Entry 7

Contextual Information and Student Learning Adaptations Template

Total Number of Students in the School: 380
School Socio-Economic Make-Up (i.e., % free and reduced lunches): Free (22%) Reduced (8%)

Class Class Class Class Class

1 2 3 4 5
Grade Level/Subject Taught Mustang Chorale
Number of Students in Classroom 50 students

Student Learning Adaptations:

Contextual Information:
(List the number of students identified in
each class you teach and identify the class in
which you are teaching your unit)
Gender
Number of Females:
Number of Males:
Ethnic/Cultural Make-Up
Caucasian/White:
African American/ Black:
Hispanic/Latino:
Asian/Pacific Islander:
American Indian/Alaskan Native:
Class Class Class Class Class (Describe at least one example of a strategy to
1 2 3 4 5 provide equitable opportunities,
accommodations, or modifications you
attempted for any student identified within each
contextual characteristic)
At Rock Creek, the overall ratio of females to males
31 has a slightly higher male count in the high school.
19 In music, there is a noticeable gap between the
number of females to males with the females
outnumbering them 2-1. It is important to keep
recruiting in mind, so each section is balanced and
not overpowering the others. It’s no secret that
males are usually lacking from choral ensembles
too.
As you can see, the diversity at Rock Creek is very
44 minimal. However, music proudly involves most of
1 the minority population in the school.
4
1
0

Language Proficiency There weren’t any students in music who were

Number of English Language Learners 0 learning English as a second language. I do think it
(ELL): is unique that vocal music can explore different
languages through sung text(s). So, if we did have a
student who was an ELL student, I would’ve used
their strength to learn a song from their native
tongue in our class.
Academic Performance One thing that we do at Rock Creek is have each
Students Performing day we have choir; we have it themed for
Below Grade Level: 3 something. For example, “Motivational Mondays,
Student Performing Work-it Wednesdays, and Finale Fridays.” These
Above Grade Level: 5 little incentives keep students interested in school so
that by the time Friday rolls around, we don’t have
to fight students to attend choir at the end of the
week.
Students with Special Needs Music is one of the only classes where students
Learning Disability: 3 of all intellectual backgrounds can participate
Emotional/Behavioral Impairment: 0 equally in the content that is taught.
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD): 3
Developmental Disability: 0
Intellectual Disability: 3
Speech/Language Impairment: 0
Autism Spectrum: 1
Gifted: 4
Blind/Visual Impairment (VI): 0
Deaf /Hearing Impairment (HI): 0
Physical Disability: 0
Other Health Impairment: 0
 Contextual Information and Student Learning Adaptations Template
(Continued)

Student Characteristics:
Describe the developmental characteristics of students in your
classroom.

- Cognitive: Overall, the students in my classroom have a moderate to advanced level of musical literacy.
There are a few students with intellectual giftings and some with exceptionalities. Since this ensemble
is 9-12, we have a whole range of individuality and giftings.
- Physical: While chorale music doesn’t necessarily involve movement like with marching band for
example, my students still have the ability to move around the classroom if needed.
- Emotional: In high school, emotions are running high. With puberty ending for some and emotional
stress manifest in others, high school is pretty rough. Not to mention the unknown trauma or emotional
abuse that some students deal with at home, I want music to be their escape and for them to feel safe in
my classroom.
- Social: This ensemble is a fine art elective so the students in my class want to participate and be
involved. Since COVID-19 numbers have been minimal, Rock Creek has decided to lift the mask
mandate and classrooms are basically back to pre-pandemic routines. This has created some social
challenges for our students who have been masked for the past two years. Students are more distracted
than they used to be for instance.
Highlight the prior knowledge and interests of students in your classroom.

- I have found that students enrolled in vocal music have a desire to be there, and to learn from Janie
Brokenicky. This is amazing to see knowing that she just started at Rock Creek a few years ago. I
would also say that about 20% of them are advanced musicians who have a foundation of music theory.
Whereas the other 80% are there to make music and have fun.
Describe the implications these characteristics have on planning and instruction.

- Backwards Design: I created my unit project by defining what the end goal was (which was to sing the
piece with musical concepts) and design lessons that built up to that final goal.
- Modeling: An important aspect of vocal music is demonstrating the desired skills you want the
ensemble to have when singing. This can be done through modeling. By giving the ensemble something
to imitate, they can achieve the desired skill with greater accuracy.

Environmental Factors:
 Describe district, school, and classroom environmental factors impacting the quality of education
for all of your students.
- Some factors to consider with Rock Creek students are all of the competing organizations like FCCLA,
other electives, extracurricular activities outside of school, if students have a job after school, etc. These
all play a part in weather students can participate in band, choir, or even the musical.

Describe community and family environmental factors impacting the quality of education for all
of your students.
- Since a majority of the students at Rock Creek are living is rural areas, it is difficult for them to get
transportation to and from school activities. Unless they have a parents/guardian who can take them, or
if they have a vehicle they can drive, it is harder for them to attend before or after school commitments.

Describe the implications these factors have on planning and instruction.

- These factors all guide how I plan my instruction. I have to take into account who has internet
access at home if they need to listen to a part recording on google classroom. I have to think about
if my students can practice outside of our normal class time. Since I only see my students once
every other day, this impacts my ability to reach my desired goal for them. I have to condense my
end goal for the ensemble into smaller chunks where the content is short and to the point for every
rehearsal.
 Contextual Information and Student Learning Adaptations Template
(Continued)

Focus Students Information

Provide information about the two focus students you selected from the class in which you will be teaching your unit
that you feel would benefit from modified instruction. You MUST choose one student with exceptionalities or
an English Language Learner as one of your focus students. Complete the chart below referring to these
students only as Student A and Student B. Do not use proper names.

Describe this student using Why did you select What did you find out Based on this
information from the this student? about this student? information what are
Contextual Information and Address characteristics the implications for
Student Learning Adaptations from the Contextual this student’s
Information and Student instruction?
Learning Adaptations
Student Students A is a white male who has I was intrigued by this Cognitive: He is listed as gifted Student A needs written
an intellectual gifting in music. He student and his academically but is a virtuoso on or visual instructions, as
A the piano.
wears glasses and has a twin sister. aptitude for music. It well as constant verbal
was also interesting to Emotional: He can carry a redirection. Student A
watch him sing and conversation, but if there is a stall also needs positive
participate with the in the conversation he would reinforcement for each
rest of the ensemble. often leave or get distracted by activity.
something else. He rarely asks
questions, but when he does, he
asks very thought-provoking
questions about the content.

Physical: He is a tall and slender

young man.

Social: He often sits down and is

relatively reserved in the normal
classroom setting but is
surprisingly talkative one-on-one.
Describe this student using Why did you select What did you find out Based on this
information from the this student? about this student? information what are
Contextual Information and Address characteristics the implications for
Student Learning Adaptations from the Contextual this student’s
Information and Student instruction?
Learning Adaptations
Student Student B is a Hispanic male who I was intrigued by how Cognitive: He is performing Student B needs
is performing below his grade committed he was to below his peers with his assistance outside of
B
level. He struggles with singing singing in choir despite academics but tries very hard in class with ear training
with the ensemble and often sings a few vocal challenges music. and vocal modeling. He
down an octave if the part goes too he has. Emotional: He is a determined has no problems with
high for him. This is his first year singer who comes in to get extra other males, but needs
in choir. assistance during seminar time. assistance when the vocal
part goes above his
Physical: He is a shorter
individual, but average compared comfortable range.
to the rest of the males in the
ensemble.

Social: He is friendly with other

students and participates with no
social issues.
 Unit Overview

Category Description
Grade Level
9-12

Content Area
Choir

Unit Topic
Shenandoah (TBB)

State Standards/Common
Core Standards Addressed
(written format)
How does this unit address
state curriculum standards?
MU:Pr5.3.E.lla – Develop and apply appropriate rehearsal strategies to address
individual and ensemble challenges in a varied repertoire of music, and evaluate
their success.
MU:Pr6.1.E.la – Demonstrate attention to technical accuracy and expressive
qualities in prepared and improvised performances of a varied repertoire of music
representing diverse cultures, styles, and genres.
MU:Re7.1.E.8a – Explain reasons for selecting music citing characteristics found
in the music and connections to interest, purpose, and context.
MU:Re7.2.E.8a – Describe how understanding context and the way the elements of
music are manipulated inform the response to music.
Students will experience the performance of Shenandoah, with shared experiences
of listening, reading, and connecting with the music.

Identify and connect School

Improvement Goals related N/A
to this unit
Rationale (why is this unit I was assigned by my cooperative teacher to find a piece that would be performed
appropriate?) by her tenors and basses at the fall concert. The requirements for this piece were
that it needed to be a song that focuses on traveling or a song about the world. I
picked Shenandoah to satisfy the TBB requirement as well as it being a song about
traveling.

Instructional Unit Objectives

Learning Goals and Objectives: What will students know and be able to do at the end of this unit?
Unit Goal:

Objective # Unit Objectives Level(s)

(Bloom’s Taxonomy)

1 Students will be able to identify their vocal part of Shenandoah with two errors or 2
less.
2 Students will demonstrate their given part of Shenandoah with matching pitches 4
and tuning together.
3 Students will evaluate their rehearsal and performance of Shenandoah 5
 Instructional Design Template

Lesson Date Unit/Lesson Instructional Strategies/ Description of Formative Describe Specific Integration*
Objectives Activities Assessment Adaptations/ T R C I C
(formal/informal) Differentiation S S T C R
All Focus
Students Students
1 9/23 Pre-Assessment Function Chorale Formal – Did the students No additional Student B
follow their given line with the help needed. needed help
correct solfege patterns? with hearing X X X X
the interval
jumps in the
activity.
2 9/28 Reading skills Practicing their part by section Informal- Are students reading No additional No additional X
and singing their parts? help needed. help needed.
3 9/28 Listening skills Singing solfege of piece Informal – Can my students No additional Student B
sing the correct solfege help needed. needed X X X
syllables in the piece? assistance with
listening to part.
4 10/5 Post-Assessment Exit Ticket reflection Formal – Students give No additional No additional
feedback on how they think help needed. help needed. X X X
they did individually and as a
section.

*TS- Lesson integrates technology skills; RS- Lesson uses reading strategies; CT- Lesson demonstrates the use of critical thinking strategies; IC- Lesson demonstrates
integration of content across and within content fields; CR- Lesson utilizes community resources
 Instructional Design Template (continued)
1. Learning Strategies:
Explain how you included multiple learning strategies to address diverse cognitive, physical,
emotional, and social needs of all your students.
- Cognitive: I used a variety of instructional methods that addressed the unique needs of
my students such as visual aids, part recordings, and kinesthetic avenues to teach my
content.
- Physical: I had my students grouped up in a variety of set ups to force them to listen to
each other and for their common vocal parts across the ensemble.
- Emotional: No modifications from the unit.
- Social: I would have my students stand in groups when we were first learning the
piece, and then as they began to get comfortable with their respective parts I would
blend them together with other students to make them listen to each other. This
provided them with some challenges, but also got them moving around the room and
standing with other individuals they might not know.
2. Adaptations/Differentiation to Meet the Needs of All Students:
Explain how your instructional strategies were designed to address the contextual characteristics and
pre-assessment/diagnostic assessment information gathered on your students. What strategies did you
use to provide equitable opportunities for all students? What adaptations/differentiation did you make
to address varied reading levels and/or students with special needs? What adaptations/differentiation
did you make for Focus Students A and B

- I would offer my assistance if they needed me outside of class, during seminar for instance. I
would also sing along with Student B to build his confidence when he sang. I would use the
white board to put up the agenda for the day, so all my students were aware of what was
expected later.
3. Active Inquiry, Student Centered, and Meaningful Student Engagement:
Justify in what ways this unit is student centered. Describe how students were meaningfully engaged
in active inquiry (i.e. questioning concepts, developing learning strategies, seeking resources, and
conducting independent investigations).

- This unit is student centered because it is thought provoking, maybe a little difficult for some,
but at the end of the day, it makes them better musicians and people. I purposefully made
criteria that was focusing on the backwards design of learning this piece. This unit helps my
students be musically literate so they can work on learning music when I am no longer there.
4. Integration of Technology:
How did you use technology to plan and teach your unit?
- I used Google Classroom to post the Function Chorale for
them to read from. In addition, I also used google classroom
for them to complete an exit ticket as a reflection tool to gain
feedback from my lessons and their own personal progress.
How did students use technology to enhance their learning?
- I used exit tickets so they could reflect on how they did
personally, and as an ensemble.
5. Integration of Reading Strategies:
What reading strategies did you use in your unit? Why did you choose these specific strategies? How
did these strategies support your students reading development and content knowledge?

- SATB part reading: This required my students to read their individual part amongst a whole
chord of individual parts.
- Function Chorale sight reading: This pushed my students out of their comfort zone to sight read
something they have never read before, and with numerical values instead of lines and spaces.
- Solfege analysis: This taught my singers to identify the key of the piece and find Do.

6. Integration of Critical Thinking Strategies:

How did you address critical thinking, problem solving, and higher level thinking in your unit?

- Being able to read a piece of paper and produce an aural interpretation requires high operational
skills in order to develop and master. In my unit, I focused on having my students identify and
read through a piece of music. I then had my students sing their given part whilst other singers
sung a different vocal line.

7. Integration Within and Across Content Fields:

How did you demonstrate integration of content within and across content fields? How did this
integration enhance your student’s ability to understand relationships within and across these subject
areas?

- I was able to connect the pre-assessment of our piece by labeling where Do, Mi, and So were
and pair that with the numerical system of the Function Chorale. Knowing where the pitch
center is provides crucial support when a student is required to sing a piece of music.

8. Community Resources:
What community resources did you use to achieve your unit goals and objectives and foster student
learning?

- Collaboration
- Performance
- Responsibility