Topic/ Theme/ Purpose Statement:

My unit plan is Performing of the Sahara Crossing for string orchestra spring
concert. The reason students are performing Sahara Crossing is because the students will be
expanding the repertoire and experience of new melodies. Since students already played, folk
and classic music pieces and the Sahara Crossing can be the one they had never played
before. Furthermore, students will improve their individual skills of bowing, fingering,
posture, and dynamics, because it is little harder than what students had played before. As we
play this music piece, students will learn about the history of Sahara desert in Africa so that
they can have better understanding of what they play and what the composer want us to play.
This unit begins with a brief introduction and biography of composer, and tells about
the reason the composer creates Sahara desert. Second lesson begins with the history of
Sahara Desert. It describes where Sahara desert is, in addition to the stories behind what we
call Sahara desert, etc. After that, in third lesson, students will focus on their music. The
intonation of each notes, using the long bowing, write down the fingering number on their
music piece and good posture when students are playing music. This lesson is important
because these little things make the music different, and a teacher can hear the difference in
sound throughout this. The fourth lesson begins with learning the dynamics. From Forte and
Piano, and continued by decrescendo and crescendo. Then students will play the Sahara
Desert with the dynamics that they learn. For the fifth lesson, students will have experience
of live concert before they perform in front of their parents.
This Unit plan will help students to improve their musical knowledge and skills, but
also help the students to experience the live concerts as musicians because students who will
keep playing their instrument will need some experiences of playing in front of the audiences.