TEACHER WORK SAMPLE: Caryn Sowder

UNIT: EVOLUTION OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC GRADE: 5 Learning Goals

MENC National Association for Music Educators National Standards are listed in italics. District benchmarks for state standards are listed in boldface print. Learning Goal #1 (LG1) Students will be able to describe the relationships between numerous African American rooted genres as well culturally significant events and trends throughout history with accurate information. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts Understanding music in relationship to history and culture Aesthetic Evaluations: Articulate the meaning in music according to elements, aesthetic qualities and human response 21st Century skills Critical Thinking and Reasoning Information Literacy Blooms Taxonomy Remembering Understanding Applying Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligences Linguistic Logical Naturalist Learning Goal #2 (LG2) Students will collaborate with peers in self directed groups in order to research, analyze, and organize information about an assigned genre and its musical examples,utilize provided technologies, and present findings to class in a manner that meets proficiency according to my given rubric. Understanding music in relation to history and culture Theory of Music: Analyze and apply dynamics, tempo, meter,and articulation using appropriate musical vocabulary Theory of Music: Analyze more complex instrumental and vocal examples

 21st Century Skills Critical Thinking and Reasoning Collaboration Self-Direction Invention Blooms Taxonomy Applying Analyzing Evaluating Creating Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligences Bodily/Kinesthetic Spatial Intelligence Intrapersonal Interpersonal Learning Goal #3 (LG3) Students will analyze presented information and varied musical examples, compare and contrast styles, and evaluate said musical examples using musical vocabulary. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music Evaluating music and music performance Theory of Music: Analyze and apply dynamics, tempo, meter,and articulation using appropriate musical vocabulary Theory of Music: Analyze more complex instrumental and vocal examples Aesthetic Valuation of Music: Articulate the meaning in music according to elements, aesthetic qualities, and human responses 21st Century Skills Critical Thinking and Reasoning Information Literacy Blooms Taxonomy Applying Analyzing Evaluating Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligences Linguistic Logical/Mathematical Musical Interpersonal Learning Goal #4 (LG4) Students will be able to verbally describe and defend their personal opinions about a specific genre as well as infer what aspects of the same music could be appealing to others. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music

Evaluating music and music performances Understanding music in relation to history and culture Aesthetic Valuation of Music: Explain and defend person preferences for specific music 21st Century Skills: Critical Thinking and Reasoning Information Literacy Blooms Taxonomy Analyzing Evaluating Understanding Gardners Theory of Multiple Intelligences Interpersonal Intrapersonal Existential

Implementing a unit on the Evolution of African American music will give a platform for students to utilize the musical vocabulary and knowledge they have developed in their beat, rhythm, melody, tempo, dynamic, and form units. These learning goals give the fifth graders new opportunities to transfer cross curricular knowledge and dive into applying foundational knowledge of theory and skills into 21st Century situations and greater depth of understanding. This unit supports abstract and critical thinking, openness, curiosity, and will draw numerous connections between people and the art they create. LG1 sets the foundation for the entire unit. In order for the students to draw meaningful conclusions and opinions about the genres we study they must be able to connect the music to the culture of the time the genre first developed and the people with which that genre gained popularity. In the fifth grade students study pre-Revolution American history. With guidance, the students were able to transfer their social studies knowledge to discover that African musical traditions reached the Americas through slave trade. We then related significant events and trends in American history, such as the Great Depression, World War II, the Civil Rights movement, and

the advancement of technology, to the development of African American influenced genres. This learning goal will give the students the framework to understanding peoples response to the aesthetic elements of the music and set the tone of critical thinking and transfer for the whole unit. The second learning goal builds on the development of 21st Century skills of critical thinking while allowing students to contribute their individual skills sets to a collaborative setting. The students will be employ laptops and iPads, an online interactive timeline, and each other to create a short presentation on an assigned genre. In each small group students will have the opportunity to fulfill the role of secretary, technician, or historian. The secretarys responsibility will be to take notes and organize information in an easily understandable format. Secretary will be well suited for students with linguistic and logical intelligences and for those who may be more introverted. The historian will use the laptop to navigate and collect the information on an interactive timeline. The historian will have more of a leadership role and will be well suited to a student who is more extroverted with interpersonal and linguistic intelligences. The technician will be responsible for designing the groups visual presentation on Haiku Deck, an iPad app. This job caters to a spatial and technical intelligence. Two students with special needs will be assigned the special job of being their groups sound technician, which will allow them to contribute to their group by being the sole person in charge of selecting the musical example their group will use. LG2 gives students choice as to how to chip in and will allow them to expand on specific skills within their own type of intelligence thus engaging in the project in personally meaningful manner. Information literacy will be essential for this goal, which is another reason I decided to

format this learning goal so specifically. My goal is that the students would collaborate and contribute their own critical thinking and understanding of the information to come to an accurate, well rounded consensus of essential elements of their assigned genre and what they think of it. Thus, LG2 will allow groups to delve into a deeper understanding of the significance of one particular genre, its musical components, and aesthetic value. This goal will be a focal point for the two autistic students in this particular class. LG3 is appropriate for this unit and these students because throughout the year the fifth graders have been developing a musical vocabulary through activities that showcase various aspects of music such as beat, rhythm, melody, dynamics, tempo, and form. This learning goal will give the students the opportunity to apply their vocabulary to real music analysis as well as help them put themselves in others shoes as they infer what aspects of the music were responsible for the genres popularity. Part of the requirement for the group presentation is that each group listen to the several musical examples provided on their section of the interactive timeline then choose one example based on its ability to showcase staple components of the genre as a whole. As we move through the timeline students should be able to recognize, compare and contrast, and predict future mutations in specific musical elements that develop new genres. As students are exposed to genres they are not familiar with, analyze musical examples objectively, and discover historic and cultural significance they will develop personal, subjective opinions which they will need to discuss in concrete terms. Directing the students to analyze the music objectively first in LG3 will give them the terms and information necessary to support a subjective opinion, therefore meeting the state standard for Aesthetic Evaluation.

Assessment Plan LG1 Assessment Pretest: Students will be shown three short videos depicting first tradition African drumming, chanting, and dance, second a black and white film of a standard Duke Ellington swing band tune, and third of young people performing a dance to a hip hop song. They will then be asked to compare and contrast the three videos. As a group we will fill out a bubble compare/contrast thinking map and use it form hypothesis about how the three videos are connected.

Formative: As students are working in their small groups the teacher will circulate asking each group about the time period of their genre and the facts they are finding in order to check for comprehension and supply contextual information as needed.

Post Assessment: The group will share their slide show and chosen musical example with the class. They will have an opportunity to ask questions and answer questions from their peers. I will be checking for factual and complete information.

LG2 Assessment Pretest: After speaking with the fifth graders classroom teacher and my CT I determined that LG2 would be an appropriate challenge for the students. According to the information I was supplied all of the students had performed in a group project setting.

Formative: Because each student will be assigned a specific job I will be able to check for completed tasks along the way. I will verbally check for understanding and thoughtfulness in small groups during work time.

Post: Students will be assessed on their written information as presented in their slide shows,the verbal information they share, and their ability to verbally answer my questions. I will know that they have successfully collaborated if their project is complete and each student can give answers independently.

LG3 Assessment Pretest: I will observe class discussions about their program music and make note of what kind of vocabulary they are using and the depth of their understanding of what is going on musically.

Formative: As students noting the hows of their genre (what kind of instruments/voices are used, style, tempo) in their research I will check in and guide students in their listening, ensuring that they are hearing the aspects they are talking about. Example: Student Group A reads in their research that Gospel music utilizes call and response form. We listen to an example together and students raise their hand when they hear the call and response in the music.

Post: Slideshow and presentation. Students will, on their slide show in written form and verbally, guide peers through important factors of their genre and listening example. Students will talk

about foundations that are similar to previous genres as well as new introductions that define their genre. After all presentations I will play a new music example and ask students to write down where they think it belongs on our timeline in order to determine the level of critical listening. All students will be graded according to a rubric I am attaching.

LG4 Assessment Pretest: My pretest will be an observation of class discussion on personal taste. I will gauge the level of depth and vocabulary usage.

Formative: I will use guiding questions as students are listening to help them track into deeper consideration of what particular aspects of the music they are attracted to or pushed away by. Example: How does this music make you feel? Why? What features of this music contribute to that?

Post: Students will verbally share with their peers their personal opinion on their chosen musical excerpt. They will be scored as proficient if they use at least two musical terms in describing