Impact on Student Learning African Drumming,

The Musical Staff: Treble Clef

Annabelle Porter

Dr. Lisa Maynard

2022 Spring Student Teaching

18 February 2022

Impact on Student Learning Project

1. Unit Plan
WEEK 1
Virginia Music SOL’s

5.6 The student will explore historical and cultural aspects of music.

5.13 The student will develop skills for individual and ensemble singing performance.

a) Sing with attention to blend, balance, intonation, and expression.

b) Sing melodies of increasing complexity notated in varying forms.

d) Model proper posture for singing

Assessment:

- Assess student’s ability to call & respond with correct intonation/pitch

- Discussion Questions:
o Why are drums played in African Cultures
o Do you know someone who plays drums?
o What kind of music groups or genres have drums?
o Why do you think drumming is so important in so many cultures?
- Listening Reflection on African Music performances
o What did you like about the song?
o Did you hear drums? Other percussion instruments? Voices?
- Assess student’s participation in Dancing activity
o Are they able to keep the steady beat?
o Are they able to follow the dance patterns?
- Assess student's ability in Poison Solfege Game
o Ability to match pitch
o Ability to remember 1, 2, and 3 poison rhythms

Activity 1: Classroom Management (new seating chart, music acronym expectations)

Impact on Student Learning African Drumming,
The Musical Staff: Treble Clef

Activity 2: Ndinani Ne (Children’s Song from Ghana, Africa)

- Have words written on the board and introduce pronunciation

- Teach their melodic part by rote
- Listen and sing along with the recording

Activity 3: African Drumming PowerPoint

- Intro to Djembe and Ashiko Drums

- Discussion questions:
o Why are drums played in African Cultures
o Do you know someone who plays drums?
o What kind of music groups or genres have drums?
o Why do you think drumming is so important in so many cultures?

Activity 4: Djembe Drum Lesson

Activity 5: Djembe Drum Solo

Activity 6: African Drumming PowerPoint

- The meaning of African Drums

- Listening reflection

Activity 7: African Dance

Activity 8: Solfege Review & Solfege Poison Game

WEEK 3
Virginia Music Standards of Learning

5.12 The student will demonstrate music literacy

5.13 The student will develop skills for individual and ensemble singing performance.

5.15 The student will classify, perform, and count rhythmic patterns.

Assessment

· Students will be able to sing and play the steady beat with instruments
· Students will be able to identify line notes using mnemonic sentences
· Students will be able to identify the sounds of the frame drum
· Students will be able to keep a steady beat with the drums
· Students will be able to read rhythm patterns
· Students will be able to listen to call and respond with proper drum sound and rhythm

Activity 1: Classroom Management

Activity 2: Ndinani Na Review & Add Instruments

Impact on Student Learning African Drumming,
The Musical Staff: Treble Clef

- Go over lyrics and pronunciation

- Sing the song through once while accompanying on the djembe
- Introduce egg shaker and tone block
- Model proper handling and playing
- Sing the song with steady beat, percussion instruments

Activity 3: Intro to the Treble Clef & Assess

Activity 4: Notes on Lines & Assess

Activity 5: Intro to the Frame Drum & Sounds

· Dum: Fingers are on the edge of the drum and create an open ringing sound.
· Knock: Hands are in a fist and softly knock the frame
· Brush: Brush the fingernails across the drum head

Activity 8: Exploring Sounds on the Frame Drum

· Review steady beat and rhythm values/patterns written on the board

· Steady beat (2 measures of 4/4) on each sound
· Do each rhythm pattern once in a round on: dum, brush, knock.

Week 4
Virginia Music Standards of Learning

5.12 The student will demonstrate music literacy

5.13 The student will develop skills for individual and ensemble singing performance.

5.15 The student will classify, perform, and count rhythmic patterns.

Assessment

· Students will be able to sing and play the steady beat with instruments
· Students will be able to identify line and space notes using mnemonic sentences
· Students will be able to identify the sounds of the frame drum
· Students will be able to keep a steady beat with the drums
· Students will be able to read rhythm patterns
· Students will be able to listen to call and respond with proper drum sound and rhythm

Activity 1: Ndinani Na w/ Rhythm Instruments

 Half Notes (Cymbals)

 Quarter Notes (tone blocks and egg shakers)

Activity 2: Treble Clef Line Assessment

Activity 4: Treble Clef Spaces & Game (Assessment)

Impact on Student Learning African Drumming,
The Musical Staff: Treble Clef

Activity 7: Queen Caroline Drum Song (Presentation)

- Introduce spoken text (speak in rhythm)

- Read and Clap, then Speak lyrics while clapping the rhythms
- Call and response rhythm on drums with proper sounds

Week 5
Virginia Music Standards of Learning

5.1 The student will improvise and compose music.

5.4 The student will explain personal preferences for musical works and performances using music
terminology.

5.13 The student will develop skills for individual and ensemble singing performance.

5.14 The student will develop skills for individual and ensemble instrumental performance.

5.15 The student will classify, perform, and count rhythmic patterns

Assessment

· Students will be able to sing and play the steady beat with instruments
· Students will be able to identify line, space notes, and Middle C to G using mnemonic sentences
· Students will be able to read and create rhythm patterns using: half note, quarter note, quarter
rest, barred eighth notes
· The student will work in groups and be able to create rondo form with: half note, quarter note,
quarter rest, and barred eighth notes

Activity 1: Ndinani Na with rhythm instruments

Activity 2: Staff Lesson Middle C to G (Cats don’t eat fruits or greens)

Activity 3: Staff Assessment

Activity 4: Rondo African Drumming Presentation

- Intro to rondo form (definition, three themes of rondo)

- Identify rhythm notes
- Partner up and create 8 beat rhythm:
o Theme A: quarter note, quarter rest, eighth note
o Theme B: half note, quarter note, eighth note

Activity 5: Poison Melody

Week 6
Impact on Student Learning African Drumming,
The Musical Staff: Treble Clef

Virginia Music Standards of Learning

5.1 The student will improvise and compose music.
5.4 The student will explain personal preferences for musical works and performances using
music terminology.
5.13 The student will develop skills for individual and ensemble singing performance.
5.14 The student will develop skills for individual and ensemble instrumental performance.
5.15 The student will classify, perform, and count rhythmic patterns
Assessment
· Students will be able to sing and play the steady beat with instruments
· Students will be able to identify line, space notes, and Middle C to G using mnemonic sentences
· Students will be able to read and create rhythm patterns using: half note, quarter note, quarter
rest, barred eighth notes
· Student will be able to perform their written rhythms using a variety of frame drum sounds
· The student will work in groups and be able to create and perform a rondo form with: half note,
quarter note, quarter rest, and barred eighth notes

Activity 1: Ndinani Na with Instruments

Activity 2: Staff Review Assessment

Activity 3: Drum Rondo Presentation (continued)

- Finishing Theme A and B

- Get rhythms checked by Ms. Porter
- Writing in Frame Drum Sound (quarter note: knock, eighth note: brush, dum: half note)
- Practice drumming rondo rhythms with group partner(s)
- Those who would like to share perform for the class

2. Formal (summative) pre and post assessment

Rondo with 3 2 1
African Drumming
Contribution All members All members One or more
contribute contribute, but members do not
equally, and some contribute contribute
some even more than others.
contribute more
than was
required
Cooperation All members Members work Teacher
Impact on Student Learning African Drumming,
The Musical Staff: Treble Clef

work well well together intervention

together all of some of the time. needed often to
the time; assist Some teacher help group
others intervention cooperate
when needed.
needed.

Communication Each member Members need Members need

listens well to some teacher frequent teacher
other members. intervention to be intervention to
Each member able to listen to listen to each
speaks in each other and other and speak
friendly and speak to each to each other
encouraging other appropriately.
tones. appropriately.

On task Team is on task Team is on task Team needs

all of the time. some of the time. frequent teacher
Does Needs teacher reminders to get
not need reminders on task
any teacher
reminders

Rhythm A Students were able to Students were able to Students were able to
create and perform an create and perform an create and perform an
8 beat rhythm using 8 beat rhythm using 8 beat rhythm using
quarter notes, quarter quarter notes, quarter quarter notes, quarter
rest, and eighth notes. rest, and eighth notes rest, and eighth notes
with few or minimum with many mistakes.
mistakes.
Rhythm B Students were able to Students were able to Students were able to
create and perform an create and perform an create and perform an
8 beat rhythm using 8 beat rhythm using 8 beat rhythm using
half notes, quarter half notes, quarter half notes, quarter
notes, and eighth notes, and eighth notes notes, and eighth notes
notes. with few or minimum with many mistakes.
mistakes.

To the left is the handout that students had to complete for the Rondo African Drumming project. Both
Theme A and Theme B consist of 2 measures of 4/4. Students were instructed that each line is worth 1
beat (ex: 1 quarter note, 1 quarter rest, beamed eighth notes). A Half note would cover 2 lines, or 2
beats. Students were encouraged to write in Ta, Titi, and TA-A to help count their rhythms. Once
students were done with composing their rhythm, their groups had to clap their rhythms before
showing Ms. Porter. After they were reviewed and approved by me, students had to write the frame
drum sounds assigned to the note (dum: half note, brush: quarter note, eighth note: brush). After
Impact on Student Learning African Drumming,
The Musical Staff: Treble Clef

completing this, students were allowed to practice their

rhythms on the Frame Drums. Once they felt confident in
their creations, they were invited to play for the class.

Below are examples of Rhythms that would have

received a grade of “3.”

Below are examples of rhythms that would have received the grade “2.”

3. Summary Reflection on the Process

Evidence of the extent of student growth in the form of average results for the pre and post
assessment.

Students were very timid at the beginning of the Rondo with African Drumming project as they were
intimidated with composing their own rhythms. After showing them how to build rhythms and some of
my examples, students soon became very excited to begin writing their own compositions. Before the
modification, students were to write Rhym A using quarter notes and eighth notes, and Rhythm B using
half notes and quarter notes. This did not present a challenge as every group scored a “3” on their
rhythm writing. After modifying the prompt to provide a rhythmic composition challenge for the
students, there were only more rhythm composition mistakes, but also a decrease in points for
contribution, cooperation, communication, and on task. After becoming more confident with the variety
of rhythmic notes, groups began to increase overall group productivity and engagement, as well as
Impact on Student Learning African Drumming,
The Musical Staff: Treble Clef

accuracy. For the final African Drum Rondo, majority of the groups were across the board threes, or a
mix of threes and twos.

Evidence of your attempts to assess ongoing instruction, reflect and modify instruction.

Singing while playing instruments was very difficult for a majority of students as many would get
off beat or off tempo. To help strengthen student’s ability to sing loud and proud while playing
instruments, I adapted the song by having all rhythm instruments playing the steady beat. To reward
singers who were singing loud and proud during the Ndinani Na song, I allowed them to pick their
instrument of either guard shaker or guiro.

At the beginning of the unit, I had asked students to use just quarter notes and eighth notes for
Rhythm A, and half notes and quarter notes for Rhythm B. This was very easy for the students to
compose, so I adapted the rubric to the use of quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, and half notes.
The half notes presented a challenge because they have a duration of 2 beats, so students had to count
their beats and ensure that each measure had only 4 beats in it. In addition to this, the quarter rest was
a challenge because most students would ignore the rest and therefore skip a beat.

I floated around the room making sure to look and also listen for groups that were following the
rubric. For the SPED heavy classes, I had a few students who were challenged to work with others. To
help prevent situations of distress from occurring, I stayed close to those groups and helped coach them
through problem solving. EXAMPLE: A student was dead set on his rhythm and would not let his partner
collaborate. I suggested using 4 of his beats and mixing it with the other student’s 4 beats to create a
unique 8 beat pattern. I then clapped the mix of their rhythms and both students were very happy with
the rhythm they created together.

Final Thoughts about how you would do the unit differently next time – from the selection of music
and outcomes, to the instruction process, to the assessments you used.

When creating this project, I was still getting used to the student’s abilities and capabilities. Prior to
starting an assignment like this, I would like to individually test the students by having slips of pre-
written rhythmic patterns or provide a prompt for students to write their own rhythm patterns. This way
I can assess student’s abilities and group them with peers who could help strengthen their weak areas,
and vise vera.