Elementary Education Lesson

Candidate Name: Paul Pfeifer

Content Area/Grade Level: Percussion Ensemble/4th Grade (B)

Unit Topic: West African Music

Unit Compelling Question: What makes West African music unique?

Lesson Topic: Performing/Rehearsing in an Ensemble

Describe the students in the classroom:

(for example -- cultural and ethnic diversity, religious diversity, number of students who receive free/reduced lunch, are
gifted, are ELL, have an IEP, and/or a 504 plan, have varied learning styles, etc...)
White, black, hispanic, free/reduced lunch, 3 IEPs (autism, OHI, OHI), 0 504s

Standard(s) Addressed in the Lesson:

MU:Pr6.1.4 - a. Perform music, alone or with others, with
expression and technical accuracy, and expression, technical accuracy, and
appropriate interpretation.
b. Demonstrate performance decorum and
audience etiquette appropriate for the audience etiquette appropriate for the
context, venue, and genre
MU:Cn11.1.4 - Demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and the other arts, other
disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life.

Essential Content for the Lesson:

ABAB Form, Dynamics, playing together (texture), Performing vs. Rehearsing

Lesson Guiding Question:

What makes playing in an ensemble so difficult? What challenges does West African present that
previous songs don’t?

Lesson Objective(s):
Students will compare and contrast the music of contemporary percussion, West-African percussion
music, and music that they listen to.
Students will model proper scalar patterns and rhythms.
Play through the entirety of “Kuenda” with correct dynamics and without timing issues

Materials for Lesson:

Soprano Xylophones, Alto Xylophones, Bass Xylophones, Bass bars, Djembes (high and low), Shekere,
Agogo Bells
SmartBoard for
Sheet music for new song

Formative Assessment(s):
Performing in both full ensemble or by section, listening for correct notes, timing, and dynamics.
Critical-Thinking questions:
“What did you like about this video?” “Wonder?” “What might this piece be about/called?”
“What makes playing in an ensemble so difficult?”
“What would/could you change about our dynamics?”

Lesson Procedures and Notes: (add additional rows as needed)

Procedure/Activity/Transition Questions to Ask; Materials to Use;
Accommodations and/or Modifications
Greet students at door, have them sit on their https://youtu.be/uZ7rqVhyOEw
dots and watch video of percussion ensemble

Briefly discuss video. Inform students of the “What did you like about this video?” “Wonder?”
schedule for the class. “What might this piece be about?”

Have students set up assigned instruments in Orff keyboard instruments, rhythmic percussion,
concert arc plus personal xylophone, mallets, stands with music

Without speaking, do imitation exercise

focusing on C scalar patterns and ti-tika/tika-
ti rhythmic patterns.

Have pitched percussion players practice

“Kuenda” while rhythmic percussion players
move instruments.

Rehearse section B of “Kuenda” then put Speak with noise-sensitive student privately about
together with the A section. wearing headphones during full ensemble

Rehearse “Kuenda” with dynamics and added “What makes playing in an ensemble so difficult?”
form, then perform. “What would/could you change about our
dynamics?”

Have students put instruments away and

return to their dots for dismissal.

Explain how this lesson addresses the lesson objective(s) and standards.
Students will be able to perform entirety of “Kuenda” with added dynamics and form together.
How did the lesson address the diverse needs/experiences of the students in the classroom?
Feedback from performance/visual assessment is tailored towards all students. Music used offers a
variety of styles and genres that will broaden students’ exposure to music.

Reflection
Name: Paul Pfeifer

Lesson Title: Performing/Rehearsing in an Ensemble

1. Use the formative assessment data for each lesson objective/learning target to sort the students’
performance into three categories (Below, Meets, and Exceeds):

Objective / Learning Target 1

students Below students Meet students Exceed

Objective / Learning Target 2

students Below students Meet students Exceed

Objective / Learning Target 3

students Below students Meet students Exceed

Include a description of the formative assessment data used and the criteria used to determine the
students’ performance on each of the lesson’s learning targets/objectives.

2. Based on the formative assessment data, how successful was the lesson? Did the students
achieve the learning target(s)?
Students were able to accurately describe and form opinions on the contemporary percussion video and
make observations on the difficulty of West African music. They also were able to echo my playing and
accurately play alternating rhythmic and scalar patterns. They were also able to play through “Keunda”
with few timing errors and with dynamics. The lesson was successful despite a plethora of content that
does not necessarily pay off within this lesson.

3. What will you do for those students who did not achieve the learning target criteria? For those
students who exceeded the criteria?
More critical-thinking questions with scaffolding will be geared towards those students that did not
achieve the learning target. As for the performance aspect, one-on-one time will be spent with those
students during the individual practice portion of rehearsal. For the high-achieving students, more
challenging parts will be given in future pieces and I will continue to offer a variety of difficulty in
student tasks.

4. In addition to the student work witnessed by the observer, identify any other student work
samples, evidence or artifacts that assisted you in making your determination regarding student
achievement.

The group creative activity showed correct understanding of dynamics in relation to high low. Students
also started to show achievement in the rounds activity at the end of class.
5. Did you depart from your plan? If so, how and why?

I did depart from my plan, adding a mini activity in the rehearsal portion of class where students worked
in groups to come up with visual representations of dynamics we can use in “Kuenda.” I saw this as an
opportunity for the students to create collaboratively and broaden their understanding of dynamics and
fluidity in regards to music performance.

6. If you had the opportunity to teach this lesson again to the same group of students, what would
you do differently, and why?

I would gage other students for answers, specifically those that don’t participate as much or aren’t high
achieving students. It can sometimes feel like a cop-out to pick the student who knows all the answers
in order to move forward in the lesson. I would also make quicker transitions between activities.
Outside of those two big aspects, this larger lesson was effective in my opinion.