as appropriate. learners.
After the verse has been broken down and learners feel more confident playing
some of the ideas/patterns, play the original track again and play along as
much as possible. Learners can add the parts they feel most comfortable with.
As a whole class, repeat this process with the chorus. Isolate the main
features, break them down and simplify if necessary in order to learn them, and
then play along as a class.
As a whole class, ideally to a backing track or a live accompaniment, play Music portfolio: learners can add recordings of
along to the whole song. their rehearsals, performance and reflections,
to their music portfolio.

Record the performance and listen to it as a class, if possible.
Resources:
 The selected hip-hop song for the unit
9MS.01 Listen and respond to Introduce the idea of a remix by listening to a song or piece of music followed
familiar and unfamiliar musical by a remix of the same song/piece. Some examples could be:
extracts in a broad range of  ‘Drumming’ by Steve Reich, followed by the Four Tet remix
musical styles, justifying  ‘Adagio for Strings’ by Samuel Barber followed by William Orbit - Barber's
responses with technical Adagio for Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix)
language.  Pachelbel’s Canon, followed by a hip-hop remix of this piece which uses
the original Baroque chord pattern but features beat-boxing, DJ-ing and
9MS.03 Identify, describe and melody instruments traditional to Korea.
justify creative decisions made
by musicians in different Briefly discuss what the learners hear. Compare and contrast the originals with Only small changes need to be made in order
contexts (including self). the remixes. to create a remix that sounds very different
from the original. When thinking about the
Ask learners: different ‘features’ of music, encourage
 What features are the same? learners to think about: rhythm, metre, melody,
 What has changed? harmony, tonality (major or minor for instance),
texture, timbre, dynamics, and articulation.
To further illustrate the concept of remixes you might like to display Picasso's Research these terms if necessary.
'Weeping Woman' (1937). In some way, this portrait is like a ‘remix’ of a
woman’s face.
Resources:
 A song/piece of music for listening plus a remix of the original song/piece.
9MM.03 Improvise and Play a live or pre-recorded piece of music, which contrasts to hip-hop such as
compose using a range of ‘Helplessly Hopeful’ by Crosby, Stills and Nash. Learners can try to join in with
musical structures and vocal harmonies. Play the song a second time and encourage learners to move
devices, with growing around the space, experimenting with vocals.
independence.
Play a game based on the idea of ‘call and response’. Call some rhythms and
9MM.04 Organise and learners can take it in turns to respond with a remixed (slightly altered) version.
structure material with For instance, if the call rhythm is crotchet, crotchet, quaver, quaver, crotchet,
increasing sophistication to the learner could respond with crotchet, crotchet, quaver, quaver, quaver,
convey intentions to an quaver. All rhythms should be the same length- four beats long for instance.

audience.
As a class, listen to the chosen song again (Sweetbox ‘Everything’s Gonna Be Once the learners know, and can play, the
9MS.01 Listen and respond to Alright’ in this example) in a relaxed way. Encourage learners to listen out for main elements of the song, they can start to
familiar and unfamiliar musical the key musical features/patterns, which they practised in a previous activity. work in groups, and create their own remix of
extracts in a broad range of Symbols or actions could be used to point these out as they occur. the original song. They should alter some of
musical styles, justifying the original features slightly such as: the
responses with technical In groups of 3 or 4, learners start working on the remixes. Learners may need instruments used, sound quality, rhythm etc.
language. help adapting and changing parts to suit their musical preferences and creative For example, they may wish to take one of the
ideas, along with their existing skills and the musical instruments that are main themes and make it sound recognisable
9MS.03 Identify, describe and available. Provide ways that learners can problem solve on their own, for but jagged and ‘broken’ rhythmically instead of
justify creative decisions made example by demonstrating how some ideas may be simplified and adapted for smooth and continuous.
by musicians in different the instruments available.
contexts (including self).
Circulate around the groups, checking progress and offering support if
appropriate.
Equip learners with the skills to play chords if there are appropriate instruments Music technology could be used, using the
such as keyboards/stringed instruments. Simplify parts as necessary. original recording, midi sounds and other
recorded sounds, or otherwise; remixes can be
As a whole class, perform the work so far. made purely acoustically using acoustic
instruments and voice.
Lead discussions and give examples of positive, specific and constructive
feedback. Music portfolio: learners can add their notes,
and recordings of their experiments,
Ask learners: rehearsals, performance and reflections, to
 Can learners demonstrate an example of some musical material that they their music portfolio.
have changed or adapted from the original?
 Did your group make big changes to the original material, small changes,
or a mixture of both?
 Were there any features of the original that you really liked, and wanted to
preserve in your remix? If so, can you be specific about what you liked and
why?
 Similarly, were there any parts of the original that you did not like? If so,
can you explain what and why?
To finish the discussion, explore ideas of how to notate work or make notes in
order to aid memory when revisiting work at a later date. This could be in the
form of a graphic score, symbols that are meaningful to the learners or
standard notation. Each learner may choose to make notes in their own style,
making a visual representation of their own part.
Resources:
 Audio recording or live version of a song which contrasts to hip-hop such
as: ‘Helplessly Hopeful’ by Crosby, Stills and Nash
 The selected hip-hop song for the unit
 A variety of musical instruments.
 Audio recording equipment and other music technology (optional)
9MM.01 Perform convincingly Warm up voices and bodies with a simple game. For example. a soft ball could
music from different traditions, be passed around the circle while keeping a steady beat. Learners could
time and genres simultaneously experiment with different sounds and movements in a ‘call and
response’ style.
Return to a familiar song or round.
Ask learners:
 Can you sing this with your eyes shut?
 How does this feel?
 Does it change the way you sing and listen?
 Are there other ways you could experiment with singing together (in
different positions for example?)
In groups, have a short amount of time to revisit and refine the remixes before
a final performance. Circulate around the groups, supporting learners both
practically, musically and emotionally with regards to performing in front of
others. Music portfolio: learners can add recordings of
their performance and their reflections, to their
Invite another class to listen to the performances of the remixes and then ask music portfolio.
learners to write down one thing they were pleased with and one thing they
would improve if they could. Collect these ideas in and keep them for reference
and further learning. It may be necessary to find out some of the
learners’ musical preferences in advance so
Then turn the session into a party, playing a mixture of learners’ favourite that live or recorded music can be prepared for
music (ensuring all music is appropriate in every respect). Create a party the party. This ensures that material can be
atmosphere if possible with any of the following: hand-made props, lights, checked for suitability and appropriateness.
fancy dress clothing, soft drinks, props and dancing. Examples of songs which
fit with the hip-hop theme would be ‘Good Feeling’ by Flo Rida or ‘Pacifics’ by
Digable Planets.
Resources:
 Performance space and an audience
 A soft ball for rhythmic game playing
 Song familiar to the learners
 Audio recordings or live versions of a mixture of favourite songs and pieces
of music. Example songs: ‘Good Feeling’ by Flo Rida or ‘Pacifics’ by
Digable Planets
 Props to create a party atmosphere such as: hand-made props, lights,
fancy dress clothing and soft drinks
Unit 9.3 And the beat goes on…
Unit 9.3 And the beat goes on…

Outline of unit:
In this unit, learners will explore the power of rhythm in many different contexts and forms.
Learners listen to a range of music with interesting rhythms and develop their ability to describe what they are listening to using some musical terminology.
Learners also explore the context and roots of music, in particular dance music, by using movement to respond to different examples of dance music.
There are several opportunities for improvisation and group composition, with both turned and untuned percussion instruments.

Learners will build on their previous experience of:
 singing, creating and performing in groups
 improvising and composing using percussion instruments
 identifying and describing features in music they have listened to.
In addition they may have previous experience of playing other musical instruments. Alongside music making, learners may also have some experience of notating
music, using a variety of different notation systems, such as graphic scores, stick notation and western classical staff notation.
Language:
 Vocabulary related to rhythm (rubato, drumming, percussion, time signature, tempo, in-time, syncopation, accent, semibreve, minim, crotchet, quaver, semi-
quaver, rest).
 Vocabulary related to style (sea shanty, dance, hip hop, remix, popular, classical, rap, beat-boxing, genre, context, root).

9MM.02 Experiment with ‘Rhythm song’, or an excerpt from this, by Evelyn Glennie could be played as
familiar material, using some learners enter. Equally, any rhythmic tuned percussion piece could be played
improvisatory skills, creatively instead.
and flexibly, when
rehearsing and performing. After a vocal and physical warm up, play some rhythmic tuned-percussion or When experimenting with movement,
instrumental music. Create an environment which helps learners to listen in a encourage learners to enjoy themselves. For
9MS.01 Listen and respond to relaxed way (for example by encouraging free movement and diming the lights example, when leading a demonstration, stress
familiar and unfamiliar musical slightly, if possible). One example could be ‘She Bares a Flower’ by GAPS, or the idea that a ‘dance move’ is a flexible idea
extracts in a broad range of some music by Olodum, a Samba Reggae group. and that it is impossible to get it ‘wrong’. A
musical styles, justifying dance move could be a small finger movement
responses with technical Return the lights to their original brightness. Play the piece of music again and or a balletic jump.
language. this time, ask learners to experiment by adding a mixture of tuned and un-
tuned percussion. Tuned-percussion may have to be adapted (only certain
notes available for instance) in order to fit the chosen tune.
Play ‘pass the rhythm’ by asking learners to form four lines. Prepare a rhythm
in advance and do not share it with the learners. To begin the game, clap/tap
the rhythm for the first learner in each line so that it is almost inaudible. These
learners will then pass the rhythm (as quietly as possible) to the learner next to
them, and so on, until the rhythm has reached the end of the line. Ask the last
learner in each line to tap/clap the rhythm to you (as quietly as possible) to
check if it is correct or if it has been accidently altered.
Introduce the unit briefly to the learners, and then listen to another piece of You may want to research the pieces and
music, which is interesting from a rhythmic perspective such as ‘Well Come’ by practise some of the rhythms in order to
Vula Viel or ‘Nautilus’ by Anna Meredith. Ask learners to listen carefully and demonstrate some of the complexities.
then share one specific observation, such as one particular sound of rhythm Although not all learners may be able to use
they thought was interesting, and why. technical language to describe the rhythms,
they should be able to hear the complexities of
Play a call and response style movement game where someone leads and these pieces of music and would still find them
calls a short dance move (2 beats in length for instance) and the rest of the stimulating and challenging to listen to.
class copy. Experiment with playing this game over different songs or pieces of
music such as ‘This Could Be The Place’ by Talking Heads, or any piece of
music which has a strong, regular, predictable beat for dancing. Give different
learners opportunities to lead.

Then listen to another, different piece of music with a regular beat and provide
some instruments for learners to play and improvise with over the top. One Music portfolio: learners can add recordings of
example could be ‘Hopopono’ by GoGo Penguin. For musical examples with their experiments and their reflections, to their
harmony and melodies, guide learners by suggesting a small number of notes music portfolio.
that would fit with the chosen piece of music. Alternatively, play a percussive
piece of music, such as some Djembe drumming.
Ask learners to reflect by discussing with a partner:

 one thing they have enjoyed
 one thing they have learned
 one thing they would like to learn more about
 one thing they would like to improve.
Learners can share ideas with the rest of the class.
Resources:
 Music for entering the room e.g. ‘Rhythm song’ by Evelyn Glennie
 Music to move and respond to with a regular beat, such as: ‘She Bares a
Flower’ by GAPS, or some music by Olodum, a Samba Reggae group.
 Unusual rhythmic music to listen to such as ‘Well Come’ by Vula Viel or
‘Nautilus’ by Anna Meredith. Music for dance improvisation with a
predictable beat such as ‘This Could Be The Place’ by Talking Heads.
Music to improvise over the top of such as ‘Hopopono’ by GoGo Penguin
 A range of musical instruments
9MM.03 Improvise and Play a piece that is rhythmically interesting when learners enter the room such
compose using a range of as ‘Eight Lines’ by Steve Reich or some polyrhythmic African drumming music.
musical structures and In turns, each learner can volunteer one word to describe something they
devices, with growing notice in the music. Encourage the accurate use of technical musical terms.
independence.
Creating a whole class drum kit can be a good warm up for percussion
9MS.01 Listen and respond to activities. It helps learners to think about which beats of the bar they are
familiar and unfamiliar musical playing on as well as listening to the other parts and seeing how their part fits
extracts in a broad range of in to create the whole. For example, one group is the kick drum, one group is
musical styles, justifying the snare, one group is the hi-hat and one group is the ride cymbal. Decide
responses with technical how each sound will be made (stamp for kick drum, clap for snare etc). Start
language. with a simple rock rhythm and then increase the complexity.
9MS.06 Use notation(s) to As a class, create four main rhythms for a class piece using some kind of drum
support musical learning or percussive instrument. Pre-prepare the beginnings of some rhythms (e.g.

appropriate to the context. two beats out of a four beat rhythm) and then support learners to create the
rest of the rhythm.
One simple rhythm example could be crotchet, crotchet, quaver, quaver,

crotchet.
Help learners to make the four different rhythms sound distinctive by playing
them on a different kind of percussive instrument (e.g. djembe drum, high
pitched drum, tapping on tables).
As a whole class, you may give some examples of how to notate the rhythms, Alternatively simple symbols or movements
or represent the rhythms visually (for example using stick notation or a form of could be used to represent the rhythms.
stave notation). While exploring these rhythms further, encourage learners to
describe the rhythms using technical language in addition to describing which
rhythms they prefer and why.
As whole class, split the learners into four groups. Each group will be
responsible for remembering, and playing, one of the four rhythms. Remind Music portfolio: learners can add recordings of
learners of the symbols or gestures that correspond to each rhythm and display their experiments, rehearsals, performances
these or make the appropriate gestures or signs. and their notations and reflections, to their
music portfolio.
In a call and response style, each group takes it in turn to call their own rhythm
and the rest of the group can copy/respond. Each group can show the visual
cue before playing the rhythm. Experiment with this until all groups have called
their rhythm a few times and all learners are becoming familiar and confident
with all the rhythms.
Determine if all learners can remember and play all of the rhythms in unison.
Start by practising playing two of the rhythms one after the other without a
break, and then playing all four one after the other.
Finally, aim to help the class move away from playing in unison, and instead
play two (or more) different rhythms at the same time. Encourage learners to
choose which two rhythms should be played together. Experiment with
combinations.
Ask learners:
 Which combinations sound best?
 Can you describe and explain your preferences?
 Was there a combination which felt harder or easier to play?
 Are the rhythms sounding accurate and in-time?

 If not, can you describe which bits need work?
 How can we improve the accuracy of our rhythms?
Resources:
 Rhythmically interesting music such as: ‘Eight Lines’ by Steve Reich or
some polyrhythmic African drumming music
 A collection of drums/percussion instruments
9MS.02 Identify, explain and Warm up voices and bodies.

demonstrate how specific
features of music relate to its As a class explore some different types of music which have a strong link All songs/sea shanties need to be checked for
context. between their rhythms and their context/roots. appropriate lyrics.
9MS.04 Describe key events Sea shanties

and people who have You could play a sea shanty (live or pre-recorded) while learners improvise Sea shanties are work songs which helped
influenced the development of vocals over the top and sway back and forth as if on a boat. In addition the sailors to keep in time when doing activities like
music across time and class could split into two groups and each group could hold one end of a rope setting sails or pulling up an anchor. They are
cultures, demonstrating an or long piece of material, pulling and releasing in turn, while singing. One rhythmic and a cappella.
understanding of the historical example of a sea shanty is ‘Leave her Johnny.’
and contextual links between Other examples of rhythmic, a cappella,
music and its roots. Ask learners: working songs include waulking songs
Which features of a sea shanty relate to its use by sailors? (Scottish Gaelic, used when making cloth) and
agricultural songs (used to coordinate sowing,
weeding and harvesting crops).
Dance music
Dance can be used as a way to explore the context of any type of dance It could be useful to research some specific
music. Unlike sea shanties, dance music normally involves instruments. The rhythmic traditions- how they link to their
intended style of dancing has a major influence on the music (especially its context and to their roots. For instance,
time signature, tempo and rhythm). Brazilian Samba music today is still strongly
connected to its roots, and these specific
Re-visit the four rhythms from the previous activity using any visual cues as rhythms (for example the accented ‘absent’
prompts. Learners take it in turns to lead and conduct the class experimenting beat) tell their own rich story.
with playing in unison (the same rhythms all together) and also playing two
different rhythms simultaneously.
Teach the class one dance move, which could last for up to four beats. Split A dance move could be simple or more
the class into three groups and while two groups play two rhythms complex depending on confidence and
simultaneously (one rhythm per group), the third group can dance over top. experience. For instance, turn around once in a
The third group can practise the new dance move over the top of the rhythm circle, or bend knees and clench fists.
until they are confident. Learn three more dance moves, then rotate the groups

and repeat the process. Encourage learners to feel the benefits of relaxing into
a repetitive groove.
In pairs, learners create some more dance moves that fit with the rhythms. Play
a backing track or simple rhythm at the same tempo while learners are working
out the dance moves. Learners may want to make notes to help them
remember their moves. Circulate around groups observing and offering
support.
Pairs of learners take it in turns to teach some dance moves to the whole class.
Music portfolio: learners can add the reflections
Ask learners: and recordings of their experiments to their
 How do the movements feel? music portfolio.
 How do the movements relate to the rhythms of the music?
Resources:
 Examples of rhythmic music with different roots and written for different
contexts (e.g. a sea shanty and dance music)
 A collection of drums/percussion instruments
9MS.04 Describe key events Listen to another dance song or piece of music such as ‘Teardrop’ by Massive As with all of the suggested music, you will
and people who have Attack. In small groups learners can create a short piece of choreography need to decide whether it is suitable for your
influenced the development of (sequence of movements) to go with the song. Play the song multiple times particular class. This song is partly inspired by
music across time and while groups work on their dance. Circulate around the groups, observing and the death of a close friend, so may be difficult
cultures, demonstrating an offering support if appropriate. Allow only a short amount of time for this. for some learners.
understanding of the historical
and contextual links between As a whole class, play the song multiple times and encourage each group to
music and its roots. dance one after the group without breaking the flow in between each group.
Learners may wish to make notes when
As a whole class, discuss how this process was. Invite learners to make notes creating their choreography to aid memory.
on a large piece of paper.
Ensure that there is enough space for
Ask learners: movement, that the space is safe, and that the
 What kind of movement did this piece of music inspire? learners are aware of safety when moving in a
 What could have influenced the writing of this piece of music? communal space.
Also encourage learners to think about the links between music and movement Music portfolio: learners can add the reflections
across time and space. and recordings of their experiments to their
music portfolio.

Ask learners:
Does rhythm play a vital part in movement?
Discuss key events and people who may have influenced the development of
rhythm and dance across time and cultures.
Ask learners:
Can you describe how music is connected to its roots? What does this mean?
Resources:
 Dance song for listening, dancing and considering the context of such as
‘Teardrop’ by Massive Attack
9MS.05 Confidently discuss Listen to some music with a regular beat. Learners can experiment with joining
their music through in vocally before adding percussion instruments. Some African (Djembe)
recognising who and what has drumming music could be used for this or a live rhythmic backing could be
influenced their work and provided.
demonstrate these influences.
Learners, in groups of four, create a short piece of music where two learners Exploring the use of accent in rhythm is also an
play rhythms on un-tuned percussion instruments and two learners add more important component – it can transform a
melodic parts on tuned-percussion. Encourage learners to create a short two or regular beat into something highly
three section structure to their piece. When learners are confident with their unpredictable. For example, Stravinsky’s The
parts, ask them to swap roles within their groups and learn another part. Augurs of Spring’ from The Rite of Spring
Learners will have to help each other in this instance. features on beat, regular quaver movement
being altered by the use of accents to create a
Perform to the rest of the class and record if possible. Offer positive feedback highly irregular effect.
and observations.
Return to the same groups. Discuss the piece and consider who and what has
influenced their work. Join with another group and share thoughts. Circulate Music portfolio: learners can add the notes,
around the groups, listening and offering support if appropriate. reflections and recordings of their experiments
and performances to their music portfolio.
Resources:
 Live or pre-recorded rhythmic (drumming) music with a regular beat for
improvising over the top
 A large collection of drums/percussion instruments
Unit 9.4 Building a modern opera
Unit 9.4 Building a modern opera

Outline of unit:
In this unit, learners will explore storytelling through song and create their own contemporary opera using acting, props, voices and instruments. They will rehearse
and perform this to an audience.
Mostly through whole class and group learning, music making will include singing in rounds, singing in two, three or four parts, with opportunities to experiment
playfully with sounds that can be created with the voice and any musical instruments that are available.
Learners will continue to consolidate their understanding of how melodies and rhythms are constructed, while further developing their practical use of chords.
Learners will improve their ensemble skills through practical group work, using their bodies, symbols and different notation systems to make connections between
sound and symbol.

 experience of singing and playing in groups and following a leader
 understanding of how rhythms, melodies and lyrics are constructed
 understanding of basic major and minor chords and their inversions
 experience of creating/composing to a brief.
notation.
Language:
 Vocabulary related to voice, singing and playing (vocals, backing vocals, rhythm, dynamics, ascending, improvising, pitch, in-tune/intonation, melody,
accompaniment, time signature, tempo, in-time, chord, triad, root position, first inversion, second inversion, major and minor, rehearsal, performance).
 Vocabulary related to songs (lyrics, backing track, unison, harmony and 2-part or 3-part harmony, singing in a round, canon, verse, chorus, feature,
instrumental section, bridge section, intro/introduction and outro/ending, loop, repetition, riff/ostinato, call and response, a cappella, opera, musical).
 Vocabulary related to opera (scene, act, overture).

9MM.02 Experiment with Start with several vocal warm ups. For example, learners could stand in a circle
familiar material, using some and pass a soft ball around, while passing nonsense/gobbledigook sounds.
improvisatory skills, creatively The passer gets to change the sound and the catcher has to copy the sound.
and flexibly, when rehearsing They could also try ‘scatting’, using ideas from Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘One Note
and performing. Samba.’
9MS.01 Listen and respond to Then sing an a cappella vocal round such as ‘Round and Round’. Once the ‘Round and Round’ lyrics:
familiar and unfamiliar musical round has been learnt and the learners are confident, encourage learners to Round and round the Earth is turning, turning
extracts in a broad range of sing it in three parts and add some rhythm if possible such as stamping, always round to morning,
musical styles, justifying tapping or clapping. and from morning round to night.
responses with technical
language.
Whichever piece is chosen, it is important to

share the piece with the learners in a simplified
and manageable form, with a minimal number
Start by learning the round using repetition and memorisation techniques. Sing of scenes/sections, to avoid learners becoming
the melody in unison, then you can form your own group (of one), starting after overwhelmed and confused. Note: that
the rest of the class. Then split the learners into two groups, one starting after Madame Butterfly ends with the suicide of the
the other. Depending on the round, and as the learners become more main character, so may not be suitable for all
confident, the class can be split to create a third group in order to sing the classes.
round in three parts.
You may wish to use a range of resources
As a whole class listen to some excerpts from an opera, musical or song, including; synopsis, pre-prepared image
which tells a story. Examples might include: storyboard, lyrics, excerpts, written score,
 ‘Madame Butterfly’, ‘La Boheme’ or ‘Turandot’ (by Puccini) audio recording.
 ‘The Magic Flute’ or ‘Marriage of Figaro’ (by Mozart)
 ‘Cats’ (music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by T.S Eliot and Trevor Study the piece of music in advance and
Nunn) prepare a storyboard for reference. Some
 ‘West Side Story’ (music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen musical examples will also need to be
Sondheim). prepared/played live, and these can be short

melodies, riffs, patterns or motifs, which can be
It is also possible to choose examples of music from other genres, which could broken down and simplified if necessary and
contain some similar features to Opera. For example ‘It would not be a Rose’ taught to the learners.
or ‘Hares on the Mountain’ by Josienne Clarke and Ben Walker.
While listening, show the learners a simple ‘story board’, which has a series of
four pictures for instance, taken from or inspired by the chosen opera/musical/
song. Prepare one musical excerpt per picture without drawing particular When learners are describing the music they
attention to the music. Encourage learners to guess what is happening in each hear, encourage them to think about rhythm,
picture and therefore contribute ideas for the overall story of the metre, melody, harmony, tonality (major or
opera/musical/song. Listen to learners’ ideas while guiding them towards the minor for instance), texture, timbre, dynamics,
original interpretation and synopsis. When the story is complete, read the and articulation. Research these terms if
synopsis all together. Some learners may wish to read a section on their own. necessary.
Now listen to the same series of short excerpts from the opera/musical/song
(one for each picture on the storyboard). Display the pictures while listening but
not necessarily in the right order. When learners play along with the excerpts,
some additional visual cues or individual
Ask learners: support may be needed to help learners with
 Which picture corresponds to this excerpt? How can you tell? playing specific notes.
 Are there any musical clues?
Also encourage learners to use descriptive and technical words to describe Music portfolio: learners can add notes,
what they hear. reflections and recordings of their rehearsals to
Model different ways of joining in with the music, either using voice or
instruments. Learners should be encouraged to join in with each excerpt in an
informal way. Model this behaviour using one short, specific motifs or patterns
for each excerpt and picture. These musical snippets are likely to be only two
bars long, as they must be memorable and fairly easy to learn quickly.
Encourage learners to play specific notes using visual cues if necessary. Play
each excerpt a few times so that learners begin to familiarise themselves with
the specific notes.
Resources:
 Audio example of ‘scatting’, such as Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘One Note Samba’.
 An a cappella vocal round such as ‘Round and Round’
 Resources, excerpts and a storyboard for an opera, musical or song that
tells a story
 A range of musical instruments

9MM.03 Improvise and After a fun vocal and physical warm up, play a game where the storyboard It is beneficial to play music as learners enter
compose using a range of pictures are held up in turn and learners have to play some of the specific the space. In this instance, you could play an
musical structures and corresponding musical material learnt in the previous activity. Support learners example of Opera such as ‘O Mio Babbino
devices, with growing by joining in and modelling. Repeat the activity by asking a learner to choose Caro’ by Puccini.
independence. and hold up the next picture. This process can be repeated a number of times
until learners begin to feel more confident with playing their parts and begin to You may wish to use hand signals (e.g. sol-fa
9MM.04 Organise and enjoy feeling more competent. and Kodály-Curwen hand signals) to help
structure material with learners to learn or remember melodies.
increasing sophistication to Tell learners that they will be developing and changing the musical ideas for
convey intentions to an each picture on the storyboard.
audience.
As a whole class, label the different sections of the new modern opera, for
9MS.06 Use notation(s) to example, overture, act 1, act 2, final act. Now perform the musical ideas in Alternatively, learners could create a musical or
support musical learning order and discuss and demonstrate any parts that learners are unsure of. a song.
appropriate to the context.
Encourage learners to contribute their own ideas about how these ideas could
be developed further. Encourage simple changes as these can be very
effective. Learners can just add/change one small feature for each example.
Possibilities might include:
 increase the length of the idea using repetition
 add a bass line
 add a sustained chord or a few chords
 add some vocal harmonies.
In small groups, ask learners to think about structure – how will their music
reflect the story that unfolds in that scene. They should develop their musical Support learners to use notation or notemaking
ideas for each scene. Circulate around the groups listening and supporting as skills if this is helpful and meaningful to the
appropriate. group. Give different examples of how symbols
can be used to represent sound and also can
After learners have made some progress creating their own musical excerpts, be used as a visual aid when it comes to
ask each group to create a silent dramatic ‘pose’ to represent each section. remembering or revisiting work.
This reminds learners of the dramatic quality of opera and may help them to
summarise each section visually, thinking about mood, atmosphere and plot. Music portfolio: learners can add notes,
reflections and recordings of their rehearsals to
Resources: their music portfolio. You could also add a
 Audio example of opera for when learners enter the room such as ‘O Mio photograph of their pose.
Babbino Caro’ by Puccini
 Resources, excerpts and a storyboard for an opera, musical or song that
tells a story (from the previous activity)

 A range of musical instruments.
9MS.02 Identify, explain and After a fun vocal and physical warm up, perform together a favourite class song For example, ‘Chilly Winds’ by Kristian Herner
demonstrate how specific (which could be a popular or folk song). Ideally this should have opportunities and Rachel Eddy, has two-part vocal
features of music relate to its to practise two-part vocal harmonies. harmonies.
context.
In the same groups, return to the work from the previous activity and practise
9MS.05 Confidently discuss performing each section of the new modern opera from beginning to the end.
their music through Learners can try to incorporate the dramatic poses into the performance if
recognising who and what has logistically possible while focusing on how to move seamlessly between
influenced their work and sections to create a convincing overall performance.
demonstrate these influences.
As a whole class, listen to the group pieces, even if they are unfinished, and
give positive, specific, useful feedback. Give each group at least one specific
thing to work on. Tell learners that they are aiming to perform to an informal
audience soon.
In groups, learners carry on refining work according to the feedback.
Ask each group to discuss how specific features of the music they have When thinking about the different ‘features’ of
created relate to its context. music, encourage learners to think about:
rhythm, metre, melody, harmony, tonality
Ask learners: (major or minor for instance), texture, timbre,
 What specific musical features can you notice and describe in your music? dynamics, and articulation. Research these
 What factors do you think could have influenced the music you have terms if necessary.
created as a group?
Music portfolio: learners can add notes,
Circulate around the groups listening to discussions and adding guidance and reflections and recordings of their ideas and
prompts if appropriate. rehearsals to their music portfolio.
Resources:
 A favourite class song for group singing
 Resources from previous work on the class opera
 A range of musical instruments.
9MM.01 Perform convincingly After a calming vocal and physical warm up, play a song with three vocal parts. For example, ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’ by
music from different traditions, Demonstrate these and encourage learners to join in with the parts, or Ladysmith Black Mambazo has three vocal
time and genres. improvising. parts.

9MS.03 Identify, describe and In groups, learners return to their refined modern operas and prepare them for
justify creative decisions made a performance. Circulate around groups making sure they are practising the
by musicians in different beginning, the end and the joins between sections, to ensure a smooth and
contexts (including self). confident performance. Finally, encourage learners to focus on the overall
quality of the performance; the mood, the atmosphere, the meaning behind the
story and the style.
Arrange for each group to perform their modern operas to an audience, while One option would be to perform to another
displaying the storyboard for the audience to look at. class at the end of the unit, and to a larger
audience as part of the final concert (Unit 9.5).
Discuss positively. Include some discussion which focuses on the creative
decisions made while creating/composing in a group.
Ask learners:
 Can you describe a specific creative decision that was made and can you
explain and justify why this decision was made? Music portfolio: learners can add notes,
 What was the end result of making this decision? reflections and recordings of their rehearsals
and performance to their music portfolio.
Resources:
 A favourite class song for group singing
 Resources from previous work on the class opera
 Musical instruments and any props required for the performance.
Unit 9.5 The final concert
Unit 9.5 The final concert

Outline of unit:
In this unit, learners will select their favourite work from the year to revise, refine and perform as part of a final concert. It is important that this unit draws on all the
prior learning across this stage (and their Lower Secondary learning). This unit requires learners to both use and further develop their existing performing skills.
This will mean something different for each individual learner.

 experience of singing in groups and following a leader
 experience of performing a wide variety of music and refining work in preparation for a concert
In addition, they may have previous experience of playing tuned and untuned percussion instruments, and/or other musical instruments. Alongside music making,
notation.
Language:
 Vocabulary related to voice, singing and playing (vocals, backing vocals, vibrato, articulation, rubato, rhythm, dynamics, atmosphere, tone colour/timbre, pitch,
in-tune/intonation, melody, accompaniment, time signature such as four or three beats in a bar, tempo, in-time, chord, postproduction techniques, gig, concert,
rehearsal, dress rehearsal, audience, performance).
 Vocabulary related to songs (lyrics, backing track, unison, harmony and two-part or three-part harmony, verse, chorus, feature, instrumental section, bridge
section, intro/introduction and outro/ending, call and response, a cappella, style, genre, context).

9MM.01 Perform convincingly After a vocal warm up, return to a previous rhythmic game or activity. This
music from different traditions, could be Steve Reich’s ‘Clapping Music’, where learners try and loosely create
time and genres. a similar effect. Demonstrate the rhythm that repeats throughout the piece and
slow down the tempo if necessary.
Play through all of the pieces of music learnt in this Stage, or, if time is a factor, Some work could be notated using different
play short excerpts of each piece. forms of notation, if it would be meaningful for
the learners. You may wish to use hand signals
Ask learners: (e.g. sol-fa and Kodály-Curwen hand signals)
Which of these would you like to perform in a concert (given the time to to help learners to learn or remember
rehearse and refine the performances)? melodies.
Discuss learners’ responses to each piece in turn and then pick four favourites,
with at least two of these being whole class performances. Music portfolio: learners can add notes,
By Stage 9 learners are likely to have performed in several concerts. Ask them their music portfolio.
to reflect on what makes a good live performance (perhaps referring to their
music portfolios from previous stages). To help this process you may like to
show them an inspiring performance (for example, a live performance by
Queen or one of the many performances of Elgar’s Cello Concerto by
Jacqueline du Pré).
In groups, briefly discuss the live performances.
Ask learners:
 What do you think was inspiring about this performance?
 Why has this performance caused a stir?
Circulate around the groups, listening and prompting through questioning.
Resources:
 A rhythmic game or activity
 Resources for all previous work from the stage (including any instruments
required)
 Recordings of inspirational live performances

9MM.02 Experiment with Warm up the voice and body while listening to/watching another inspiring live Drawing on learners’ ideas through
familiar material, using some performance. Another possible example could be one of the many questioning, discuss the cyclical and ongoing
improvisatory skills, creatively performances by the guitar duo Rodrigo Y Gabriela. process of refining, revisiting and improving
and flexibly, when rehearsing work as this idea will be central to this unit.
and performing. As a whole class, recap the four pieces that have been chosen. Swiftly run
9MS.03 Identify, describe and through as much of the material as possible, getting an overview of the You may wish to use hand signals (e.g. sol-fa
justify creative decisions made performance, and taking time after each piece to discuss, make notes, and and Kodály-Curwen hand signals) to help
by musicians in different implement any initial changes. learners to learn or remember melodies.
contexts (including self).
Ask learners: Encourage learners to develop their skills
9MS.06 Use notation(s) to  What would need to be changed in order to make this piece performance further through playing chords if appropriate to
support musical learning ready? the music. This will build on work done in this
appropriate to the context.  Who will be doing what? area so far in previous stages. Research basic
chords if necessary, in order to be able to
Discuss individual roles and make notes. support learners to play two, three or four basic
root position chords in a simple piece of music.
Now start rehearsing each piece in more detail, starting with whole class
pieces first. (Practise and refine any group work later.)
Display a pre-prepared poster of how to refine work for all to see and briefly
discuss this, so that learners understand it and can use it in their own practise
and development, while also offering ideas to the class about how to improve
their work. This can include advice such as:
 Play through musical material.
 Listen and think about which features could be improved (such as rhythm,
tempo, melody, pitch, etc.).
 Practise short sections of music in different ways to try and refine and
improve them according to the features of music mentioned above.
 Join sections together to make a larger sections of music.
 Play through musical material.
 Repeat the cycle until you are satisfied.
Play through the whole class pieces one by one, discussing after each run
through, what improvements could be made. Encourage learners to problem
solve and to use high-order thinking while discussing ways to improve their
own work as a group. Encourage thinking about both the details of the music
and also about how they want the overall performance to sound. Visual
cues/notation/symbols can also be created and used to help some learners
remember their parts.
Record the rehearsals and listen to them as a class, if possible, as part of the

refining process.
If group pieces have been chosen for the final performance, work on these
now. Circulate around groups, listening and offering support. Extra support may be needed to help learners
with their group performances. Alternatively,
As a whole class, individually, think about one thing you wish to improve for some groups may wish to work more
next time. Help learners with ideas, such as ‘to improve my confidence’ or ‘to independently and this should be encouraged.
improve my own vocal part by singing more in-tune’. Learners strike a pose
which illustrates this idea. Hold for 5 seconds.
Resources: Music portfolio: learners can add notes,

 Recording of an inspirational live performance reflections and recordings of their rehearsals to
 Resources for music selected for the final concert (including any their music portfolio.
instruments required)
9MM.04 Organise and Warm up voices and bodies in a fun way. Lead some call and response
structure material with rhythms that become increasingly more complex to challenge learners.
increasing sophistication to Learners can tap on tables or clap the rhythms.
convey intentions to an
audience. Run through all of the performances if possible. If there is not enough time for You may wish to use hand signals (e.g. sol-fa
this, pick and choose the sections, which need the most attention. Make time to and Kodály-Curwen hand signals) to help
9MM.05 When composing and listen to the group performances as well. Make notes regarding possible learners to learn or remember melodies.
arranging, demonstrate a good improvements after each performance and ask learners to make their own Create visual aids as a whole class and in
understanding of writing for the notes throughout this process, for sharing with the whole class. groups as appropriate. Display for all to see.
instruments or digital media
they have chosen to use. Record the performances and listen to them as a class, if possible.
As a whole class, ask a learner to lead a brief discussion about how the pieces
can be improved, using the notes that were made. Ask learners to input their
ideas, making sure that all comments are generally positive and specific,
without singling out individual learners in a negative light. Discuss how they
want their audience to feel and how they might organise the pieces of music to
achieve this.
Finally, lead a discussion about practicalities and logistics. Music portfolio: learners can add notes,
Ask learners: their music portfolio.
 What has to happen before the concert, and during the concert in order for
things to run smoothly?

 What equipment do we need?
Ask a group of volunteers to help set up before the concert. Give as many
learners as possible, some responsibility, as this will encourage feelings of
ownership and engagement.
Listen to one more piece of music (live or pre-recorded) which is interesting

from a performance angle. It may be a good example of performing flair or style
for instance. One example could be a virtuosic (technically impressive)
recording of a Jimi Hendrix guitar solo, checking for content suitability and
appropriateness in advance.
Resources:
 Recording of an inspirational live performance
 Resources for music selected for the final concert (including any
9MS.01 Listen and respond to Have a break from the pieces that learners have been practising in the other
familiar and unfamiliar musical activities.
extracts in a broad range of
musical styles, justifying Play a fun and uplifting song that learners may know (for example, ‘Good
responses with technical Times’ by Chic). Learners can add percussion and/or sing along, adding
language. harmonies if possible. Give a couple of examples for backing vocals or
harmonies (live or pre-recorded) so that learners have something to copy if
they should need.
Play another example of an inspiring performance, either giving a live rendition To provide more challenge for learners you
or by playing a recording. One example could be a piece of music played by could give them appropriate instruments so
Yehudi Menuhin and Ravi Shankar, on violin and sitar. that they can join in.
Provide a simple, repetitive pentatonic riff for further improvisation and For a pentatonic riff, this could be a pre-
experimentation. Encourage learners to play an instrument that they haven’t recorded backing track or it could be played
yet played as they improvise over the accompaniment. Allow opportunities for live. Play only the same group of notes
learners to improvise all together and also to have solo opportunities, as this throughout the accompaniment and provide the
will allow them to really hear what they are doing. Options for improvising on same notes for the learners to improvise on top
different instruments include: (for example, based on the black notes of a
 Keyboard/piano: use only the black notes C sharp, D sharp, F sharp, G piano). This will give learners confidence, as it
sharp and A sharp. means that no matter what notes they play, the
 Tuned percussion: only provide the chosen notes (chime bars) or use music will always sound quite harmonically

stickers to indicate the notes that can be played (e.g. on a glockenspiel). soothing.
 Stringed instruments: use stickers to mark where to place the fingers to
play the chosen notes.
Finally, return back to the class performance. Tell learners that they are not You may wish to use hand signals (e.g. sol-fa
going to be performing in full now. Instead, learners should go through all of the and Kodály-Curwen hand signals) to help
pieces one by one, quickly performing just the first one or two bars and then learners to learn or remember melodies.
stopping. And then practise performing the final one or two bars. This will
refresh learners’ memories and increase their confidence for the upcoming Music portfolio: learners can add notes,
concert. reflections and recordings of their rehearsals to
Spend a few minutes reminding learners about the concert and making a few
practical notes. Encourage learners to think about the essentials.
Ask learners:
 Is there anything we have forgotten?
 Where are the audience going to sit?
 Are they going to sit on the floor?
 Do we need any extra equipment for the concert?
 Who is going to help set up the performing space?
Resources:
 Fun and uplifting song that learners may know and be able to play or sing
along to
 Recording of an inspirational live performance
9MM.04 Organise and Learners should know well in advance that they will perform to an audience in Many musicians rely on certain relaxation
structure material with this session. techniques or rituals before a performance. It
increasing sophistication to can be a good idea to bring this idea into the
convey intentions to an Play some relaxing music without words and encourage learners to lie down on classroom and help to nourish learners’ ability
audience. their backs and experience some deep relaxation, allowing their muscles, and to create healthy pre-performance habits.
any tension to sink into the floor. One example could be an excerpt from the These can include quiet relaxation skills and
9MS.05 Confidently discuss album ‘Sleep’ by Max Richter. After relaxing on their backs, learners could gentle vocal and muscular warm ups.
their music through stand up and begin to add some gentle vocal sounds while wandering freely
recognising who and what has around the room.
influenced their work and It is equally important to be very enthusiastic
demonstrate these influences. Depending on the energy levels of the learners at this point, it could be helpful and supporting during the process of doing a

to then spend a short amount of time (one or two minutes) to increase energy concert and also afterwards. Celebrate
and focus levels by playing some up-beat music. Learners could jump up and learners’ achievements above all.
down in time to the beat in order to get the blood circulating around their
bodies. This will help their concentration levels for a performance. You may wish to use hand signals (e.g. sol-fa
and Kodály-Curwen hand signals) to help
Perform all four of the chosen pieces to an audience. It can be effective to have learners to learn or remember melodies.
parents and teachers in the audience, as many learners will enjoy sharing their
skills with people who are close to them. When discussing the performance, also
encourage learners to think about the
Record the performance and listen to it as a class, if possible. transferable skills they have developed.
Think about: teamwork, planning, rehearsing,
Discuss the performance with a celebratory feel. listening, leading, directing, organising,
presenting and performing, supporting,
Ask learners: encouraging.
 What went well?
 What could have been better? Music portfolio: learners can add notes,
 How did learners feel about the concert? reflections and recordings of their rehearsals
 If we put on another concert what sort of thing could we do? and performance to their music portfolio.
Make sure learners have an opportunity to celebrate their concert and their
achievements. This could involve looking at photographs. Learners, in pairs,
could also share one thing they were pleased with and one thing they could
improve for the future.
Resources:
 Relaxing music
 Up-beat music
Cambridge Lower Secondary Music (0078) Stage 9
Sample lesson 1
CLASS:
DATE:
Learning objectives 9MM.02 Experiment with familiar material, using some improvisatory skills,
creatively and flexibly, when rehearsing and performing
9MS.01 Listen and respond to familiar and unfamiliar musical extracts in a broad
range of musical styles, justifying responses with technical language.
Lesson focus / Identifying and describing musical features in excerpts from music that tells a story.
success criteria
Experimenting and improvising using voice and /or other instruments.
Developing ensemble skills (playing or singing effectively within a group context).
Prior knowledge / Previous Learners will build on their previous experience of:
learning  using singing as a means of expression
 listening to, and describing, music of different genres
 improvising and composing.
In addition learners may use previous experience of notating music, using a variety
of different notation systems, such as graphic scores and western classical staff
notation.
Plan
Lesson Planned activities Notes

Introduction Play some music which is relevant to the lesson as learners You may choose your
enter the room (e.g. Maria Callas singing the soprano aria ‘O own musical examples,
Mio Babbino Caro’ from Puccini’s Opera Gianni Schicchi or e.g. by including local
another example). and indigenous music
and also music from
Begin with a fun vocal warm up, making 'nonsense sounds' or different times and
‘scatting’, using ideas from Ella Fitzgerald’s ‘One Note Samba.’ places.
Play an audio recording or give a live demonstration of
scatting, encouraging learners to join in and then lead some
‘call and response’ with scatting sounds/nonsense sounds.
Experiment with a wide variety of sounds. Some learners may
wish to volunteer to lead some of the call and response
scatting.
Tell learners that this lesson is the beginning of a unit that will
focus on ‘building a modern opera’. In this lesson learners will
explore an existing opera/musical/song (which tells a story)
and break it down into smaller parts or ‘building blocks’.
Learners will aim to familiarise themselves with the

synopsis/story and the overall structure, and also begin to learn
how to sing and/or play some of the key musical ideas from
each of the main sections.
Main activities As a whole class sing an a cappella vocal round such as

‘Round and Round’. Once the round has been learnt and the
learners are confident, encourage learners to sing it in three
parts and add some rhythm if possible such as stamping,
tapping or clapping.
Round and round the Earth is turning,

41

turning always round to morning,
and from morning round to night.
Start by learning the round using repetition and memorisation

techniques. Sing the melody in unison, then you can form your
own group (of one), starting after the rest of the class. Then
split the learners into two groups, one starting after the other.
Depending on the round, and as the learners become more
confident, the class can be split to create a third group in order
to sing the round in three parts.
Share the selected piece
As a whole class listen to some excerpts from a musical, which with the learners in a
tells a story. While listening to each excerpt show learners a simplified and
simple pre-prepared story board. For example, these are manageable form, with a
possible excerpts from ‘West Side Story’ (music by Leonard minimal number of
Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim): scenes/sections, to avoid
 Introduce the gangs ‘the Sharks’ and ‘the Jets’ (excerpt learners becoming
from ‘Jet Song’). overwhelmed and
 Tony (a Jet) and Maria (sister of the leader of the Sharks) confused.
fall in love (excerpt of ‘Tonight’).
 In a gang fight, Tony kills Maria’s brother (excerpt of ‘The
Rumble’).
 Maria is upset but wants to elope with Tony so they can
marry (excerpt of ‘Somewhere’). However the next day
Tony is incorrectly told that Maria has been shot, he runs
out of his hiding place and is shot. He dies in Maria’s arms
(reprise of ‘Somewhere’).
Encourage learners to guess what is happening in each picture
and therefore contribute ideas for the overall story of the
musical. Listen to learners’ ideas while guiding them towards
the original interpretation and synopsis. When the story is
complete, read the synopsis all together.
Now listen to the same series of short excerpts, one for each
picture on the storyboard. Display the pictures while listening
but not necessarily in the right order.
After each excerpt ask learners:
 Which picture corresponds to this excerpt?

 How can you tell?
 Are there any musical clues?
When learners play along
Encourage learners to use descriptive and technical words to
with the excerpts, some
describe what they hear. Support them to think about rhythm,
additional visual cues or
metre, melody, harmony, tonality (major or minor for instance),
individual support may be
texture, timbre, dynamics, and articulation.
needed to help learners
with playing specific
Model different ways of joining in with the music, either using
notes.
voice or instruments. Learners should be encouraged to join in
with each excerpt in an informal way. Model this behaviour
using one short, specific motif or pattern for each excerpt and
picture. These musical snippets are likely to be only two bars
long, as they must be memorable and fairly easy to learn
quickly.
End/Close/ In groups, learners can discuss the lesson and reflect on their Comments: Give
Reflection/Summar own learning. Suggest ideas for the groups to cover. examples of ideas you
y might share with your
Ask learners: group. This may help
 How did you find the lesson? quieter learners to feel
 What did you learn today? more confident sharing
 Were you comfortable playing along with the musical openly.
42

excerpts?
 Did you feel like you had enough support? Music portfolio: learners
 What did you enjoy the most about the lesson? can add notes, reflections
and recordings of their
Discuss what went well and what you could have improved. rehearsals to their music
Finally, ask all learners to think of one target for next lesson portfolio.
and then share it with your group. Circulate around the groups,
encouraging useful discussion, listening and supporting.
Reflection
Use the space below to reflect on your lesson. Answer the most relevant questions for your lesson.
Were the learning objectives and lesson focus realistic? What did the learners learn today?
What was the learning atmosphere like?
What changes did I make from my plan and why?
If I taught this again, what would I change?
What two things really went well (consider both teaching and learning)?
What two things would have improved the lesson (consider both teaching and learning)?
What have I learned from this lesson about the class or individuals that will inform my next lesson?
Next steps
What will I teach next based on learners’ understanding of this lesson?
43
Sample lesson 2
CLASS:
DATE:
Learning objectives 9MM.03 Improvise and compose using a range of musical structures and devices,
with growing independence.
9MS.06 Use notation(s) to support musical learning appropriate to the context.

Lesson focus / Becoming more confident playing the original musical themes they learnt in the
success criteria previous lesson.
Deepening understanding of musical ideas in these themes and how they break
down into smaller components.
Developing ensemble and composing skills while working in a group to create and
adapt musical ideas in different ways.
Prior knowledge / Previous So far in this unit, learners have been introduced to a musical and learned to
learning play/sing some short extracts which correspond to key points in the narrative.
Plan

Introduction As a vocal and physical warm up, play a song which has You may choose your own
repetitive lyrics such as ‘Love is an Arrow’ by Aberfeldy. musical examples, e.g. by
Every time the learners hear the word ‘love’, they jump up including local and
with their arms in the air and make an L shape with their indigenous music and also
arms. Choose another word which repeats in the song (e.g. music from different times
‘you’) and ask learners to sing every time they hear it. and places.
Use a familiar song (e.g. ‘Round and Round’) as a further

warm up. Start by singing the melody in unison, before
singing it as a round in three parts.
Play a game where the storyboard pictures (from the

previous lesson) are held up in turn and learners have to
play some of the specific corresponding musical material
they have learned. Support learners by joining in and
modelling. Repeat the activity by asking a learner to choose
and hold up the next picture. This process can be repeated
a number of times until learners begin to feel more confident
with playing their parts and begin to enjoy feeling more
competent. Encourage learners to make mistakes with
confidence, as mistakes are essential for learning.
Tell learners that they will be developing and changing the

musical ideas for each picture on the storyboard.
Main activities As a whole class, label the different sections of the new
modern opera, for example, overture, act 1, act 2, final act. Support learners to use
Now perform the musical ideas in order and discuss and notation or note-making
demonstrate any parts that learners are unsure of. skills if this is helpful and
meaningful to the group.
Encourage learners to contribute their own ideas about how Give different examples of
these ideas could be developed further. Encourage simple how symbols can be used to
changes as these can be very effective. Learners can just represent sound and also
add/change one small feature for each example. can be used as a visual aid
Possibilities might include: when it comes to
 increase the length of the idea using repetition remembering or revisiting
44

 add a bass line work.
 add a sustained chord or a few chords
 add some vocal harmonies.
In small groups, ask learners to think about structure – how

will their music reflect the story that unfolds in that scene.
They should develop their musical ideas for each scene.
Circulate around the groups listening and supporting as
appropriate.
After learners have made some progress creating their own

musical excerpts, ask each group to create a silent dramatic Music portfolio: learners can
‘pose’ to represent each section. This reminds learners of add notes, reflections and
the dramatic quality of opera and may help them to recordings of their
summarise each section visually, thinking about mood, rehearsals to their music
atmosphere and plot. portfolio. You could also add
a photograph of their pose.
End/Close/ As a whole class, learners can discuss the lesson and Demonstrate how to give
Reflection/Summar reflect on their own learning. Use a large blank piece of constructive feedback which
y paper and write down learners’ thoughts. is positive, specific and
useful.
Ask learners:
 How did you find the lesson?
 How confident do you now feel when playing the original
excerpts?
 Can you think of a specific creative decision that was
made in your group and what affect that had on the
musical material?
Discuss what went well and what you could have improved.
Finally, ask all learners to think of one target for next lesson
and tell the person next to them. Learners can write down
their target for their own personal use. Collect these in and
keep them for reference.
Reflection
Use the space below to reflect on your lesson. Answer the most relevant questions for your lesson.
Were the learning objectives and lesson focus realistic? What did the learners learn today?
What was the learning atmosphere like?
What changes did I make from my plan and why?
If I taught this again, what would I change?
What two things really went well (consider both teaching and learning)?
What two things would have improved the lesson (consider both teaching and learning)?
What have I learned from this lesson about the class or individuals that will inform my next lesson?
Next steps
What will I teach next based on learners’ understanding of this lesson?
45
Cambridge Assessment International Education
The Triangle Building, Shaftsbury Road, Cambridge, CB2 8EA, United Kingdom
t: +44 1223 553554 f: +44 1223 553558
e: info@cambridgeinternational.org www.cambridgeinternational.org
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Scheme of Work

Cambridge Lower Secondary

Unit Suggested teaching time

Unit 9.1 Are you in the loop station? 9 hours

Unit 9.2 Hip-hop and remixes 9 hours

Unit 9.3 And the beat goes on… 9 hours

Unit 9.4 Building a modern opera 9 hours

Unit 9.5 The final concert 9 hours

Sample lesson plans

Other support for teaching Cambridge Lower Secondary Music Stage 9

Included on this support site are:

Resources for the activities in this scheme of work

Approaches to teaching Cambridge Lower Secondary Music Stage 9

Differentiation and extension activities

Unit 9.1 Are you in the loop station?

Unit 9.1 Are you in the loop station?

Recommended prior knowledge/previous learning:

Unit 9.1 Suggested activities

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learners listen to some loop-based music in a relaxing manner, such as while

Lead a demonstration of how to create a loop-based piece of music, using

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Perform pieces to the class, even if they are still un-finished.

Lead a discussion, using effective feedback techniques.

Finish by listening to another contrasting loop-based piece of music such as

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Unit 9.2 Hip-hop and remixes

Unit 9.2 Hip-hop and remixes

Recommended prior knowledge/previous learning:

Unit 9.2 Suggested activities

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Return to a familiar song or round.

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Unit 9.3 And the beat goes on…

Unit 9.3 And the beat goes on…

Recommended prior knowledge/previous learning:

Unit 9.3 Suggested activities

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Ask learners to reflect by discussing with a partner:

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

One simple rhythm example could be crotchet, crotchet, quaver, quaver,

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

9MS.02 Identify, explain and Warm up voices and bodies.

9MS.04 Describe key events Sea shanties

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Unit 9.4 Building a modern opera

Unit 9.4 Building a modern opera

Recommended prior knowledge/previous learning:

Unit 9.4 Suggested activities

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Whichever piece is chosen, it is important to

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes

Learning objectives Suggested teaching activities and resources Comments/Teaching notes