Name: __Jenny Hsu_____ Element:____Melody____ Grade Level: __6th grade_________

Central Focus:
Melody (The Japanese In scale)

Rationale:
Orff: using xylophone to explore the traditional Japanese In scale, which is a minor pentatonic
scale, as well as understanding how the scale relates to regular scale from a music theory
perspective.
Kodaly: singing the pentatonic scale with solfege

Hook:
Has anyone been to Japan? Or Has anyone seen cherry blossom? (there are some in
Washington DC)

Learning Objective(s): Include both Summative Assessment

behavioral and conceptual.
1. Written:
Students will sing the song “Sakura,
None
Sakura” together in unison. Students will
2. Manipulative Assessment:
recognize the difference between the In Singing the pentatonic scale with
scale and natural minor scale. Students can solfege. Improvising on xylophone
in the In Scale.
sing the pentatonic scale with the correct
3. Classroom Discussion:
solfege.
Which scale degrees are missing in
the piece? Which notes in the scale
are different from the notes we
found in the song?

Standards
National/Core Standard(s):
MU:Pr4.2.6b When analyzing selected music, read and identify by name or function standard
symbols for rhythm, pitch, articulation, and dynamics.

State Standard(s):
MU:Pr4.1.2b Demonstrate knowledge of musical concepts (for example, tonality, meter) in a
variety of music for performance.
Materials/Equipment
Whiteboard, markers, piano, xylophone, Smart board
 Preparation
Have the PowerPoint on the board. Have children sit in a semi-circle facing the board when
they come in. Write E and A major scale on the board.

Agenda
1. Discussion of Japanese culture
2. Learn to sing “Sakura, Sakura”
3. Discuss the scales
Time: Procedure: Informal Assessments/Checks for
understanding
2 min 1) The Hook 1. Check for participation

8min 2) Echo speak the lyric. Go to the 2. Check to see if the class is
piano and rote-teach the matching pitches and singing the song
melody (piano playing the uniformly.
melody at first to help students
with pitch, then again with just
chords, and lastly without
piano)

6 min 3) Discuss and sing the A minor 3. Check if students find missing
pentatonic scale with solfege notes in the scale. Check if students
and hand signs. can sing the scale with the correct
solfege and hand signs.

4) Go to the first slide of the 4. Check for participation and

5 min
PowerPoint and discuss how
the song connects to Japanese
culture.
5) Go back to the second slide
6 min and discuss the In scale. (tonic
is E) Sing the In scale with
solfege and hand signs.
personal input.
5. Check is students can find missing
and altered notes from E natural minor
scale. Check if students can sing the
scale with the correct solfege and
hand signs.

5 min 6) Take turns improvising in the 6. Check if students are playing with
In scale on the xylophone, the notion of tonic in the correct scale.
with a 2-bar structure.
 Differentiation/Accommodations:
Students who cannot participate in singing can participate through using hand signs when the
class sings the scales.

Closure:
The In scale has lowered __(solfege)__? And missing __(solfege)__?

Citation:

Encyclopædia Britannica, inc. (n.d.). Tonal system. Encyclopædia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/art/Japanese-music/Tonal-system