Teacher Name: Amy Jackson

Content & Grade Level: General Music 6

Unit Title: Musical Creativity

Essential Question(s):
● How do musicians develop their skills through the process of writing and
covering songs?

Unit Question(s):
● How can we take what we’ve learned about the ukulele and apply it in a song
cover and songwriting?
● How do musicians collaborate to write and cover songs?
● How does writing a song make it easier to understand basic music theory?

NCAS Standards:
▪ MU: Pr4 2.4🡪 a) a Explain how understanding the structure and the elements
of music are used in music selected for performance
b) When analyzing selected music, read and identify by name or function
standard symbols for rhythm, pitch, articulation, and dynamics.
● MU: Cr1 1.16🡪 Generate simple rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic phrases
within AB and ABA forms that convey expressive intent
● MU: Cr2 1.6🡪 Select, organize, construct, and document personal musical ideas
for arrangements and compositions within AB or ABA form that demonstrate
an effective beginning, middle, and ending, and convey expressive intent.
● MU: Cr3 2.6🡪 Present the final version of their documented personal
composition or arrangement, using craftsmanship and originality to
demonstrate an effective beginning, middle, and ending, and convey expressive
intent.
● MU: Pr4 2.6🡪 Identify how cultural and historical context inform performances
● MU: Re7 1.6🡪 Identify the context of music from a variety of genres, cultures,
and historical periods

State Standards:
● 5CE Distinguish between and among the use of dynamics, meter, tempo and
tonality in various pieces through active listening.
● 2PR Play a variety of classroom instruments, independently or collaboratively,
with increasingly complex rhythms and melodic phrases.
● 1RE Develop criteria to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of music
performances and compositions including their own.

Measurable Unit Objectives:

● Students will select a song to cover as a class.
● Students will develop team building skills from collaborating in small groups.
 ● Students will compose a 12 bar song using a provided chord progression.
● Students will write a set of lyrics for their song.

Academic Language:
● Cover: a performance of a previously recorded, commercially released song by
someone other than the original artist.
● Chord Progression: a series of chord changes that move through tonic,
dominant, and/or predominant structures.
● Chord: a cluster of pitches sounded together to create a harmony
● Composition: a work of music, literature, or art
● 4/4 time: Common time in the United States. This is a simple meter that is easy
for students to follow.

Unit Plan Rationale:

While it may seem rushed, this is unit is done early in the curriculum for a multitude of
reasons. Most importantly, however, it is placed here in order to allow students to
become more familiar with navigating the ukulele. There is no better way to learn an
instrument than guided self-discovery and project based learning, and the projects in
this unit give students the opportunity to do so in a controlled environment. In order
for this to be effective, however, the teacher must provide appropriate scaffolding and
parameters. This is done first through doing the cover song, with the entire class. Then
the teacher uses the “I do then you do” method by showing them a song he/she has
written, and then using the same chord progression for them to write their songs in the
same style. This unit also must come first in the three unit sequence due to the fact that
it sets a precedent for the composition students will be doing in the Arts Integration
and Opera/Musical Theater units that follow it.

Duration of Unit:
● 3 weeks
● Lessons will be taught on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday
● Total of 9 lessons

Calendar of Lessons:
Lesson 1: Song Covers
● Students will engage in a lecture about cover songs and their influence in
popular culture.
o Students will view YouTube videos of ukulele covers

Lesson 2: Song Covers

● Students will continue to engage in discussion about cover songs and their
influence in popular culture.
o Students will review more YouTube Videos of ukulele covers
● Teacher will provide a list of songs within the student’s reach to be covered in
the following week.
o Songs TBD
Lesson 3: Song Covers
● Students will listen to covers of their chosen song and engage in discussion
about what made it a good cover or not.
● Students will begin to learn the song they chose as a class.
o If necessary, the teacher may need to teach more ukulele chords on this
day in order for the students to be able to play the chosen song.

Lesson 4: Song Covers

● Students will finish learning the song they chose to cover
● Students will perform this song as a class.

Lesson 5: Songwriting
● Students will engage in a brief discussion about songwriting
● Students will listen to a song the teacher has written.
● The teacher will provide a simple chord progression and have students
improvise a melody with their voice overtop of this chord progression.
o The chord progression will be the same as the one used in the teacher’s
composition.
o Chord progressions will be no longer than twelve measures and will be
in 4/4 time.
o Chord progression will only include chords they know on the ukulele (C,
C7, A, Ami, F).

Lesson 6: Songwriting
● Students will write lyrics to the melody they decided on in the previous class.
o Students will either be able to do this with up to two partners or by
themselves.

Lesson 7: Songwriting
● Students will to work individually or in groups on their composition.
o Teacher will circulate providing instruction

Lesson 8: Songwriting
● Students will continue to work individually or in groups on their composition.
o Teacher will circulate providing instruction

Lesson 9: Songwriting
● Students will perform their compositions for one another
● Students will fill out feedback forms on their peer’s compositions

Planned Assessments and Rationale:

Because this unit is project based and primarily surrounding being creative, students
will be assessed through summative rubrics and grading scales which evaluate overall
creativity and ability to perform and compose within the set parameters. Students will
also receive feedback from their peers through anonymous feedback forms.