IMPORTANT: When you are finished entering all of your information into the template, any information

provided here to help you through the planning process (in RED) can be deleted.

EDUC 2220- Educational Technology Lesson Plan Template

Learning about Major and Minor Scales

Mark Kilanowski
9th Grade Band

Common Core Standards:

1CE Define vocabulary in all rehearsed and performed music.

2CE Identify musical terms and symbols for articulation and expression.
4PR Demonstrate technical accuracy, appropriate tone quality, articulation, intonation and expression for the
works being performed with good posture and breath control.
7PR Incorporate technology and media arts in performing or recording music.
1RE Identify assessment practices that can help demonstrate their learning and progress made in music

Lesson Summary:

In this lesson I will teach the students about Major and Minor Scales, the differences between the tem, how to
notate them, tricks for identifying them, and then the students will experience multiple methods of progressing
and demonstrating that knowledge.

Estimated Duration:

I estimate that the duration of this lesson will take two class periods, with the possibility of extending into
homework. Two 50 minute classes.

Commentary: My approach here is to spend one day introducing the concept to the students. On day one we
will learn about the major scale and 3 minor scales, we will learn what they look like, how to write them, what
they sound like. And on the second day we will use technology to practice our skills, record ourselves on our
instruments, and take a formative assessment about our knowledge gained. I believe the students will be
hooked with the technology practice as it will open a big door for them, and the idea of opening your ears to
hear more specific differences in music can be quite exciting.

Instructional Procedures:
Day 1:
First 10 minutes: The class will start as any normal band class would, so as to not disturb routine for the
students. This routine includes allowing 3 minutes for students to get their instruments out. We would then
begin class with a breathing exercise, tuning, long tones, and a Concert Bb scale.
20 minutes: From that Bb scale we use to tune I will go on to explain how that was a major scale. I will lead a
discussion about what other scales the students may have heard of and focus on the major scale and the three
minor scales natural, harmonic, and melodic. I will write the scales out on the white board in front of the class
in multiple formats. As solfege, as notes, and by their intervals.
Next 10 minutes: we will listen over the speakers in the room to select songs that are good examples of using
each key. Do, Re, Mi for Major, Yesterday for Melodic, Smells Like Teen Spirit Natural, You are the
Sunshine of my Life for Harmonic.
Last 10 minutes: I will pass out a worksheet for the students to practice what theyve learned about how these
scales differ from each other on paper. I will make an announcement that tomorrow will run different than the
normal day, if they dont finish the worksheet then it is homework, and then I will give them three minutes to
put their instruments away.

Day 2:
First 5 minutes: I will begin this class with an agenda for the day. Todays class will have three items on the
agenda: 1. Submit a recording of yourself playing all 4 scales with good musician ship, 2. Earn a 90% or
higher on musictheory.net using the settings I will provide, 3. Participate in the Kahoot! formative quiz at the
end of class.
Next 5 minutes: I will use the SMART Board to show the students exactly what links to follow and what
settings to use for musictheory.net. First, type musictheory.net in the URL bar. Then click on exercises, scroll
down to the Ear Training section, and click and the purple icon listed as Scale Ear Training. Then in the
upper right corner click on the gear for customize options, click scales and make sure only major, natural
minor, harmonic minor, and melodic minor are selected. After you do this, click on the three dots icon next to
the gear we clicked on to customize, this is where you will find the reset score button, which you will need
to use until you have received at least a 90% with 20 samples completed, or 18/20 or better. When achieved
students will take a screen shot and send the photo to my email, or simply show me there in class, headphones
are recommended. This will be homework if not finished in class.
Also achievable in these 5 minutes should include reminding the students (because theyll have done this
already that semester) how to click record on our recording devices, state your name and instrument, and name
each scale before you play it, then click record again to stop, and to email me the audio file.
The Bulk 30 minutes of class: Students will have the class period to spend practicing their 4 scales, taking
turns using the practice rooms with computers to record themselves, and using their phones or computers to
use musictheory.net to complete the assignment and explore other options.
Last 10 minutes: Students will use their mobile devices to login to Kahoot! And will take the Kahoot! quiz I
have made as a formative review. I will use the SMART Board screen or projector to show the questions to the
whole class.
Pre-Assessment:
As a pre-assessment to my lesson will be during class the day before my lesson. I will offer them the Kahoot!
Test to them that day and see where the scores lie to mine, (Ive already taken the quiz I made and of course
got them all correct). Also I will play some scales just before dismissing them that day and ask if they can
name them. Depending on how this goes, I may need to extend the first day of my lesson plan into two full
classes with more practice sheets and time.

Scoring Guidelines:
I have personally made a Kahoot! quiz I plan to use for this lesson. I have made a baseline perfect score
of my own, and can use that to compare students score. It will act as both a pre-assessment and a final
summation, both times formative.

Post-Assessment:
The final assessment will be the second Kahoot! quiz, their submission of their recording, and the proof of
completion on musictheory.net.

Scoring Guidelines:
The lesson I have designed is intended to cover a part of what can be built on and tested again
summarily at a later date. In addition there will be a scoring rubric I will use as I grade the submitted
recordings of the students playing the different scales, mostly focused on note accuracy, but also
including basic musicianship. The students will be given the rubric beforehand, but it will be in line
with other recordings I will have had them make throughout the school year. The musictheory.net
assignment will force them to achieve a minimal score and will be scored in my grad ebook the same
percent they receive from the website.

Differentiated Instructional Support

Meeting the needs of students who need more of a challenge is not difficult at all, as I can simply have them
explore musictheory.net and the many exercises it offers, I can have them add more scales to their assignment.
Where as working with students who have difficulty meeting challenges laid out, I can simplify their
assignment to just two scales, major, and natural minor. The Kahoot! quiz will remain the same, but the
recording will be less demanding, as will the website assignment, and by easing up it allows the student to
focus on the difference between just the two most different scales.

Extension
http://www.shawnboucke.com/major-vs-minor.html is a website that is probably a 5 or so minute read that is
simply another voice (author) than mine that speaks about the difference between major and minor scales, and
uses some of the same wording that I used. If a student is having trouble understanding, this will be a great
supplemental website.

Homework Options and Home Connections

Homework assignments from day 1 of this lesson will include a practice worksheet for recognizing scales and
their differences between one another. Also it will be recommended to practice for recording their scales the
next class. The worksheet will be collected at the end of class two so it can be used to study for the Kahoot!
quiz, but at that point will be graded for correctness.

At the end of class 2 the only homework will be to continue the musictheory.net assignment if it is either not
yet finished, or completed to an adequate level. This assignment will be given a score out of twenty equal to
what they receive on the website.

Interdisciplinary Connections
This particular assignment is pretty heavy in its music content, however there will most certainly be a
connection to math as we will be using the difference between whole steps and half steps to count the intervals
between scale tones. We will also be able to broadly connect this to history as we listen to the songs that are
good listening examples of each key, we can talk about their cultural relevance and what role the bands
performing them or movies showcasing them had.

Materials and Resources:

For teachers I will need a SMART Board hooked up to a computer or laptop, classroom speakers,
practice rooms with recording equipment, worksheets to pass out to my students, my
instrument to play for students, a fully furnished band room, my Kahoot! login, slect
mentioned recordings, and a grading rubric.

For students Students will need the use their cell phones, potentially home computers, and their
instruments, as well as their daily band items.
Key Vocabulary
Major Scale, Natural Minor Scale, Harmonic Minor Scale, Melodic Minor, half-step, whole-step, interval,
tone, notes.

Additional Notes

This lesson will also rely on my knowledge of music theory.

https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/a468ddd4-41d4-4fe7-b6ce-89d40815472a
http://www.musictheory.net/exercises/ear-scale