Unit Plan Outline

Teacher: Julia Hayes

Unit Title: R&B and Rock ‘n Roll History

Grade: High School Elective, 9th-12th grades

Number of Classes: 5 classes

National Standards:
The National Standards for this unit are as follows:
MU:Cn10.0.H.5a, MU:Cn11.0.T.5a, MU:Pr4.3.H.8a, MU:Re7.1.H.IIIa, MU:Re7.2.H.IIIa,
MU:Re8.1.H.IIa, MU:Re9.1.H.IIa, MU:Cn10.0.H.IIIa, MU:Cr1.1.C.Ia, MU:Cr1.1.H.IIIa,
MU:Cr2.1.E.IIIa, MU:Cr3.1.E.IIIa, MU:Cr3.2.E.IIIa, MU:Pr4.1.E.IIIa, MU:Pr4.2.E.IIIa,
MU:Pr4.3.E.IIIa, MU:Cr6.1.E.IIIa, MU:Re8.1.E.IIIa, MU:Cn10.0.H.IIIa, MU:Cn11.0.T.IIIa,
MU:Cr3.1.H.IIIa, MU:Cr3.2.H.IIIa, MU:Pr4.2.H.IIIa, MU:Pr4.3.H.IIIa, MU:Pr6.1.H.IIIa,
MU:Re7.1.H.IIIa, MU:Re7.2.H.IIIa, MU:Re8.1.H.IIIa, MU:Re9.1.H.IIIa, MU:Cn10.0.H.IIIa,
and MU:Cn11.0.T.IIIa.

MA Frameworks:
The MA Frameworks for this unit are as follows:
P.M.Cr.01, P.M.Cr.02, P.M.Cr.03, P.M.P.04, P.M.P.05, P.M.P.06, P.M.R.07, P.M.R.08, P.M.R.09,
P.M.Co.10, P.M.Co.11, AG.M.Cr.01, AG.M.Cr.02, AG.M.Cr.03, AG.M.P.04, AG.M.P.05,
AG.M.P.06, AG.M.R.07, AG.M.R.08, AG.M.R.09, AG.M.Co.10, and AG.M.Co.11.

Rationale:
(Why is this unit important, how does it fit into the long term goals of the
curriculum map?)
This unit will follow a lesson on early folk and country music, so the students will be familiar
with the characteristics and historical context of these genres, as well as genres from previous
units, such as jazz, blues, traditional, and ragtime. This unit is significant in the class curriculum
as a whole, as the progression of early R&B and rock ‘n roll are essential in the foundation and
development of modern day popular music. Similarly, this music serves as an example for the
evolution of musical genres over time, as well as the impact culture and society has on art and
media.

Essential Questions:
(What are the big questions that students will be able to answer? Eg What do
composers do? What is rhythm and what is meter?)
The essential questions the students will be able to answer are as follows:
● What are the characteristics of early R&B?
● What is the cultural context surrounding early R&B?
● What are some examples of early R&B songs/artists?
● What are the characteristics of early rock ‘n roll?
● What is the cultural context surrounding early rock ‘n roll?
● What are some early examples of early rock ‘n roll?
● How can I write a song in the style of early R&B?
● How can I write a song in the style of early rock ‘n roll?
● How do I analyze a piece of music for characteristics and historical context?

Enduring Understanding:
(What will stick with them in the long term- what will they be able to do or use
later in the year or in years to come?)
After participating in and completing this unit, students will be able to recognize the key
characteristics of early R&B and rock ‘n roll music, recall the historical context and reasoning as
to why these genres were created and popularized, and write and perform a song in these styles.

Student Learning Objectives:

(Specific knowledge and skills- Students will be able to…)
1. Students will be able to successfully identify the characteristics of early R&B music by
means of guided listening activities and a class Kahoot game to supplement student
understanding.
2. Students will be able to successfully identify the characteristics of rock ‘n roll music by
means of guided listening activities and a team game to enhance comprehension.
3. Students will be able to successfully identify the characteristics of R&B and rock ‘n roll
subgenres (psychedelic rock, surf rock, British Invasion rock, and Motown) by means of
guided listening activities and games to reinforce comprehension.
4. Students will be able to rehearse and perform an early R&B or rock ‘n roll song based on
their understanding of the genres’ characteristics and historical context.
5. Students will be able to compose an original piece in groups utilizing the characteristics
of a genre of their choosing from this unit while simultaneously being able to recognize
the historical context of the genre.

Assessment/Evaluation:
Informal
Informal assessments for this unit will be presented in the form of informal check-ins on notes
during class, discussions held as a class and in small groups, and checking for understanding by
means of a game.

Formal
Formal assessments for this unit will be presented in the form of weekly homework assignments
in which students will choose a song within a given genre and analyze it for instrumentation,
song form, and lyrical content. This assignment will also require students to provide a reflection
on the piece they chose, detailing what they liked or disliked about it, as well as how the piece
fits into the cultural context.

Long Range Assignment/Project/Product

The long range assessment assignment will be an in-class group performance of a group
composition written in the style of one of the genres studied during this unit. The project will
have three parts to it: the song the group has written and how accurate it is to the genre they
chose, the performance of the song with understanding of the characteristics of the genre, and the
reflection they will complete after performing the original composition in order to explain the
musical choices they made, as well as what they could add if given access to more
instrumentation (ex. expressing the desire to add horns to their composition if there are no horn
players in the group). Students will be encouraged to accompany themselves if they know how to
do so, but if the students are unable to do so, backing tracks will be provided.

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

(What do the students need to know and be prepared to do in advance in order
to be successful in this unit?)
Students will be familiar with the structure of the lessons at this point in the semester, as they
will have already had experience studying different genres of music in this class. The
foundational knowledge they will need to know will have been taught in previous units on jazz,
ragtime, blues, traditional, folk, and country music. Having a good understanding of the
characteristics and historical context for each of these genres will prepare students to be
successful during this unit on early R&B and rock ‘n roll.

Accommodations:
(How does instruction accommodate for special needs and ELL students to
insure equity?)
1. Special needs
2. ELL
For this class, students are often encouraged to work with their peers to discuss aspects of the
music they hear, the cultural context behind the music, and how they can implement these ideas
into their own songwriting. This peer interaction is especially important for equitable education,
as peer teaching and learning is an accessible way in which students are able to get involved in
the lesson without feeling left out by their peers. Instruction will be provided in another language
if a student is struggling to understand a lesson in English. Students will be learning through a
mix of visual, oral, and auditory methods, so as to satisfy the needs of different types of learners.
School to Home/community connection:
(How can student connect this knowledge to their daily lives, community and/or
enhance their skills as global citizens?)
Students, through participating in this unit, will have a deeper understanding of the music that
influenced the generations preceding them, and vice versa. Students will be able to tie these
lessons into the music they listen to in their everyday lives, learning how music has evolved into
more modern popular music. The music in this unit was popularized by previous generations, so
the students will be able to relate to their community through the knowledge of the origins and
appreciation for these genres.

Activator:
(What activities will the students do in order to activate prior knowledge to
support the new material in this unit?)

Repertoire:
(List all music literature, scores, octavos, videos, recordings etc.)
Students will be listening to recordings of the following songs in each of the following genres:

R&B
● “Blue Monday” by Fats Domino
● “Only You (And You Alone) by The Platters
● “I Got A Woman” by Ray Charles
● “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry
● “Lucille” by Little Richard
● “Hound Dog” by Big Mama Thornton

Rock ‘n roll
● “Ain’t That A Shame” by Fats Domino
● “Believe What You Say” by Ricky Nelson
● “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis
● “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets
● “That’ll Be The Day” by Buddy Holly & The Crickets
● “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard
● “Tutti Frutti” by Elvis Presley

British Invasion Rock

● “I Want To Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles
● “All Day and All of the Night” by The Kinks
● “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by The Rolling Stones
Psychedelic rock
● “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” by The Beatles
● “Little Wing” by Jimi Hendrix
● “Time” by Pink Floyd

Surf Rock
● “Surfin’ USA” by The Beach Boys
● “Movin’ and Groovin’” by Duane Eddy
● “Let’s Go Trippin’” by Dick Dale

Motown
● “You’ve Really Got A Hold On Me” by The Temptations
● “Heard It Through The Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye
● “You Can’t Hurry Love” by The Supremes
● “Never Can Say Goodbye” by The Jackson 5

Materials Needed:
(List all materials necessary for this unit, including paper, pencils, instruments,
audio visual, digital equipment etc.)

● Laptop
○ Speakers
○ Access to YouTube/Spotify
○ PowerPoint presentations for each lesson
● Whiteboard and markers
● 2-3 small whiteboards and markers
● Printed worksheets for each student for each lesson
● Printed homework sheets for each student to be given out every week

For final assessment songwriting activity, students should have access to the following if they
decide to not use a backing track:

● Guitar (electric)
○ amplifier
● Bass (electric)
○ amplifier
● Drum set
● Microphones with stands (2-3)
● Music stands
Lesson Outlines
(number the lessons in order and add as many as needed)
Behavioral Objective
Assessment/Evaluation (proposed)
Prior Knowledge and activator (proposed)
Lesson content (bullet points)

Lesson #1: Early R&B

Lesson Plan Outline

Name: Julia Hayes

Date: 4/2/24
Grade/Class: High School History of Popular Music Elective

1. Learning Objectives: Students will be able to successfully identify the characteristics of

early R&B music by means of guided listening activities and a class Kahoot game to
supplement student understanding.

2. Assessment: There will not be a formal assessment for this lesson. Instead, the teacher
will collect the previous week’s homework assignment to be graded and given feedback.
This lesson is part of the foundational knowledge necessary to complete the unit project
assigned towards the end of the unit.

3. National Standards and MA Arts Frameworks:

The National Standards that will be satisfied in this lesson are as follows:
MU:Cn10.0.H.5a, MU:Cn11.0.T.5a, MU:Pr4.3.H.8a, MU:Re7.1.H.IIIa, MU:Re7.2.H.IIIa,
MU:Re8.1.H.IIa, MU:Re9.1.H.IIa, MU:Cn10.0.H.IIIa, and MU:Cr1.1.C.Ia.

The MA Arts Frameworks that will be satisfied in this lesson are as follows: N.M.R.07,
N.M.R.08, N.M.Co.10, N.M.Co.11, AG.M.R.07, AG.M.R.08, AG.M.Co.10, and
AG.M.Co.11.

4. Context for the lesson: This lesson will take place following units on jazz, ragtime, and
traditional folk songs. Students should feel comfortable with the material taught in
previous units, as it is all foundational for this unit on early R&B and rock ‘n roll. This
will be the first lesson in this unit, so the knowledge in this lesson will be foundational
for the rest of the unit.
 5. Required prior knowledge/skills: This will be the first lesson of this unit, following a unit
on jazz. Students will be familiar with the characteristics of all genres in past units, such
as instrumentation, lyrical content, song form, average tempo, etc of each individual
genre. In previous units, the students would have learned about the history of jazz,
ragtime, country, and folk music.

6. Review and Scaffolding: Students will be asked to explain some of the characteristics of
jazz in their own words, then the whole class will discuss. This will give students a
reminder of where in music history the class is in terms of chronology. Teacher will give
feedback on student responses, as well as remind students of any important aspects of the
genre they might have left out of the review.

7. Accessible Teaching Strategies: Powerpoint presentation will be projected on the board,

worksheets will be handed out to each student, directions will be given orally—repeated
as many times as necessary—, and projected on the board. For students that are interested
in diving deeper into this topic, there will be web resources discussed during the lesson,
as well as posted on the class website for them to explore.

8. Materials, Repertoire, Equipment needed:

The required materials and equipment for this lesson are as follows: Laptop with access
to powerpoint/music player, speakers, worksheets for each student, whiteboard with
markers, 2-3 small whiteboards with markers.

The repertoire used in this lesson will be as follows:

● “Blue Monday” by Fats Domino
● “Only You (And You Alone) by The Platters
● “I Got A Woman” by Ray Charles
● “Johnny B. Goode” by Chuck Berry
● “Lucille” by Little Richard
● “Hound Dog” by Big Mama Thornton

9. Lesson Sequence and Pacing:

A. Opening Est. Time: 6-8 mins

Collect homework that was assigned last week to be due at the start of this lesson. Review jazz
characteristics as a class using powerpoint review slide’s prompts. Listen to a brief portion of an
R&B song as an activator.
B. Learning Activities Est. Time: 20 mins

Learning Activity Assessment Method

1. Students will be given review 1. Teacher will be facilitating this

questions on jazz characteristics to review, so feedback will be given
 answer as a class: list for each of the students’ responses.
characteristics, recall the cultural
context and evolution of jazz, then
introduce an early R&B tune
(“Hound Dog” by Big Mama
Thornton) as an activator

2. Students will participate in a 2. Teacher will check in with students

guided listening activity: Students while they are filling out their worksheets,
will be given clear expectations as well as give them feedback on their
regarding what they should be observations about the characteristics of
listening for (instrumentation, R&B.
lyrical content, song form, and
tempo), write observations down
on their worksheets, then will
share their observations with the
class. The song students will listen
to will be “Only You (And You
Alone)” by The Platters.

3. Students will take notes regarding 3. Teacher will explain content in the
early R&B characteristics powerpoint, answering any questions
(instrumentation, lyrical content, students may have. Teacher will walk
song form, and tempo): around the room and make sure each
worksheets will have both student is filling in the right information
fill-in-the-blank spaces to take on the worksheets
notes, as well as short answer
spaces to ensure understanding.
The information the students will
be taking notes on will be provided
through the powerpoint, as well as
the teacher’s lecture.

4. Students will listen to 4 examples
of R&B songs (“Blue Monday” by
Fats Domino, “I Got A Woman”
by Ray Charles, “Lucille” by Little
Richard, and “Johnny B. Goode”
by Chuck Berry): on their
worksheets, students will make
observations about
instrumentation, song form, and
lyrical content. They will also
reflect about how the song makes
them feel, whether or not they like
it and why, and tie in cultural
4. Teacher will walk around the room and
check in on each students’ responses on
their worksheets, as well as check in with
each student to make sure everything up
to this point in the lesson makes sense to
them (if not, teacher will work with the
student, provide explanation, then
encourage the next learning activity,
which will be partner discussion so that
they can hear someone else’s perspective.
 context to the significance of the
piece.

5. In between each song, students
will turn and talk to their
neighbors and share their
observations and reflections with
each other in order to gain multiple
perspectives
5. Teacher will walk around to each group
and ask to hear at least one thing they
discussed in order to check for
comprehension.

6. Students will repeat activities 4 6. See teacher evaluation for activities 4

and 5 with each of the 4 songs. and 5

7. Students will play a Kahoot based
on the material they have learned,
discussed, and taken notes on.
Students will be encouraged to
play the game without using their
notes, but are welcome to use their
notes for reference if they find
they are struggling.
7. Teacher will facilitate the game,
checking for correct answers and tallying
the points for both teams. Teacher will
also observe whether or not the students
feel the need to reference their notes to
answer questions during the game.

C. Assessment Activity Est. Time: N/A

There will not be a formal assessment activity. Instead, the students will pass in their homework
assignments at the beginning of class so they might receive grades and feedback on their work.
D. Summative Activity/Closing/Wrap-up Est. Time: 10 mins
The closing activity will be a Kahoot, in which students will be presented with questions on the
board that they will have to answer on their devices.
I will leave a few minutes at the end of class to review the homework assignment for the week.
The homework will be printed on their worksheets, even though this type of assignment will be a
routine assignment they have to complete each week, so students will already know the
homework procedure at this point in the semester.

E. Secondary/alternative plans:
If technology should be an issue, most of this lesson can be adapted to be written on the board
instead. The materials will be posted on the class website, so students will have access to the
powerpoint in case this were to happen. Since the students will be required to have devices for
this lesson, the listening portions of the lesson could be completed individually or in small
groups. If classroom management should become an issue during the team game, the students
will transition into independent work, which would entail starting their homework assignment
that will be due at the start of the following class. If there should be an issue with the Kahoot, the
game can be easily adapted to a whiteboard-style game.

10. Posted Agenda:

Review Jazz
R&B Notes
Turn and Talk
Kahoot!
Homework for next week: R&B Song Analysis

11. Assignment and Due Date: (if applicable)

For homework, students will choose an R&B song from a specific time period (announced by the
teacher on powerpoint). They will analyze the song for instrumentation, lyrical content, and song
form. They will also provide a short reflection (2-3 sentences) on their own personal thoughts
about the song, as well as how it relates to the cultural context of the time period. Students will
be expected to hand in their assignments as a hard copy, as well as post the songs they chose to
the website—each song the students choose during this semester will be compiled into a class
playlist that they will have access to.

Lesson #2: Early Rock ‘N Roll

Lesson Plan Outline

Name: Julia Hayes

Date: 4/2/24
Grade/Class: High School History of Popular Music Elective

1. Learning Objectives: Students will be able to successfully identify the characteristics of

rock music by means of guided listening activities and a team game to enhance
comprehension.

2. Assessment: There will not be a formal assessment for this lesson. Instead, the teacher
will collect the previous week’s homework assignment to be graded and given feedback.
This lesson is part of the foundational knowledge necessary to complete the unit project
assigned towards the end of the unit.

3. National Standards and MA Arts Frameworks:

The National Standards that will be satisfied in this lesson are as follows:
MU:Cn10.0.H.5a, MU:Cn11.0.T.5a, MU:Pr4.3.H.8a, MU:Re7.1.H.IIIa, MU:Re7.2.H.IIIa,
MU:Re8.1.H.IIa, MU:Re9.1.H.IIa, MU:Cn10.0.H.IIIa, and MU:Cr1.1.C.Ia.

The MA Arts Frameworks that will be satisfied in this lesson are as follows: N.M.R.07,
N.M.R.08, N.M.Co.10, N.M.Co.11, AG.M.R.07, AG.M.R.08, AG.M.Co.10, and
AG.M.Co.11.
 4. Context for the lesson: This lesson will take place following units on jazz, ragtime, and
traditional folk songs. The first lesson in this unit would have been on R&B cultural
context and characteristics. This lesson will directly follow and reference content learned
in the previous R&B lesson.

5. Required prior knowledge/skills: This will be the second lesson of this unit, following a
lesson on R&B. Students will be familiar with the characteristics of R&B, such as
instrumentation, lyrical content, song form, average tempo, etc. In previous units, the
students would have learned about the history of jazz, ragtime, and traditional folk music.

6. Review and Scaffolding: Powerpoint will include a brief overview of topics discussed in
the previous lesson. Students will be asked to explain some of the characteristics of R&B
in their own words, then the whole class will discuss. Teacher will give feedback on
student responses, as well as remind students of any important aspects of the genre they
might have left out of the review.

7. Accessible Teaching Strategies: Powerpoint presentation will be projected on the board,

worksheets will be handed out to each student, directions will be given orally—repeated
as many times as necessary—, and projected on the board. For students that are interested
in diving deeper into this topic, there will be web resources discussed during the lesson,
as well as posted on the class website for them to explore.

8. Materials, Repertoire, Equipment needed:

The required materials and equipment for this lesson are as follows: Laptop with access
to powerpoint/music player, speakers, worksheets for each student, whiteboard with
markers, 2-3 small whiteboards with markers.

The repertoire used in this lesson will be as follows: “Ain’t That A Shame” by Fats
Domino, “Believe What You Say” by Ricky Nelson, “Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee
Lewis, “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets, “That’ll Be The Day” by
Buddy Holly & The Crickets, “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard, and “Tutti Frutti” by Elvis
Presley.

9. Lesson Sequence and Pacing:

A. Opening Est. Time: 6-8 mins

Collect homework that was assigned last week to be due at the start of this lesson. Review R&B
characteristics as a class using powerpoint review slide’s prompts. Listen to a brief portion of an
R&B song as a means to jog students’ memories.
B. Learning Activities Est. Time: 20 mins

Learning Activity Assessment Method

1. Students will be given review 1. Teacher will be facilitating this

questions on R&B characteristics review, so feedback will be given
 to answer as a class: list for each of the students’ responses.
characteristics, recall the cultural
context of the creation of R&B
music. Students will listen to
“Ain’t That A Shame” by Fats
Domino, which will be helpful in
remembering the characteristics of
R&B.

2. Students will participate in a 2. Teacher will check in with students

guided listening activity: Students while they are filling out their worksheets,
will be given clear expectations as well as give them feedback on their
regarding what they should be observations about the characteristics of
listening for (instrumentation, rock.
lyrical content, song form, and
tempo), write observations down
on their worksheets, then will
share their observations with the
class. The song students will listen
to will be “Believe What You Say”
by Ricky Nelson.

3. Students will take notes regarding 3. Teacher will explain content in the
rock characteristics powerpoint, answering any questions
(instrumentation, lyrical content, students may have. Teacher will walk
song form, and tempo): around the room and make sure each
worksheets will have both student is filling in the right information
fill-in-the-blank spaces to take on the worksheets
notes, as well as short answer
spaces to ensure understanding.
The information the students will
be taking notes on will be provided
through the powerpoint, as well as
the teacher’s lecture.

4. Students will listen to 3 examples
of rock songs from the 1950s era:
on their worksheets, students will
make observations about
instrumentation, song form, and
lyrical content. They will also
reflect about how the song makes
them feel, whether or not they like
it and why, and tie in cultural
context to the significance of the
piece.
4. Teacher will walk around the room and
check in on each students’ responses on
their worksheets, as well as check in with
each student to make sure everything up
to this point in the lesson makes sense to
them (if not, teacher will work with the
student, provide explanation, then
encourage the next learning activity,
which will be partner discussion so that
they can hear someone else’s perspective.
 5. In between each song, students
will turn and talk to their
neighbors and share their
observations and reflections with
each other in order to gain multiple
perspectives
5. Teacher will walk around to each group
and ask to hear at least one thing they
discussed in order to check for
comprehension.

6. Students will repeat activities 4 6. See teacher evaluation for activities 4

and 5. The songs will include and 5
“Great Balls of Fire” by Jerry Lee
Lewis, “Rock Around the Clock”
by Bill Haley & His Comets, and
“That’ll Be The Day” by Buddy
Holly & The Crickets.

7. Students will listen to “Tutti 7. Teacher will walk around to each

Frutti” by both Little Richard and student and check in for understanding
Elvis Presley: they will compare and completion of their worksheets
and contrast the two versions,
making observations on their
worksheets (i.e. instrumentation,
lyrics, etc.)

8. Students will turn and talk to their 8. Teacher will walk around to each group
neighbors about why categorizing and ask to hear about one thing each
these songs in two different genres group discussed in order to check for
is culturally significant, as well as understanding and cultural connection
what they thought about the songs
(i.e. liked/didn’t like). Student
pairs will then share their thoughts
with the class

9. Students will play a team game 9. Teacher will facilitate the game,
using whiteboards: students will be checking for correct answers and tallying
broken up into teams and be tasked the points for both teams
with answering questions about
rock characteristics on their
whiteboards for points

C. Assessment Activity Est. Time: N/A

There will not be a formal assessment activity. Instead, the students will pass in their homework
assignments at the beginning of class so they might receive grades and feedback on their work.
D. Summative Activity/Closing/Wrap-up Est. Time: 10 mins
The closing activity will be a team whiteboard game, in which students will be presented with
questions on the board that they will have to answer with their teams on their whiteboards for
points.
I will leave a few minutes at the end of class to review the homework assignment for the week.
The homework will be printed on their worksheets, even though this type of assignment will be a
routine assignment they have to complete each week, so students will already know the
homework procedure at this point in the semester.

E. Secondary/alternative plans:
If technology should be an issue, most of this lesson can be adapted to be written on the board
instead. The materials will be posted on the class website, so students will have access to the
powerpoint in case this were to happen. Assuming students have devices with them, the listening
portions of the lesson could be completed individually or in small groups. If classroom
management should become an issue during the team game, the students will transition into
independent work, which would entail starting their homework assignment that will be due at the
start of the following class.

10. Posted Agenda:

Review R&B
Rock ‘n Roll Notes
Turn and Talk
“Tutti Frutti”: Little Richard vs. Elvis Presley
Whiteboard Game
Homework for next week: Rock Song Analysis

11. Assignment and Due Date: (if applicable)

For homework, students will choose a rock song from a specific time period (announced by
teacher on powerpoint). They will analyze the song for instrumentation, lyrical content, and song
form. They will also provide a short reflection (2-3 sentences) on their own personal thoughts
about the song, as well as how it relates to the cultural context of the time period. Students will
be expected to hand in their assignments as a hard copy, as well as post the songs they chose to
the website—each song the students choose during this semester will be compiled into a class
playlist that they will have access to.

12. Teacher Reflection:

Overall, I believe this lesson went very well. In terms of student engagement and
comprehension, this lesson worked well. I think I did well balancing lecturing, listening,
discussion, and hands-on activities. In the future, I would probably allow for more time to listen
to each piece of music all the way through. I think in terms of preparation done beforehand, I did
well. I put a lot of effort into the powerpoint and notes packets, and homework sheets and it
seems like it worked well for the students. After watching my video back, it definitely takes me
some time to get used to being the teacher, so I will work on being more comfortable with
teaching. I received great feedback from a classmate on how I could be more effective with
praise in the classroom, which is something I have been thinking about and will definitely keep
in mind for future lessons. I think another area I can absolutely improve on is how to ask more
effective questions. In the future, I will focus more on presenting more guiding questions to the
class. I think my excitement for and knowledge of the material showed through well during this
lesson, and it seemed like my passion for popular music history was reciprocated by the class as
a result of my own attitude towards the subject matter. I think the whiteboard game at the end
went very well, as it was designed to be equitable while still allowing teamwork, cooperation,
and an opportunity to check for understanding, all with the motivation of friendly competition.

Lesson #3: Subgenres of R&B and Rock ‘N Roll (Note: depending on student
comprehension and learning pace, this lesson might be better split into two
lessons)

Behavioral Objective
Students will be able to successfully identify the characteristics of R&B and rock ‘n roll
subgenres (psychedelic rock, surf rock, British Invasion rock, and Motown) by means of guided
listening activities and games to reinforce comprehension.

Assessment/Evaluation (proposed)
This lesson will not have a formal assessment, besides the collection of the previous week’s
homework assignment at the start of class. Instead, at the end of the lesson, students will be split
into groups and asked to complete a Venn diagram, mapping out the similarities and differences
of each subgenre of R&B and rock ‘n roll.

Prior Knowledge and activator (proposed)

Students will participate in a review of R&B and rock ‘n roll characteristics in the form of class
and peer discussions, following a guided listening review of what the genres sound like so the
students are able to remember what both genres sound like.

Lesson content (bullet points)

● Review of R&B and rock ‘n roll
○ Guided listening
○ Peer and whole class discussion
● Introduction to Psychedelic Rock
○ Guided listening
○ Make observations on worksheet
○ Discuss with peers
● Introduction to Surf Rock
○ Guided listening
○ Make observations on worksheet
○ Discuss with peers
● Introduction to British Invasion Rock
○ Guided listening
○ Make observations on worksheet
○ Discuss with peers
● Introduction to Motown
 ○ Guided listening
○ Make observations on worksheet
○ Discuss with peers
● Venn diagram activity in small groups
○ Discuss each group’s diagram as a class

Lesson 4: Final Composition Project (Note: this will be the first of 2 classes in
which students will be able to work on this project)

Behavioral Objective
Students will be able to rehearse and perform an early R&B or rock ‘n roll song based on their
understanding of the genres’ characteristics and historical context.
Students will be able to compose an original piece in groups utilizing the characteristics of a
genre of their choosing from this unit while simultaneously being able to recognize the historical
context of the genre.

Assessment/Evaluation (proposed)
This will be the culminating project of the unit, as the students will be applying the information
they have learned regarding the characteristics and cultural context of the genres they have
studied in this class. This project will consist of the class being split into groups, in which
students will write an original piece in the style of one of the genres they have learned about
during this unit. They will write and perform their songs at the end of the next lesson. Also due
at the end of the following lesson will be their reflection on their writing process, understanding
of the characteristics of the genre, and how they believe their piece aligns with the cultural
context. Students will be given a rubric so that they are aware of the expectations for this project.

Prior Knowledge and activator (proposed)

Students will answer guiding questions posed by the teacher in order to refresh their memories
on the most common characteristics of each genre, as well as the reason why this genre was
significant in history.

Lesson content (bullet points)

● Brief review of R&B, rock ‘n roll, and their subgenres

○ Characteristics
○ Cultural context
● Give directions on final unit project
● Split class into groups
● Students will work on writing their songs within their groups
○ Teacher will check in frequently with students and answer questions along the
way as necessary
Lesson #5: Final Project Wrap-Up and Presentations

Behavioral Objective
Students will be able to rehearse and perform an early R&B or rock ‘n roll song based on their
understanding of the genres’ characteristics and historical context.
Students will be able to compose an original piece in groups utilizing the characteristics of a
genre of their choosing from this unit while simultaneously being able to recognize the historical
context of the genre.

Assessment/Evaluation (proposed)
This will be the culminating project of the unit, as the students will be applying the information
they have learned regarding the characteristics and cultural context of the genres they have
studied in this class. This project will consist of the class being split into groups, in which
students will write an original piece in the style of one of the genres they have learned about
during this unit. These songs will be performed at the end of this lesson. Also due at the end of
this class will be their reflection on their writing process, understanding of the characteristics of
the genre, and how they believe their piece aligns with the cultural context. Students will be
given a rubric so that they are aware of the expectations for this project.

Prior Knowledge and activator (proposed)

Students will answer guiding questions posed by the teacher in order to refresh their memories
on the most common characteristics of each genre, as well as the reason why this genre was
significant in history. During this class, the review questions will not take quite as much time, as
the students will ideally be using this class time to finish up their compositions before they
present them at the end of the class.

Lesson content (bullet points)

● Brief review of R&B, rock ‘n roll, and their subgenres

○ Characteristics
○ Cultural context
● Review directions on final unit project
● Students will work on writing their songs within their groups
○ Teacher will check in frequently with students and answer questions along the
way as necessary
● Students will perform their compositions in their groups in front of the class
● Students will hand in their reflections before class ends