Anatomy of a Lesson #2

Lesson Plan

1. Warm up¹
   1. Stretching exercises moving to the measure unit ({h.}) in {3/4} music improvised by the teacher
2. Identifying the binary trochaic rhythm ({e.s} a.k.a. trochée)
   1. With the music, step the beat in {4/4}. The music will mostly consist of quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes. However, when the students hear a trochée ({e.s}), they make a gesture on the beat immediately after (while still walking)²
   2. Do the same as before, but now clap on the beat after
   3. Repeat the game, but now the meter changes to {3/4}
   4. Find a partner on the beat after hearing the trochée and clap hands with each other once. Keep eye contact³
3. Stepping the trochée
   1. Step and conduct the beats in {3/4}. When the students hear the trochée, they step it once on the beat after⁴
   2. The teacher improvises music in {3/4}, changing the placement of the trochée to any of the beats (1, 2, or 3), playing only quarter notes on the rest of the measure
      • Students walk and conduct: they identify where the trochée is, and step accordingly in association⁵
      • Once the students understand the previous exercise, create a pattern of four measures: in measures one to three, move the trochée on each beat; measure four has only quarter notes. Step and conduct the pattern several times⁶
4. Moving the pattern around the circle
   1. Students sit in circles of five, each holding a drum
   2. Keep the same pattern as the previous exercise: each student plays one measure on the drum
   3. Change directions with “hop”⁷
5. Listen to Mazurka Op. 68, No. 3 in F major by F. Chopin
   1. Teacher gives brief historical context of the mazurka
   2. Step the pattern found in the piece while conducting
6. Dance to the mazurka
   1. The teacher demonstrates the dance steps of the mazurka
   2. Make two circles (in-out) facing each other
   3. Dance the mazurka as a circle dance⁸

Commentary

1. This is an example of both improvisation, in that the students get to choose how they move, as well as association, as the students are matching their stretches to the music. ↩︎
2. Here we have an aural reaction in which students react after the musical signal (because they don’t know when it’s coming). The signal should be randomized to keep the student’s attention sharp. ↩︎
3. Changing the game to a partner activity will also change the amount of space used by the students: you might notice them clumping closer together in order to react on time. ↩︎
4. Typically, a trochaic beat is moved as a skip, although how the students step is up to the teacher and their goals. ↩︎
5. In this aural reaction, the signal is not changed as frequently or as randomly, giving the students a chance to truly associate with the trochée (as opposed to signaling it after they hear it). ↩︎
6. This type of pattern is known as a systemization, in which the trochaic rhythm is moved systematically through all of its possible placements in the measure. Then we have a dissociation, where the students step the heard rhythm patterns as their arms continue conducting the beats. These types of dissociations are difficult, since they require coordination and focus to perform with accuracy. ↩︎
7. This is a fun group activity that involves inhibition/incitation: each student is incited to only play one measure at a time, while keeping the whole systemization in their heads. This is a good tool for assessment on the teacher’s part. Additionally, the verbal cue of “hop” adds an element of fun and surprise. ↩︎
8. A folk dance is a fun way to end a lesson, as it involves the whole group working together in a light-hearted way. ↩︎