Subject: Music
Grade Level:  7/8
Standard Addressed:  # 3
Student lesson name and URL: "Play That Tune"

Seventh & Eighth Grade
Music: Focus on Performing Skills

Students will be able to perform correctly one or more short songs, including proper notes, rhythms, dynamics, and appropriate tempos.  Students will choose their own songs, at an appropriate level of difficulty, practice the songs, and perform them for the other members of the class for a grade.

Instructional Objectives

The basic premise is that students learn to play their instruments better by playing their instruments more.  One way to help them want to play their instruments more is to provide a little bit of a gimmick.  Like giving them a "back-up" band to play with.  This can be done with software downloaded from the Alfred Music Publishing Company .   The software also allows students to develop their creativity by letting them set the parameters of tempo, volume, and make up of the accompanying group.
 

Student Activities

Introductory Activity
Since one reason for this lesson is to have students become familiar enough with the web site to be able to download the software to their computers in the school computer lab (and at home if possible), the first activity will be to have them download it to the computer at school at school.  All the instructions for doing this are on the student Activity page.

Enabling Activity(ies))
These activities will include students choosing the song(s) will they will play, practicing briefly, choosing the settings for the back-up group and making any changes, then preparing to perform the song(s) in class.

Culminating Activity
Each student will perform their song(s) in class for the each other and the teacher, with their computer generated back-up band accompanying them.
 

Assessment

Students will be graded on percentage of correct notes played, appropriateness of tempo and difficulty, and creativity in using the settings of the computer generated back-up band.  See the chart below.
 

Results

[This sub-heading will be completed after the lesson is implemented with the students; sometime in February or March.]
 

Web Resources & Supplementary Materials

Introductory Activity
A brief pre-test of the students knowledge of computers, the internet and downloading files from the internet will be given.  Then whatever instruction is necessary can be seen at the web sites listed below.

Enabling Activity
The online address for the Alfred Music Publishing Company is www.aoa.alfredpub.com.  This is where you can download the software need to have the "back-up" band.  The other software you need (RealPlayer and Shockwave) installed on your computer is available free of charge, and the links to the download sites are also on the Alfred Publishing web page.

Culminating Activity
The following is a list of the web sites used in the culminating activity:

www.aoa.alfredpub.com
realplayer.com
www.shockwave.com