Reagan Saj, 10/12/21, Morrison Gordan Elementary, MUS 3665

Lesson Plan: Quaver Lesson 3 Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Objectives:
● Be able to define an ostinato
● Be able to identify meter aurally and visually
● Have an idea of what improvisation is

Materials Needed: Classroom Setup:

● Unpitched rhythm instruments ● Sitting on carpet To learn about
● Quaver Online resources ostinatos
● Sitting around the carpet for
improvisation section

Ohio Music Education Standards:

Creating (CR): 3.1CR (Improvise simple rhythmic and melodic phrases in simple
forms (question and answer or alternating phrases) using a variety of sound sources)

Producing/Performing (PE): 3.4PE (Play a variety of classroom instruments, alone

and with others, and demonstrate proper techniques)
3.6PE (Maintain two or more simple, four- and eight-beat rhythmic ostinati against at
least one separate part using grade-appropriate note values)

Responding/Reflecting (RE): 3.4RE (Interpret music through movement, dance,

drama and visual art.)
3.8RE (Identify and respond to simple music forms (AB, ABA, AABA) in a repertoire
(poems, songs, folk dances, pieces).

Connecting (CO): N/A

Step by Step Plan:
1. Warm up students: rainfall, elephants, crossing midline march, repeat after me 8
beats of sol la mi re do, repeat after me 8 beats of rhythms such as half notes
quarter notes and eighth notes.
2. While students walk to carpet, Miss Saj will ask the students to try to identify the
form of this song. They will stay standing and sing the song all the way through,
then identify the form at the end
3. Miss Saj will show the slide about ostinato and explain what that is.
4. Students will listen to Mr. Beat Boy while marching to music (movement can be
an ostinato: a short repeated thing)
5. Miss Saj will review what meters are and what they could look like with a quaver
slide.
6. Students or Miss Saj will compose a four beat rhythm to make into an ostinato.
7. Students will attempt to perform ostinato against Mr. Beat Boy Song.

Part 2 (may or may not have time for this, could be another
lesson plan):
1. Have students sit in a circle around the carpet.
2. Remind/teach the definition of improvisation.
3. Have a basket of unpitched rhythm instruments in the middle of the circle.
4. Mrs. Holzshu and Miss Saj keep a steady beat on drums while students one at a
time go to the middle of the carpet and pick an instrument to play. The only rule
for the student is to not play the same steady beat as Mrs. Holzchu and Miss
Saj.
5. If students are fairly successful, the teachers will trade places with the students.
The students will play the ostinato and Miss Saj and Mrs. Holzchu will improv
over the top of the students.
6. If they students are successful in this step, the students will be the ostinato and
the improv soloist. Miss Saj will make sure that if a student has improved once,
they will not go again until everyone has had the chance to improv.
7. Have the students sit back on the carpet, and complete the 5 question quaver
assessment at the end of the unit.
(Lesson should take around 45 minutes)

Link to Quaver Lesson that was used as backbone to lesson:

https://www.quavermusic.com/lessonplanpresenter/?lpGuid=ed891e3d-4d0f-446e-
914d-0b27ab5269b1
Assessment: I will assess students by listening to their ostinati’s and making sure
they are playing the part they are supposed to be playing.
I will also assess the students formatively by asking questions throughout the lesson.
Lastly, I will “summatively” assess the students at the end of the lesson by using the
quaver test at the end of the unit.

Modifications: Part two may or may not be used for the same lesson in one day. We
may not make it far enough to get to the improvisation section.
If students do not want to march to music, they could move in any rhythmic way they
prefer.
If students are having a hard time keeping their ostinato, Miss Saj could gently tap the
ostinato on their shoulder to reinforce the beat.
If the students are having a hard time improvising on an instrument they could also
use their voice.

Vocabulary: Ostinato, Meter, improvisation

Extensions: Listed above in step by step plan part 2

This lesson plan was created by Reagan Saj who used the Quaver lesson for ideas.
Reflection: 10/14/21

I was able to get through a lot more of my lesson than I thought I would be able
to. I specifically got to about step 4 in part two of my step by step lesson plan. I
included a slide in the quaver lesson that I originally thought would be not effective, but
after speaking with my cooperating teacher, I incorporated the slide because she said
sometimes it can be a hit with the students. I think the students liked the slide, and it
got the message across. My cooperating teacher reminded me that sometimes
something that seems silly or wasteful of time is actually very efficient for young
students.
The students took a bit more time to achieve at step 7 in part one of the step by
step lesson plan, but they eventually picked it up.
During step 4 in part one of the step by step plan, some of the students stomped
very loudly and it would distract other students who maybe don’t have a strong sense of
rhythm. If I were to teach this lesson again, I would have had a loud drum or unpitched
rhythm instrument that I would be playing when they should be stomping in time.
Another interesting event that happened during the lesson was that some of the
students did not want to improvise during part 2 of the lesson plan. I simply let those
students pass on their turn. I am not exactly sure how I would make this part of the
lesson plan more accessible to students who are more shy. I would maybe have
students improvise back in their seats instead of having to sit in the middle. In regards
to the improvisation aspect of the lesson plan, I would also have a few of the
instruments out of the basket but still in the middle of the circle so that it takes less time
for students to pick an instrument out and find the correct mallet or beater for it.
I think my pacing was decent, especially because I had covered a lot of content
today. I also think I had good assessment skills, even though I was unable to complete
the summative assessment at the end of the lesson. I made sure to ask several
questions during the lesson to make sure they were understanding concepts. I also
think I did well with reviewing previous materials and the students had great responses
and really applied their previous knowledge to a different kind of question they had not
been asked previously.
 I believe all three objectives were met, especially the ones about improvisation
and knowing what an ostinato is. I think I could have driven meters and feeling meters
home more if I had more time, but I did not.