Jan 20 Lesson Plan

Teacher Name: Mikaela Lange

Class: 6th Grade (hr 4 and 5)

Materials of Instruction:
Surface Go’s – Musictheory.net
Essential Elements Book 1

Pieces:
EE Book 1
125
124
Buffalo Gals
Big Rock Candy Mountain

Lesson Sequence (lessons may have more or less activities as appropriate):

Entry Activity/Transition: Okay let’s get out our tuners and start tuning our instruments.
T will walk around during the tuning process if students need any help
1. Once students tune individually, T will lead students in a tuning cycle
a. 4 As, 4 Ds, 4 Gs, 4 Cs, 4 Es

Activity #1 Objective: Students will practice their identification of G string notes

using Music Theory.net

1. Now that we’re tuned up let’s get our Surface Go’s out and get onto
Musictheory.net to get some G string practice in.
a. T will count down from 30 to fill in the space and get things rolling
2. Make sure you set your range to the one that is on the board
a. Vlns: Black
Vlas: Blue
Cello/Bass: Green
3. Set your timer for 2 minutes and go!
a. T will have background music to make it a little more fun
b. T will walk around a help monitor students’ progress
4. Once the 2 mins is up T will ask if students did better than the last time

Assessment: T will ask students how they have progressed, 85% - 95% of the notes
gotten right

Transition/Closure: Now let’s put those G string into some context and play some
Big Rock Candy Mountain
Activity #2 Objective: Students will practice G string Notes playing the piece Big
Rock Candy Mountain
 1. Ss will play the first line to review the notes
a. T will then ask Ss what they remember about the next line and they
continue playing that line
2. Ss will then go and play the 3rd line
a. T will remind students that it’s the only different line in the song
3. Ss will then play line 4
a. T will ask students to look at the last 2 measures and ask what they notice
about it compared to lines 1 and 2
4. Ss will play the whole song once all together
5. T: Now if you’re feeling advanced add the fourth finger violins and violas and
cellos and basses tap your foot
a. Ss will play the song one more time all together

Assessment: Students will play the G string notes accurately and place their fingers
on the right tape.

Transition/Closure: Now that we’ve done some G string notes, we’re going to go and
work some more eighth notes too in our orange books

Activity #3 Objective: Students will practice G string Notes and mixed

eighth-note/quarter note rhythms by playing the piece Jingli Nona in their book

1. Once students get their orange books out have them start at the beginning a play
the first 4 measures
a. After that, pick students to play a little solo with the rest of the class
pizzing the 4 measures to create a safe place to play
2. After a student plays a solo students will play the next four lines
a. After that, pick students to play a little solo with the rest of the class
pizzing the 4 measures to create a safe place to play
3. Continue this for the whole song until you reach the end
4. Combine the first half of the song to help students understand how their
connected
5. Combine the last half of the song to help students get a feeling of the flow of the
ending
6. Finally play the whole song, making sure Ss are watching out for their tapes
a. If there is something they struggle with go to that spot and work the
problem briefly
7. Play the song one more time and this time if students are feeling advanced have
them tapping their foot

Assessment: Students will play Jingli Nona with their fingers on the correct tapes, T
will help start but then walk around to listen and watch their fingers.

Transition/Closure: Let’s play even more G string notes and add in more slurs, just
go up one line to number 124 in your book

Activity #4 Objective: Students will continue progress with slurs by playing number
124 in their book
1. Have students air bow and speak the last four measures
a. This will help them get more of an understanding of the last four measures
which has tripped them up
2. Once they have air bowed have students put it on the string and bow it with the
slurs
a. If students forget to add slurs have them repeat and say “this time let’s add
in the slurs”
3. Once they have that down T will have students work the whole song for 45
seconds before quizzing on the song
4. Students will have 3 tries to pass the song to pop a balloon
a. T will look for fingers on tapes and correct bows (bow hand and direction)

Assessment: Students will play the song one time without the teacher with all their
bows going in the right direction

Transition/Closure: While S is popping the balloon let’s get out Buffalo Gals and get
some more eighth notes going

Activity #5 Objective: Students will play more eighth notes accurately by playing
Buffalo Gals
1. Start at the end and review the left hand pizz
a. T will ask students what the + above the note means
2. Play the first two lines having students focus on the tapes/left hand
3. Play the first two lines again having students focus on their bowhands
a. Check for curved pinky/thumb, pinky on the frog (cellos/basses)
4. Play the whole song now making sure the students are tapping their feet
a. Especially for the half notes/half rests
5. Play song one more time this time if students are feeling advanced have them play
4th finger for vlns/vlas and hovering their left hand for cello/basses

Assessment: Students will play the correct length of notes (eighth notes/quarter
notes/half notes) in the context of the song

Transition/Closure: Excellent job today with eighth notes and G string notes.