Middle/Secondary Education Lesson Template

Candidate Name: LaKyya Washington

Content Area/Grade Level: Choir, 9-12

Unit Topic: Changing Meter

Unit Compelling Question: What is the purpose of changing meter and how do we perform it?

Lesson Topic: Introduction, Identification, and Intention

Describe the students in the classroom:

(for example -- cultural and ethnic diversity, religious diversity, number of students who receive free/reduced lunch,
are gifted, are ELL, have an IEP, and/or a 504 plan, have varied learning styles, etc...)

16 students, 4 African-American students, JROTC students, athletes, 2 504 plans, 4 GSSP (Gifted Special Service
Plan)

Standard(s) Addressed in the Lesson:

- MU:Cn.10.1.E.I | Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal
choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.

- MU:Pr4.2.E.I | Demonstrate, using music reading skills where appropriate, how

compositional devices employed and theoretical and structural aspects of musical works
impact and inform prepared or improvised performances.

- MU:Re8.1.E.I | Explain and support interpretations of the expressive intent and meaning
of musical works, citing as evidence the treatment of the elements of music, contexts,
(when appropriate) the setting of the text, and personal research.

Essential Content for the Lesson:

“Loch Lomond” by Earlene Rentz, knowledge of time signatures, popular media, rhythmic
counting system

Lesson Guiding Question: Can you feel the change of meter?

Lesson Objective(s):
- I can identify changing meters without seeing a musical score (sound-before-symbol,
practice-before-theory).
- I can perform notated changing meter.
- I can list potential reasons for changing meter in music.

Materials for Lesson:

- “Loch Lomond” by Earlene Rentz
- Smartboard
- YouTube
- “Hey Ya!” by Outcast
- “Blackbird” by The Beatles

Formative Assessment(s):
- Teacher will have students raise their hand to identify a change in the time signature
during the listening activity.
- Teacher will have students collectively perform notated changing meter.
- Teacher will call on individuals and small groups to share what they think are musical
and extramusical reasons for including different meters in a song/piece of music.

Lesson Procedures and Notes: (add additional rows as needed)

Procedure/Activity/Transition
Daily stretching and warm-ups:
● Adding in “zinga-zinga-zoo”
(relevant to the lesson)
Questions to Ask; Materials to Use; Accommodations
and/or Modifications
Students with injuries or are under special circumstances
can remain seated for stretches

Distribute the new repertoire: ● “What do we see in our key signature?”

● Loch Lomond
● Give students time to write in
solfege from measures 1-12 to
keep a routine
● “If we have one sharp, what note is do?”
● After identifying the key, I will notate a G
major scale on the board with solfege
syllables underneath. This will be used as
reference for students who need it.
Explore our piece:
● Use discussion to segue into an
explanation (only explaining that
we count to 4 and then 2.
Nothing more at this time).
“What time signature is our piece in?”
“What does it mean to be in 4/4?”
“Do we stay in that time signature?”
“What does it mean to be in 2/4?”

Listening activity: Using YouTube, students will listen to a

recording while keeping a steady beat (eyes
closed). When they feel a change in meter, they
will raise their hand. This is their formative
assessment
● “Hey Ya” by Outcast
● “Blackbird” by The Beatles
● Students will listen twice for a second
chance
After assessing who raised their hands when, we will go
back and listen again. This time, I will count while the
students keep a steady beat. This will help identifying
the changing meter for students who did not catch it
themselves. After counting, I will notate the
corresponding time signatures on the board. Then, we
will listen again and they will count with me as I point
to the notated time signatures.
Physical connection: ● Half of the class will clap quarter notes in 4/4
while the other claps in 2/4
● Then we’ll switch
● We’ll repeat the activity with eighth notes
Class discussion ● Looking for an understanding that the note value
doesn’t change from what we know
● A quarter note is always 2 eighth notes
 ● An eighth note is always half of a quarter note
Class discussion: “Why do you think composers and song writers
incorporate changing meter into their music?”

Potential alternatives: ● A gifted student could write the time signatures

they heard on the board instead of me
● Students have the option to keep a steady beat
by patting their lap, tapping their foot, patting
their chest, snapping their fingers, counting in
their head, etc.

Explain how this lesson addresses the lesson objective(s) and standards.
The listening activity and “zinga-zinga-zoo” warm-up introduces the idea of changing meter
without looking at notation. By writing each time signature the song we are listening to uses, I
am introducing potential notation of changing meter. The class discussion is an opportunity to
think about why changing meter may be used.

How did the lesson address the diverse needs/experiences of the students in the classroom?
This lesson has alternatives with keeping steady beats for students with injuries or special
circumstances. There are opportunities for response for all students. During assessment, eyes are
closed to protect potential influence from gifted students who may catch on faster. The lesson fits
visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.