Portfolio Class Profile Form

Grade levels in your portfolio group or class: Two 3rd Grade Classes

Portfolio school configuration: K-5 Elementary School

Music Teaching Assignment: Elementary General Music

Portfolio Teaching Topic/Title: Small Performing Ensemble Group Work, Improvisation, Music
Dictation, and Performance

Number of Minutes per Class/Class Meetings per Week: 1-2 meetings/week with 48-minute
classes

Number of Students in Class: 23 each

Other Adults in Room: Co-op teacher for additional student assessment and tech support
 Lesson 1 Information Form
Lesson 1 of 3
Completed 4/12/19 and 4/16/19

Materials:
Instruments:
Tubano (6)
Egg Shakers (2)
Guiro (1)
Hand Drum (1)
Tambourine (1)
Worksheets:
Build a Band
Rhythms I Like
Pencils
Triple Macrobeat Pattern Folders

Objectives:
1. Students will form small cooperative groups
a. Groups will make a band name
b. Groups will decide instrumental roles
c. Groups will practice playing instruments they read
2. Students will explore different instrument sounds
3. Students will create, self-assess, and dictate different rhythm ostinati
4. Students will practice playing triple rhythm patterns on instruments

Activities/Strategies:
Students get an introduction to station rotation (below) and are sorted into cooperative
performing ensemble groups of 4-5 (8-12 minutes)
Station 1: Build a Band – Students use a template to create a band name, and decide each
other’s instrumental roles. Templates are collected at the end of class
Station 2: Rhythms I Like – Students work together to form 4-beat rhythm patterns
consisting of triple microbeat patterns and create a written record of rhythms they like the
most. Records are collected at the end of class
Station 3: Instrument Practice – Individual students from the group create 4-beat rhythm
patterns consisting of triple microbeat patterns. Everyone in the group plays the pattern
on their own tubano for instrumental application practice.
Station 4: Found Sound – Students test different instruments (egg shakers, guiro, hand
drum, tambourine, and tubano) to discover which they like most. Students also determine
unique sounds for each instrument (scratching a drum head rather than tapping it)
Station 5: Ipads – Students use age-appropriate interactive music apps
Student groups cycle through learning stations (approx. 7-8 minutes/station)

Creating: Students create groups, experiment with sounds, and self-assess composed rhythm
difficulty
Assessing: Informal self-assessment strategies
Formative and Informal Assessment Strategies: attending to student needs as necessary,
settling inner-group conflicts, attempting to simplify expectations for students who make
unattainable goals, and amplify for students who need challenges
 Lesson 2 Information Form
Lesson 2 of 3
Completed 4/17/19 and 4/19/19

Materials (per group):

Instrument Replacements (to reduce full-class volume):
Coffee Can
Egg Shaker
Ribbed and Smooth Rhythm Sticks (guiro substitute)
Worksheets
Build a Band
Rhythms I Like
Rhythm Template
Clipboard
Pencil
Triple Macrobeat Pattern Folders

Objectives:
1. Students will reference previously completed class work from Lesson 1 to determine
what they would like to use for their group project
a. Students may use their own, or offer to/take suggests from their peers
2. Students will compose 4-beat rhythm patterns with their triple macrobeat folders and
write them as they need to
3. Students will decide who will perform in what order in their group
4. Students will practice small ensemble performances
a. Chanting
b. Chanting and playing

Activities/Strategies:
Introduction (6-10 minutes): Students are told they will be working in their groups to reference
and create rhythms they like to perform in their groups. Students are introduced to writing
strategies and practice strategies listed above.
Example Videos (3-5 minutes): Students watch videos of possible performance practice
strategies
Composition Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTXBWYyNuaM
Practice Chanting Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LvyoFXlKKY
Group Work (33-39 minutes): Groups complete objectives with intermittent teacher
intervention/assessment.

Creating: Small ensembles continue to experiment with sounds, and collaboratively create
rhythm ostinati, and decide a performance order

Assessing: Informal self-assessment strategies; if the student thinks something they write will
sound good, they play it. If the like what they play, they write it for record on the group rhythm
template sheet.
Formative and Informal Assessment Strategies: attending to student needs as necessary,
settling inner-group conflicts, attempting to simplify for students who make unattainable goals,
and amplify for students who need challenges
 Lesson 3 Information Form
Lesson 3 of 3
Completed 4/22/19 and 4/24/19

Materials (per group):

Instruments:
Tubano
Egg Shakers (2)
Guiro
Hand Drum
Tambourine
Instrument Replacements (practice):
Coffee Can
Egg Shaker
Ribbed and Smooth Rhythm Sticks (guiro substitute)
Worksheets
Rhythm Template
Clipboard
Pencil

Objectives:
1. Students learn ensemble performance group dynamics
2. Students will perform in their small ensembles in front of the class
3. Students will practice good audience etiquette
a. Sit quietly until the end
b. Applaud appropriately (not too loud, not too soft)

Activities/Strategies:
20-30 minutes: Students review their small ensemble work from the previous lesson. Groups
practice their composition with intermittent help from classroom teacher.
18-28 minutes: Students perform their small ensemble compositions for the rest of the class
while their classmates practice good performance etiquette

Performing: Small ensembles introduce themselves by group name, and perform their
compositions for the rest of their class

Assessing: Informal performance-based. Students have an option to start over if they think they
can perform better as a collective

Informal Assessment Strategies: Attending to student needs as necessary. Post-performance,

some groups are offered opportunities to play their composition a second time with background
chanted ostinati support.