Summer Burton

Dr.Talbot

Social Foundations of Music Education

October 30, 2018

Assignment 4.4- Focused Listening Activity

Context: This lesson will be used by a sixth-grade general music class. The students have
studied homophonic and monophonic texture, but not polyphonic. These students have also have
some exposure to Japanese culture and music.

Essential question: How does the texture effect the sound of a piece?

Materials:
● A large area to move in
● Kyo no Warabeuta- Ikuta School
● Scarves
● Writing Utensil
● Lined paper

Song Provided:
Ikuta School. [Jurata Amber]. (2010, January 14).Kyo no warabeut [Video File]. From
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Nsnzey-8w8&index=6&list=PL-mncr-
4MRH7J22ONz7CjPNfbtPeVtH8l

All definitions retrieved from: 

Core, R. (2015). OnMusic Dictionary. Retrieved from https://dictionary.onmusic.org/ 

Glossary:

Homophonic- A style of composition in which there is one melody, and all the voices and
accompaniments move rhythmically together.

Monophonic: Music that is written for only one voice or part is said to be monophonic (the
music itself is called "monophony").

Beat:  The regular pulse of music which may be dictated by the rise or fall of the hand or baton
of the conductor, by a metronome, or by the accents in music.

Polyphonic- Music composed for many parts or voices, each with its own melody, thus creating
a rich texture of sound.
Standards:
MU:Cr2.1.6a Select, organize, construct, and document personal musical ideas for
arrangements and compositions within AB or ABA form that demonstrate an effective
beginning, middle, and ending, and convey expressive intent.
MU:Cn10.0.6a Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and
intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
MU:Pr4.1.6a Apply teacher-provided criteria for selecting music to perform for a specific
purpose and/or context, and explain why each was chosen.

MU:Re7.2.5a Demonstrate and explain, citing evidence, how responses to music are informed
by the structure, the use of the elements of music, and context (such as social, cultural, and
historical).

Learning Outcomes;
1. The Students will Identify polyphonic texture.
2. The Students will improvise their own movement to express polyphonic texture visually.
3. The Students will define polyphonic texture.
4. The Students will create their own rhythms in polyphonic texture.
Procedure:
1. Begin by playing the piece beginning to end. Begin to pass out scarves at this time.
2. Invite the students to join you in the large area.
3. Review the definition of monophonic texture.
4. Have a discussion about monophonic versus homophonic.
5. Have the students raise their scarves above their heads and shake when they hear
monophonic texture.
6. On the next listen, have students do the same motion, but also ask the students to wave
the scarf by their knees or below when they hear homophonic texture.
7. Also ask the students to create their own move when they cannot identify if monophonic
or homophonic texture is being used. Tell them this move should be performed in the
area of the hip to neck.
8. After this run, ask the students what exactly they are hearing during those sections.
9. Repeat the activity with raising the scarves and the improvised move.
10. Introduce the term Polyphonic texture by playing a section of the piece that was
Polyphonic, then saying that the excerpt is Polyphonic.
11. Play the piece again, but allow for students to improvise their own rhythms that fit within
a phrase and already existing rhythms in the piece, in pairs.
12. Have all of the students perform their rhythms together as a class, but with a metronome
in the back.
a. Once everyone shares their rhythms, start with one group and add groups as the
rhythms start to settle.
b. If the rhythms do not fit together, then have smaller groups layer their rhythms
and then present to the group.
13. Ask students to discuss with a partner what they think the texture was of the previous
activity.
14. Have some students share their ideas.
15. Have students go and get their lined paper and writing utensil.
 16. Ask the students to define Polyphonic texture.
17. Collect the student’s papers and open the floor to further questions.

Assessments:
1. The teacher will visually assess students’ identification of polyphonic texture through
improvising a new movement during the polyphonic section of the piece using a yes no
scale. Yes meaning that the students performs their improvised motion during the
polyphonic section, no meaning they did not.
1. The teacher will assess each students motion with a scale of 1-3, 1 being performed at the
incorrect time and at the wrong height, 2 being either incorrectly timed but at the correct
height or vice versa, and 3 being correctly timed and at the correct height.
2. The teacher will grade the student’ definition on their exit tickets.
3. The teacher will aurally assess the rhythms the students create with their partners when
they share, and be graded on a check/X scale. Check meaning the students performed a
rhythm that contains a variation of rhythmic patterns, such as eighth, sixteenth and
quarter notes, and an X being that it only contains rhythms longer than a half note. By
having rhythmic variation, the rhythms will be able to interlock and create polyphonic
texture.

Further Learning.
The teacher can delve further into the culture and meaning behind Japanese culture, the
history regarding this song. The teacher can also ask students to find out fun facts about the
traditional Japanese instruments, and how the instruments are similar and different to the
west.

Honor Code: 
I affirm that I have upheld the highest principles of honesty and integrity in my academic
work and have not witnessed a violation of the honor code. 
Summer Burton