Unit Plan Outline

Teacher: Grifin DiNardo Unit Title: History of Black/American

Music
Grade: 11th Number of Classes: 6

MA Frameworks:
7-8.M.Cr.01, 7-8.M.R.07, 7-8.M.R.08, 7-8.M.Co.11

National Standards:
MU:Cr1.1.8a, MU:Pr4.2.8c, MU:Cr3.1.8a, MU:Re7.2.8a, MU:Re8.1.7a, MU:Cn11.0.8a

Rationale:
This will give the students an opportunity to view Black music from a new
perspective. This links to the curriculum map because it will help the students
acknowledge Black music for what it is, American music, as well as give them insight in
how and why this music was created and how it continues to grow and evolve.

Essential Questions:
What are Rhythm and Blues, Ragtime, Swing, Funk, Disco, Hip Hop, Rap, Trap,
Electronic Rap genres of music?
Why was Black music created?
Why is this music important?

Enduring Understanding:
Students will now know why these genres of music were created. This will stick
with them for their entire lives, and they will keep in mind while listening. They can use
this knowledge to help pull ideas for how to write lyrics/music themselves. It will help
the students tap into their emotions to write music. Understanding these genres will also
allow the students to gain a stronger connection to American history.

Behavioral Objectives:
- Students will demonstrate an understanding of the many ways in which music can
be a social and emotional outlet by raising awareness of issues, such as racism.
- Students will be able to have a wider variety in music they can listen to/create.
Assessment/Evaluation:
Informal: Checking in with the students often, Kahoot quizzes, responses,
discussions
Formal: N/A
Long Range Assignment/Project/Product: Timeline of American Music/Creating
a song in a genre that we learned

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

Students will need to be familiar with any genre of music and an idea of US history

Accommodations:
1. Special needs: I can write on the board our discussions if the student is deaf, if
the student is blind, I can describe what the artists look like and keep all the
activities as aural, modify my speech to make it more understandable.
2. ELL: If there are some ELL students in my class, I can create a word wall
with the addition of genres of music we are talking about. I can also use more
visuals, repeat song, allow more time for all the students to think about it
before answering. I can also hand them the lyrics to read them and listen at the
same time.

School to Home/community connection:

This unit can give students a different lens to look through. Many students
probably do not realize how American history has affected the music that was being
made. Hopefully it will make the students become more thoughtful and understand why
this music is being made.

Activator:
Begin the unit with asking the students what they know about Black music. Start
by creating a safe space with an open dialogue. Talk about preconceived notions and
anything the students want to bring up about Black music.

Repertoire:
I will need access to these songs and accompanying lyrics:
Robert Johnson – Cross Road Blues
Fats Waller – Ain’t Misbehavin’
Charlie Parker – Parker’s Mood
Dizzy Gillespie – On The Sunny Side Of The Street
Miles Davis – So What
Tower of Power – You Got To Funkifize
James Brown – Get Up Offa That Thing
Gil Scott-Heron – Lady Day And John Coltrane Home Is Where The Hatred
Village People – YMCA
D’Angelo – Untitled (How Does It Feel)
Wu-Tang Clan – Method Man
Public Enemy – 911 Is A Joke
Black Eyed Peas – Where Is The Love?/I Gotta Feeling
Kanye West – Saint Pablo
Lil Uzi Vert – XO Tour Llif3

Materials Needed:
Projector, Whiteboard, Paper, Pencils, Keyboard, Speakers

Lesson Outlines

1. 20s-50s
Behavioral Objectives:
- Students will learn part of the foundation in which contemporary music is
based on.
Assessment/Evaluation:
- Guided Notes
- Kahoot
Prior Knowledge and activator
- The student must be aware of some type of music
- Listen to music from that era
- Ask the class to name a few groups from these genres
Lesson content
- Check In
- Overview
- Robert Johnson – Cross Road Blues
- Lyrical analysis
- Fats Waller – Ain’t Misbehavin’
- Lyrical and Instrumental Analysis
- Kahoot

2. 50s-70s
Behavioral Objectives:
- Students will analyze swing, as a genre, to gain more knowledge of Black
music.
Assessment/Evaluation:
- Kahoot
Prior Knowledge and activator
- The student must be aware of some type of music
- Listen to music from that era
- Ask the class to name a few groups from these genres
Lesson content
- Check In
 - Overview
- Charlie Parker – Parker’s Mood
- Dizzy Gillespie – On The Sunny Side Of The Street
- Analysis
- Miles Davis – So What
- Analysis
- Check In with class

3. 60-70s
Behavioral Objectives:
- Students will explain the instrumentation of funk music in the 1960s and
1970s
- Students will analyze lyrics of funk music in the 1960s and 1970s
- Students will identify popular funk groups of the 1970s by group name
and song title
- Students can relate music to history
- Students will question, Why?
Assessment/Evaluation:
- Kahoot
- Discussion
Prior Knowledge and activator
- The student must be aware of some type of music
- Listen to music from that era
- ‘Any preconceived notions or stereotypes’ dialogue
- Ask the class to name a few groups from these genres
Lesson content
- Check In
- Overview
- Tower of Power – You Got To Funkifize
- James Brown – Get Up Offa That Thing
- Lyrical and Instrumental Analysis
- Gil Scott-Heron – Lady Day And John Coltrane, Home Is Where The Hatred
- Heavy Lyrical Analysis
- History Lesson
- Discussion
- Kahoot

4. 80s-90s
Behavioral Objectives:
- Students will gain the understanding of a few genres of Black music
happening in the 80s-90s.
- Students will relate the music that was being created to what was
happening in American during the time.
- Students will question, Why?
Assessment/Evaluation:
- Discussion
Prior Knowledge and activator
- The student must be aware of some type of music
- Listen to music from that era
- ‘Any preconceived notions or stereotypes’ dialogue
- Ask the class to name a few groups from these genres
Lesson content
- Check In
- Listen to where disco comes from.
- Finish listening to YMCA
- Listen to D’Angelo – Untitled (How Does It Feel). While listening, write
down any differences you hear between this and YMCA
- Discuss the differences and ‘What is Hip Hop?’
- Listen to an introduction of rap music and descriptors of the genre
- Listen to Public Enemy – 911 is a joke and write down some lyrics that
spoke to you
- Discuss and the lyrics we wrote down
- Discuss why rap music would have these lyrics
- Wrap-up

5. 2000s-2021 – Electronic Rap, Black Eyed Peas – Hip Hop, Kanye – Trap, Lil
Uzi Vert
Behavioral Objectives:
- Students can see what Black/American music has developed into today by
analyzing modern Black artists in genres of: Electronic Rap, Hip Hop, and
Trap
Assessment/Evaluation:
- Discussion
Prior Knowledge and activator
- The student must be aware of some type of music
- Listen to music from that era
- ‘Any preconceived notions or stereotypes’ dialogue
- Ask the class to name a few groups from these genres
Lesson content
- Check In
- Intro of electronic music
- Play Black Eyed Peas – Where Is The Love? And I Gotta Feeling
- Lyrical and Instrumental Analysis
- Play Kanye West – Saint Pablo
- Lyrical and Instrumental Analysis
- Play Lil Uzi Vert – XO Tour Llif3
- Analysis
- How is this different from the other genres we looked at?
6. Students will take one of the genres and create a song within that genre of
music/go very in depth about one or two genres/create a timeline of the genres
we went over.
Behavioral Objectives:
- Give the students the option to do either of these projects: A timeline of
what we went over in class, a deeper dive into two genres, or a song using
a DAW they learned how to use earlier in the year.
- Both will make them more knowledgeable about the Unit.
Assessment/Evaluation:
- Project
Prior Knowledge and activator
- The students will need to know about all the previously discussed genres
- Ask about people’s favorite genre? Why?
Lesson content
- Check In
- Give the students time in the period to do their project
- Answer questions, listen to songs, and help out