Eric Gabriel

Mus_149
Talbot
18 November 2018

Focused Listening and Tempo Unit Plan

Context:
7th Grade General Music
Students will use knowledge of percussion instruments, focused listening, and movement to
discover styles and characteristics of slow, moderate, and fast tempi. The students will create a
repertoire of definitions and establishments of varying tempi to perform a percussion and dance
composition as their final assessment.
Description:
This unit is designed to be a formal introduction for students to various tempi; their names,
characteristics, and musical (or non-musical) means of establishing, portraying, and maintaining
the tempi. The concepts* being taught in this unit are Vivacissimo Tempo, Largo Tempo,
Andante Tempo, and Presto Tempo.
*Optional Concepts: Subdivision, Eighth and Sixteenth Note Rhythmic Patterns, Texture
Students will create using improvisation and composition in this unit. The teacher will provide
mediums of movement, percussion (body and instrument, all non-pitched), and focused listening
for the students to create with individually, in groups, and as a class. At the end of the unit, the
students will be given a summative assessment on performances of compositions and dance
routines created in small groups. Each group will be given one of the four tempi listed above to
create their performances with.
This unit is flexible. It is anticipated that students may have trouble discovering or maintaining
each tempo either during the activities or during their final performances. If students are not
grasping one (or all, as assessed in the summative assessment) of the tempo concepts, the teacher
will instill more time to review and continue to work with the tempo (or tempi) that the students
need more assistance with.
Essential Question: How can we discover definitions of tempi through musical creation?
Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will perform different tempi through dance and percussion ensembles.
2. Students will listen and respond to songs at different tempi.
3. Students will improvise through musical performance to establish different tempi.
4. Students will compose a musical performance that will outline student constructed
definitions of tempi.
 Unit Layout
Tempo Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6
Review: N/A Improvised Student-led Body Review Presto Students will
Vivacissimo improvised percussion tempo with be given 10
tempo Largo tempo warm up percussion minutes to
movement full-body while walking instrument review their
full-body warm up to around the improvisation. compositions
warm up to Japanese room at and dances
Ghana West Ensemble Andante with their
African drum music. Tempo. group.
music.
Concept: Vivacissimo Largo Andante Presto Tempo Each group Students will
Movement Movement walking and Listening chooses a perform their
Activity, body Activity, Son tempo, prepared group
Activity,
improvised percussion de Camaguey. composition in percussion
learning a fast
dance by improvisatio groups of 16 composition
Ghana West-
students to n activity. measure with movement
African
Japanese percussion for the class.
Dance.
Ensemble ostinati and
music. dance routine
to prepare for
final
performance.
Connection to Faster tempo Slower tempo Walking How style, Students Students
unit: characteristic characteristic speed tempo harmony, combine perform and
s defined s defined and melody, listening, watch
using body using body subdivisions rhythm, movement, performances at
movement movement through body texture all and percussion varying tempi.
and focused and focused percussion help define creativity to
listening. listening. and focused and establish compose and
listening. tempo. perform at
varying tempi.
 Day 1 - Vivacissimo Tempo Movement Lesson
Context: -7th grade general music. Last class, the class defined tempo as “the speed” of a song.
The class has been working on defining tempo with body percussion (clapping and lap-patting)
and will now learn to define it with movement.
Essential Question: How can we define Vivacissimo tempo in a musical piece using body
movement?
Materials:
1. An open room with enough space for students to hold out their arms and not touch
another student or object.
2. Computer/laptop with internet access
3. Aux Chord and Speakers loud enough for students to hear music
4. A recording of each dance to show with the procedure for clarity
5. Connect For Education Inc. (2015). OnMusic dictionary. Retrieved October 20, 2018,
from http://dictionary.onmusic.org/
6. Khong Audio Lab. (2017). Traditional West African drums Tiriba Yankad, Retrieved
October 18, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5CsjCca21Q
7. Stack Exchange. (2018). Music practice and theory. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from
https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/59079/succinct-definition-of-western-vs-non-
western-music
National Standards:
MU: Cr1.1.4a: Improvise rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ideas, and explain connection to
specific purpose and context (such as social and cultural).
MU: Pr4.2.4c: Explain how context (such as social and cultural) informs a performance.
MU: Re7.2.4a: Demonstrate and explain how responses to music are informed by the structure,
the use of the elements of music, and context (such as social and cultural).
MU: Pr4.3.4a: Demonstrate and explain how intent is conveyed through interpretive decisions
and expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, and timbre).
Learning Outcomes:
1.) Students will dance at Vivacissimo tempo.
2.) Students will discuss their dance experiences with Vivacissimo tempo with and without
the music playing.
3.) Students will identify and define Vivacissimo tempo using body movement in a musical
piece.
Procedure:
a. The teacher will begin by asking the students to stand in a large circle in the middle of the
room with enough room to comfortably reach their arms out in a “T-pose” without
touching another student
i. The teacher will inform the students that they will need space to move
around in, so they should spread out as much as possible while remaining
in a circle formation.
b. The teacher will tell the students to “read their mind” by dancing with them as they
perform the first dance for the first time. This is the Ghana West-African Drum Ensemble
dance at approximately Eighth Note = 150bpm, or Vivacissimo.
i. Note that this dance is performed first without the music.
c. The teacher will begin the dance by moving their heels up and down, starting with the left
foot, to the approximate tempo of what the Ghana West African Drum Ensemble, were it
to be playing, would be.
i. Each heel should hit the floor on each beat. The left foot will end up
touching the floor on beats 1 and 3, where the right heel will hit on beats 2
and 4.
d. After about 8 measures of simple heel touches to the beat, the teacher will then perform
dance through improvisational patterns. These movements should be performed for four
beats and should change every four beats.
e. The following movements will be used in the teacher’s dance as improvised patterns of
the dance and should continue for about two minutes before stopping the dance. Each
movement should be performed with continuation of the heel touches on the beat, as well
as with hands subtly shaking with the rotation of the shake starting from the wrists.
i. Reach upward toward the sky with straight arms. Reach outward in
front of your body with straight arms.
ii. Reach downward toward your feet with straight arms.
iii. Reach out with both arms in opposite directions, straight arms, as if it
were a “T” pose.
iv. Reach to the right with a straight right arm and a bent left arm.
v. Reach to the left with a straight left arm and a bent right arm.
f. To be clear, the teacher should perform the above movements repeatedly in an
improvised pattern to the tempo of the Ghana West African Drum Ensemble for about
two minutes before stopping the dance. The students will stop dancing when the teacher
does.
g. The teacher will then inform the students that they are going to perform the dance again,
but this time with the dance’s respected song.
h. The teacher will already have each of the song queued up on a computer connected to
speakers. The teacher will walk over to the computer and turn on the Ghana West African
Drum Ensemble piece and walk back over to the students to join the circle again.
i. The teacher will lead the dance and have the students perform with them again until the
dance is finished.
j. The teacher should use the same dance as explained above.
k. The students will stop dancing when the teacher does.
l. The teacher will then pause the Ghana West African Drum Ensemble piece.
m. The teacher will begin discussion with the students asking them to compare the
differences between the movements of the pieces.
 i. The teacher should be sure to mention words such as “fast”, and “lively”
in the discussion if the students do not already mention these words.
n. The teacher will end the lesson by asking the students to discuss aloud and identify
Vivacissimo tempo using body movement in a musical piece.
Glossary of Terms:
Beat: The regular pulse of music which may be dictated by the rise or fall of the hand or baton of
the conductor, by a metronome, or by the accents in music. 
Tempo: The speed of the rhythm of a composition. Tempo is measured according to beats per
minute (bpm).
Eighth Note: A note having the time duration of one eighth of the time duration of a whole note.
Quarter Note: A note having the time duration of one fourth of the time duration of a whole note.
Non-Western Music: All music that is not written following the practices of Western European
music for the last 1000 years or so.’
Non-Locomotor: A type of movement that does not involve moving the feet from their original
position.
Improvisation: Term referring to the spontaneous performance of music without previous
preparation or any written notes.
Percussion: Instruments that are sounded by striking, shaking, plucking, or scraping.
All instruments such as drums and bells fall into this category.
Vivacissimo: Lively or brisk manner, more intense than Vivace. Between 141 and 150 bpm.
Assessment:
1.) Teacher will visually asses the students’ dances for noticeable shift in movement
interpretation through Vivacissimo tempo without and with music? Yes/No?
-Are the student performances more fluid with or without music?
-Are the students’ reactions to the dances different with and without music?
2.) The teacher will audibly assess the students’ discussion of their experiences with
Vivacissimo tempo with and without the music playing.
-Students discuss the lively and fast characteristics of Vivacissimo tempo: Yes/No
-Students discuss types of movements to use for Vivacissimo tempo: Yes/No
3.) The teacher will audibly assess the students’ self-created identifications of defining
Vivacissimo tempo with various body movements.
-Students include the following buzz words/phrases in their identifications:
-Tempo: Yes/No
-Body Movement: Yes/No
 -Fast: Yes/No
-Lively: Yes/No
Extension: The students will use their definition of tempo with body movement in further
classes with student-lead full body warm ups at varying speeds. By one week from this lesson,
students should begin using percussion instruments to define and keep tempo while utilizing and
referring to their definitions from today. The students and teacher should recall the criteria of this
lesson to help them with defining tempo with instruments.

Day 2 - Largo Tempo Movement Lesson

Context: -4th grade general music. Last class, the class defined tempo as “the speed” of a song.
The class has been working on defining tempo with body percussion (clapping and lap-patting)
and will now learn to define it with movement.
Essential Question: How can we define Largo tempo of a musical piece with body movement?
Materials:
An open room with enough space for students to hold out their arms and not touch another
student or object.
1. Body
2. Computer/laptop with internet access
3. Aux Chord and Speakers loud enough for students to hear music
4. A recording of each dance to show with the procedure for clarity
5. Best Relaxing Music. (2015). Best relaxing music -Japanese dream (calm Japanese sleep
music for soothing relaxation). Retrieved October 18, 2018, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYjk27_3Rm8
6. Connect For Education Inc. (2015). OnMusic dictionary. Retrieved October 20, 2018,
from http://dictionary.onmusic.org/
7. Stack Exchange. (2018). Music practice and theory. Retrieved October 20, 2018, from
https://music.stackexchange.com/questions/59079/succinct-definition-of-western-vs-non-
western-music
National Standards:
MU: Cr1.1.4a: Improvise rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ideas, and explain connection to
specific purpose and context (such as social and cultural).
MU: Pr4.2.4c: Explain how context (such as social and cultural) informs a performance.
MU: Re7.2.4a: Demonstrate and explain how responses to music are informed by the structure,
the use of the elements of music, and context (such as social and cultural).
MU: Pr4.3.4a: Demonstrate and explain how intent is conveyed through interpretive decisions
and expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, and timbre).
Learning Outcomes:
 1. Students will dance at Largo tempo.
2. Students will discuss their dance experiences with Largo tempo with and without the
music playing.
3. Students will identify and define Largo tempo using body movement in a musical piece.
Procedure:
o. The teacher will begin by gesturing for the class to stand in the middle of the room in a
large circle, similar to the circle made in the previous movement lesson.
i. The teacher will inform the students that they will need space to move
around in, so they should spread out as much as possible while remaining
in a circle formation.
p. The teacher will turn on the Ghana West African music from the previous lesson for the
students to improvise a dance in the circle as a full body warm up.
q. After a minute or so, the students will be ready to move and be active and will have also
reviewed body movements and characteristics having to do with Vivacissimo tempo.
r. The teacher will begin the Largo tempo movement activity by asking the students to
reform the large circle in the middle of the room with enough room to comfortably reach
their arms out in a “T-pose” without touching another student.
s. Next, the teacher will perform dance for the first time without music. This dance is to the
tempo of a Japanese Music Ensemble at approximately Quarter Note = 45bpm. This
dance will be a Non-Locomotor dance.
t. The teacher will begin the dance with their feet spread a little further than shoulder-width
apart. The feet will not move for the whole dance.
u. The following movements will be used in the teacher’s dance as improvised patterns of
the dance and should continue for about two minutes before stopping the dance. Each
movement should be performed with very fluid and slow motion, open hands, and stable
feet that will not move. Each movement should take four beats each and should change
every four beats. Each movement should take all four beats to complete.
i. Arms curved inward in the form of an oval, reached out as if
embracing a hug.
ii. Arms pointed to the left, left arm curved and right arm bent inward.
iii. Arms pointed to the right, right arm curved, and left arm bent
inward.
iv. Arms curved inward and pointed upward and to the right in the form
of an oval.
v. Arms curved inward and pointed upward and to the left in the form
of an oval.
v. To be clear, the teacher should perform the above movements repeatedly in an
improvised pattern to the tempo of the Japanese Music Ensemble for about two minutes
before stopping the dance. The students will stop dancing when the teacher does.
w. The teacher will then inform the students that they are going to perform the dance again,
but this time with the dance’s respected song.
x. The teacher will already have each of the song queued up on a computer connected to
speakers.
y. The teacher will then play the Japanese Music Ensemble piece before rejoining the circle.
 z. The teacher will perform the second dance. This dance is a Japanese Music Ensemble at
approximately Quarter Note = 45bpm. This dance will be a Non-Locomotor dance.
aa. The teacher will begin the dance with their feet spread a little further than shoulder-width
apart. The feet will not move for the whole dance.
bb. The teacher will perform the same dance with the students as described above.
cc. Once finished, the teacher will ask the students to take time individually or with others
to improvise dances to the music.
dd. The teacher will allow the students to improvise to the music for about 5 minutes.
ee. The teacher will begin discussion with the students asking them to compare the
differences between the movements of the pieces.
i. The teacher should be sure to mention words such as “slow”, and
“solemn” in the discussion if the students do not already mention these
words.
ff. The teacher will end the lesson by asking the students to identify methods of defining
Largo tempo using body movement in a musical piece.
Glossary of Terms:
Beat: The regular pulse of music which may be dictated by the rise or fall of the hand or baton of
the conductor, by a metronome, or by the accents in music. 
Tempo (Tempi, Plural of Tempo): The speed of the rhythm of a composition. Tempo is measured
according to beats per minute (bpm).
Eighth Note: A note having the time duration of one eighth of the time duration of a whole note.
Quarter Note: A note having the time duration of one fourth of the time duration of a whole note.
Non-Western Music: All music that is not written following the practices of Western European
music for the last 1000 years or so.’
Non-Locomotor: A type of movement that does not involve moving the feet from their original
position.
Improvisation: Term referring to the spontaneous performance of music without previous
preparation or any written notes.
Percussion: Instruments that are sounded by striking, shaking, plucking, or scraping.
All instruments such as drums and bells fall into this category.
Largo: A slow and solemn tempo marking, having between 40 and 60 beats per minute.

Assessment:
1.) Teacher will visually asses the students’ dances for noticeable shift in movement
interpretation through Largo tempo without and with music? Yes/No?
-Are the student performances more fluid with or without music?
-Are the students’ reactions to the dances different with and without music?
 2.) The teacher will audibly assess the students’ discussion of their experiences with Largo
tempo with and without the music playing.
-Students discuss the slow and solemn characteristics of Largo tempo: Yes/No
-Students discuss types of movements to use for Largo tempo: Yes/No
3.) The teacher will audibly assess the students’ self-created identifications of defining Largo
tempo with various body movements.
-Students include the following buzz words/phrases in their identifications:
-Tempo: Yes/No
-Body Movement: Yes/No
-Slow: Yes/No
-Solemn: Yes/No
Extension: The students will use their definition of tempo with body movement in further
classes with student-lead full body warm ups at varying speeds. By one week from this lesson,
students should begin using percussion instruments to define and keep tempo while utilizing and
referring to their definitions from today. The students and teacher should recall the criteria of this
lesson to help them with defining tempo with instruments.

Day 3 - Andante Tempo Focused Listening/Movement Activity

Context:
-7th Grade General Music
-Students have been defining and establishing various tempi with movement both arranged and
improvised. The students have also performed various eighth and sixteenth note rhythmic
patterns in previous classes and will use their knowledge of subdivisions to improvise with body
percussion while moving at Andante Tempo.
Essential Question: How can we use movement and focused listening to improvise subdivisions
at Andante Tempo?
Materials:
1. An open room with enough space for students to hold out their arms and not touch
another student or object.
2. Body
3. Computer/laptop with internet access
4. Speakers loud enough to fill the room with music
5. Connect For Education Inc. (2015). OnMusic dictionary. Retrieved October 20, 2018,
from http://dictionary.onmusic.org/
6. Various Artists. (2018). She loves you - the beatles. Retrieved November 21, 2018, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGbWU8S3vzs
National Standards:
MU: Cr1.1.4a: Improvise rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ideas, and explain connection to
specific purpose and context (such as social and cultural).
MU: Pr4.2.4c: Explain how context (such as social and cultural) informs a performance.
MU: Re7.2.4a: Demonstrate and explain how responses to music are informed by the structure,
the use of the elements of music, and context (such as social and cultural).
MU: Pr4.3.4a: Demonstrate and explain how intent is conveyed through interpretive decisions
and expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, and timbre).
Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will walk to the beat of the song at Andante Tempo.
2. Students will perform sub-divisive rhythms with body percussion at Andante Tempo.
3. Students will improvise with body percussion at Andante Tempo.
4. Students will discuss characteristics of Andante Tempo.

Procedure:
a. The teacher will begin by gesturing for the class to stand in the middle of the room in a
large circle, similar to the circle made in the previous movement lesson.
i. The teacher will inform the students that they will need space to move
around in, so they should spread out as much as possible while remaining
in a circle formation.
b. The teacher will turn on the Japanese Ensemble music from the previous lesson.
c. The teacher will ask for a volunteer to lead a full body improvised warm up to the Largo
tempo piece.
d. The teacher will choose a volunteer and inform the class that they should all watch the
volunteer’s dance and match their improvisation.
e. After a minute or so, the teacher will ask the volunteer to choose another leader.
f. The first volunteer will select another student to lead the improvised warm up.
g. The teacher will ask the class if anyone else would like to lead the warm up.
a. If yes, the teacher will select one final student to lead.
b. If no, the teacher will move on with the lesson.
h. The students will be warmed up and ready to be active and will have reviewed body
movements and characteristics pertaining to Largo tempo.
i. The teacher will then walk to the computer to play the song She Loves You by The
Beatles.
j. The teacher will tell the students to walk to the beat of the song.
k. Not too far into the song, the teacher will ask the students to explore and perform the
subdivisions of the song with their body.
i. If this direction is not clear, the teacher should demonstrate a performance
of one of the subdivisions of the song with a body percussion action. For
 example, the teacher can clap eighth notes with their hands, or pat
sixteenth notes on their legs.
ii. The teacher will make sure the students are still maintaining the tempo
with their feet.
l. The teacher will let the students explore for the rest of the song.
m. Once the song ends, the teacher will play the song again, this time having the students
improvise using body percussion and eighth and sixteenth note rhythmic patterns.
i. Again, the teacher will make sure that the students are keeping the beat
with their feet.
n. The teacher and students will improvise until the song ends the second time.
o. The teacher will ask the students to have a seat in a circle in the center of the room.
p. The teacher will invite the students to share their thoughts on keeping the beat while
improvising.
i. The teacher will ask the students if it felt difficult for them to maintain the
beat while also improvising? If so, why? If not, why?
q. The teacher will make sure that the students are led to describing Andante Tempo as a
walking-pace tempo.
r. Once the students have proven why Andante Tempo is the walking-pace tempo in their
discussion, the teacher will have the students return to their seats.
Glossary of Terms:
Andante: A moderate tempo marking between largo and moderato. This tempo typically has
between 76 and 108 beats per minute.
Subdivision: To break up a larger metrical pattern into smaller parts so that it may be more easily
understood. 
Beat: The regular pulse of music which may be dictated by the rise or fall of the hand or baton of
the conductor, by a metronome, or by the accents in music. 
Tempo (Tempi, Plural of Tempo): The speed of the rhythm of a composition. Tempo is
measured according to beats per minute (bpm).
Eighth Note: A note having the time duration of one eighth of the time duration of a whole note.
Sixteenth Note: A note having the duration of one sixteenth of the time duration of a whole note.
Improvisation: Term referring to the spontaneous performance of music without previous
preparation or any written notes.
Percussion: Instruments that are sounded by striking, shaking, plucking, or scraping.
All instruments such as drums and bells fall into this category.
Assessment:
1. The teacher will formatively assess the students’ walking to the beat of the music
(Andante Tempo).
a. Are the students’ feet hitting the ground to the beat of the music? Y/N?
i. If not, be sure to make eye contact with the students while demonstrating
what it looks like to walk with the beat. Continue this assessment for the
full activity.
2. The teacher will listen to the students’ body percussion performances for subdivisions at
Andante Tempo.
a. The students performing body percussion →Check
b. The students are performing a subdivision of the beat with the music → Check
c. The students are exploring different subdivisions and perhaps different body
percussion actions → Check
d. Students maintain the beat (Andante Tempo) with their feet → Check
3. The teacher will aurally evaluate the students’ improvisations with body percussion at
Andante Tempo.
a. Students are using subdivisions to create with body percussion → Check
b. Students are exploring different subdivisions and perhaps different body
percussion actions → Check
c. Students maintain the beat (Andante Tempo) with their feet → Check
4. The teacher will listen to the student-discussion of characteristics describing Andante
Tempo.
a. Moderately-Paced? +/-
b. Walking-Pace? +/-
c. Not too slow, not too fast? +/-
Extension:
The students will use their definitions of and characteristics describing Andante Tempo to
perform a percussion and movement composition at the end of the unit as a summative
assessment. They will also recall their definitions when performing Andante Tempo pieces
during future classes.

Day 4 - Focused Listening Activity

Context:
-7th Grade General Music.
-Students have been listening to various choral songs as a class and afterward defining
and discussing musical concepts that fall under the musical element categories of Style,
Harmony, Melody, Rhythm, and Texture. The students will listen for characteristics of musical
concepts in choral pieces while using these five musical elements as guidelines. The students
know this activity as “SHMRT,” (pronounced ‘shmurt’), which is an acronym for the musical
elements that the students use to guide them through the activity.
Essential Question: How can we define Presto tempo using various musical concepts?
Materials:
1. An open room with enough space for students to spread out in five groups
2. Various non-pitched percussion instruments
3. Body
4. Computer with Internet Access
5. Aux Chord and speakers loud enough to fill the room with the music playing from the
speakers
6. Miniature White Boards (At least 5)
7. Expo Markers (At least 5 usable markers)
8. Marker Erasers (At least 5)
9. Connect For Education Inc. (2015). OnMusic dictionary. Retrieved October 20, 2018,
from http://dictionary.onmusic.org/
10. NAXOS of America. (2015). Son de camaguey (arr. S. hatfield for choir). Retrieved
October 29, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xaoz5G9Xl44
National Standards:
1.) MU: Cr2.1. E. IIIa: Preserve draft musical works through standard notation, audio, or video
recording.
2.) MU: Pr4.2. E. IIIa: Examine, evaluate, and critique, using music reading skills where
appropriate, how the structure and context impact and inform prepared and improvised
performances.
3.) MU: Re7.1. E. IIIa: Use research and personally-developed criteria to justify choices made
when selecting music, citing knowledge of the music, and individual and ensemble purpose and
context.
4.) MU: Cn10.0. H. IIIa: Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal
choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.

Learning Outcomes:
1.) Students will define the acronym comprising SHMRT and its relation to Presto tempo.
2.) Students will write down musical concepts pertaining to their musical element that
reinforce Presto tempo.
3.) Students will discuss characteristics of Presto tempo.
4.) Students will define Presto tempo through multiple musical elements and concepts.

Procedure:
a. The will teacher will invite the students to stand with them in a circle in the middle of
b. The teacher will write the acronym SHMRT on the board.
c. The teacher will hand a piece of chalk to a student and have them fill in one of the letters
of the acronym with what it stands for in context of the activity.
d. The teacher will have students fill in the rest of the acronym until each letter is defined.
i. The teacher should stop and review any definitions that the students do not
remember or have not grasped.
e. The teacher will go down the line designating each student a number from 1-5. Once the
teacher reaches 5, they will start over with 1.
f. The teacher will tell the students to get into groups with the students of their same
number and spread out with their group around the room.
g. While the students are spreading out around the room the teacher will distribute one
white board, one expo marker, and one eraser to each of the groups.
h. The teacher will then gather the students’ attention as it may have been lost while they
were spreading out around the room.
i. The teacher will then designate one letter of SHMRT to each of the groups.
j. The teacher will inform the students that this piece of the SHMRT acronym is for their
specific group to analyze as we listen to this next piece.
k. Before the song is played, the teacher will inform the students that they should pull out
and analyze concepts of their musical element in the context of Presto tempo.
i. This means that the students will be listening for musical concepts that
highlight the tempo of the piece. In other words, choose musical concepts
that have characteristics of a fast tempo, or may exist because of the
tempo.
l. The teacher will inform the students that while the song is playing, they should discuss
their ideas with one another and comprise a list of characteristics on their white boards to
share with the class when the song ends.
m. The teacher will then play the song for the students.
n. The students will listen to the song, discuss, and write down their ideas while the song is
playing.
o. After the song ends, the teacher will begin a discussion.
p. The teacher will go ask each group what they wrote on their boards for their musical
element.
q. The students will share what they wrote on their white boards pertaining to Presto tempo.
r. The students should also share why they wrote down what they did and explain the
characteristics of their concepts that they believe pertain to Presto tempo.
s. While the teacher is listening to the student group discussion, they will pass out the exit
ticket assessing their definitions of Presto tempo.
t. The teacher will then ask the students to define Presto tempo using the characteristics of
the musical concepts that they heard in the song on the exit ticket.
u. Students will take the next 3-5 minutes defining Presto tempo.
v. The teacher will first collect the groups’ white boards, markers, and erasers.
w. The teacher will then let the students know that they have about one minute remaining to
finish their exit tickets.
x. The teacher will then collect the exit tickets for assessment.
Glossary of Terms:
Tempo (Tempi, Plural of Tempo): The speed of the rhythm of a composition. Tempo is
measured according to beats per minute (bpm).
Presto: A directive to perform the indicated passage of a composition very quickly.
Style: Characteristic manner of presentation of musical elements
Harmony: The combination of notes sounded simultaneously to produce chords. Usually, this
term is used to describe consonance, however, it can also be used to describe dissonance. A
countermelodic phrase.
Melody: A succession of tones comprised of mode, rhythm, and pitches so arranged as to
achieve musical shape, being perceived as a unity by the mind. In a piece of music where there is
more than one voice, or where harmony is present, the melody is the dominant tune of the
composition.
Rhythm: The subdivision of a space of time into a defined, repeated pattern.
Texture: Term which refers to the vertical structure of a composition.

Assessment:
1.) The teacher will evaluate the student’s SHMRT acronym recollection.
Assess the following with +/- symbols. Students identified:
Style ___ Rhythm ___
Harmony ___ Texture ___
Melody ___

2.) The teacher will visually assess the students listen to, discuss, and write down musical
concepts of the piece.
a. Are the students:
i. Quietly whispering about their ideas to hear the music? Y/N
ii. Using their white boards to write down their musical concept ideas? Y/N
iii. Are the students conversing with one another about the musical concepts
that they have written down? Y/N
3.) The teacher will use the following guidelines to assess the student’s musical concepts
chosen and how they relate to Presto tempo.
a. Style – Consonant, fast, lively, happy, energetic, driving, quick, good sound,
layered.
b. Harmony – Contour, consonant, layered, good sounding, support.
c. Melody – Contour, phrasing, grouping, consonant, driving.
d. Rhythm – Quick, fast, layered, eighth notes, syncopation, percussion.
 e. Texture – Polyphonic, light, instruments, accompaniment, SATB.
i. These guidelines are examples of characteristics and musical concepts that
the students need to be directed toward in their discussion. If they did not
include any of these buzz words in their notes or their discussion, the
teacher needs to reiterate these words and contribute these terms in the
conversation.
4.) The teacher will use an exit ticket to assess the students’ definitions of Presto tempo.
a. The teacher will use the following guidelines to assess the student’s musical
concepts chosen and how they relate to Presto tempo.
i. Style – Consonant, fast, lively, happy, energetic, driving, quick, good
sound, layered.
ii. Harmony – Contour, consonant, layered, good sounding, support.
iii. Melody – Contour, phrasing, grouping, consonant, driving.
iv. Rhythm – Quick, fast, layered, eighth notes, syncopation, percussion.
v. Texture – Polyphonic, light, instruments, accompaniment, SATB.
1. These guidelines are examples of characteristics and musical
concepts that the students need in their definitions. If they do not
include any of these buzz words on their exit tickets, the teacher
needs to reiterate these words and review characteristics of Presto
tempo.
Extension: The students will use their newly developed definitions of Presto tempo to analyze
musical elements and concepts in choral scores in class. The teacher will select choral pieces
with similar characteristics/tempi to what the students have critically analyzed in class for the
students to sight-read and perform, utilizing their definition and discussions from the SHMRT
activity.
Name: ______________
Date: _______________
Class: _______________
Presto Tempo Exit Ticket
Directions: Use what we shared in our SHMRT activity and discussion to create your own
definition of Presto Tempo with help from the musical concepts and characteristics found in the
Spanish choral piece, Son de Camaguey.

Name: ______________
Date: _______________
Class: _______________
Presto Tempo Exit Ticket
Directions: Use what we shared in our SHMRT activity and discussion to create your own
definition of Presto Tempo with help from the musical concepts and characteristics found in the
Spanish choral piece, Son de Camaguey.
 Day 5 - Percussion and Movement Composition Activity
Context:
-7th Grade General Music
-The students have been working on defining, establishing, and maintaining Vivacissimo, Largo,
Andante, and Presto Tempi throughout this tempo unit. The students will be given one of these
tempi at random to compose a percussion ensemble piece and a dance routine with. The students
have been prepared with improvisation with body percussion, percussion instruments, and
movement exercises and warm ups.
Essential Question: How can we utilize definitions of various tempi to compose with percussion
and body movement?
Materials:
1. Various percussion instruments
2. 4 metronomes with batteries
3. A room with enough space for students to comfortably split into four groups, dance
comfortably, and perform without distracting other groups.
a. Students may need separate rooms. Practice rooms, the hallway, or (if applicable)
other teacher’s rooms may be utilized.
4. Pencils and paper for students to write on for notes to reference or musical notation.
5. Summative Assessment Rubric
National Standards:
MU: Cr1.1.4a: Improvise rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ideas, and explain connection to
specific purpose and context (such as social and cultural).
MU: Pr4.2.4c: Explain how context (such as social and cultural) informs a performance.
MU: Re7.2.4a: Demonstrate and explain how responses to music are informed by the structure,
the use of the elements of music, and context (such as social and cultural).
MU: Pr4.3.4a: Demonstrate and explain how intent is conveyed through interpretive decisions
and expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, and timbre).
Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will compose a percussion ensemble piece at a random Tempo given to their
group.
2. Students will compose a dance routine at the same tempo given to them for their
percussion ensemble piece.
Procedure:
a. The lesson will begin with the teacher asking the students to come up to the percussion
cabinet one by one and receive a percussion instrument.
b. The teacher will ask the students not to play their instruments until the activity begins and
everyone has an instrument.
a. If the instrument requires a beater or a mallet, the teacher will not hand them to
the students until they are about to start playing. This is usually after the activity
is explained and the students are prepared to play.
c. Once everyone has an instrument, the teacher will begin playing eighth and sixteenth note
rhythm patterns at Presto Tempo.
d. The teacher will ask the students to improvise with the bongo drums if the students
haven’t already started doing so.
e. The students and teacher will collectively improvise maintaining at Presto Tempo for
about a minute or two.
f. The teacher will stop the students and will ask them to pick up their instruments and form
a line in front of the percussion cabinet.
g. The teacher will collect their instruments one at a time and place them back in their
correct spots.
h. The teacher will ask the students to get back in line once they have given the teacher their
instrument.
i. The teacher will count the students off into groups of four.
j. Once each student has been given a number between one and four, the teacher will have
the students get into their groups of their number and have a seat on the floor.
k. The teacher will assign group 1 with Largo Tempo.
l. The teacher will assign group 2 with Vivacissimo Tempo.
m. The teacher will assign group 3 with Presto Tempo.
n. The teacher will assign group 4 with Andante Tempo.
o. The teacher will give each group a metronome for them to practice with and find their
tempo.
i. The teacher will inform the students that they will not use the metronome
to perform with.
p. The teacher will also give each student a summative assessment rubric, which will be the
same exact rubric that the teacher is using to grade the students’ performances.
i. The teacher will make sure to tell the students to ask questions about
the rubric. The rubric is subject to change if the students believe it is
written unfairly to what they have been learning in class.
q. The teacher will tell the students to split off with their groups and compose 16 measures
of a percussion ensemble piece and a dance routine to go with it.
r. The teacher will tell the students that they have until the end of the class to create their
performances and will have time to review them before performing them next class.
s. The teacher will have already set up various percussion instruments (Bongos, wind
chimes, claves, egg shakers, triangles, and a rain stick) in four locations in their area.
t. The teacher will have each group set themselves up at a station and get started on their
compositions.
u. The teacher will walk around to each group to assist students in getting started, to remind
them how to play certain instruments, and to check their progress.
 v. The teacher will continue to check on the students and give them time warnings every so
often to keep them focused.
w. The students will work on their compositions until the end of the class time, when they
will be dismissed.
Glossary of Terms:
Tempo (Tempi, Plural of Tempo): The speed of the rhythm of a composition. Tempo is
measured according to beats per minute (bpm).
Presto: A directive to perform the indicated passage of a composition very quickly.
Eighth Note: A note having the time duration of one eighth of the time duration of a whole note.
Sixteenth Note: A note having the duration of one sixteenth of the time duration of a whole note.
Improvisation: Term referring to the spontaneous performance of music without previous
preparation or any written notes.
Percussion: Instruments that are sounded by striking, shaking, plucking, or scraping.
All instruments such as drums and bells fall into this category.
Andante: A moderate tempo marking between largo and moderato. This tempo typically has
between 76 and 108 beats per minute.
Subdivision: To break up a larger metrical pattern into smaller parts so that it may be more easily
understood. 
Beat: The regular pulse of music which may be dictated by the rise or fall of the hand or baton of
the conductor, by a metronome, or by the accents in music. 
Largo: A slow and solemn tempo marking, having between 40 and 60 beats per minute.
Vivacissimo: Lively or brisk manner, more intense than Vivace. Between 141 and 150 bpm.
Assessment:
1. The teacher will visually assess the students’ processes as they create their percussion
compositions at their given tempi.
a. Have the students chosen instruments? Y/N?
b. Are the students rehearsing with the metronome? Y/N?
c. Are the students practicing their instruments? Y/N?
d. Have the students notated any music? Y/N?
i. If needed, the teacher can ask these questions to the students.
2. The teacher will visually assess the students’ processes are they create their dance
routines at their given tempi.
a. Have the students designated the dancer(s) of the group? Y/N?
b. Are the students rehearsing with the metronome? Y/N?
c. Have the students written down their routine? Y/N?
i. If needed, the teacher can ask these questions to the students.
Extension:
Students will review their compositions and dance routines during the beginning of next class.
The students will perform their compositions and dance routines for the teacher and the rest of
the class as their summative assessment for the tempo unit.
Summative Assessment Rubric
Exemplary Proficient Approaching
Tempo The group maintains their The group maintains their The group does not
given tempo for the entirety given tempo for most of maintain their given
of their performance. The their performance. The tempo during their
group starts and ends their group starts and ends at performance. The group
performance at the same tempi similar to one starts and ends their piece
tempo and does not speed up another and fluctuates in at completely different
or slow down. tempo slightly during their tempi.
performance.
Percussion The percussion composition The percussion The percussion
Composition utilizes mostly subdivision composition utilizes some composition utilizes little
that compliments the tempo subdivision to compliment to no subdivision to
of the composition. the tempo of the compliment the tempo of
composition. the composition.
Dance The dance routine includes The dance routine The dance routine
Routine movements that well includes movements that includes little to no
represent characteristics of partially displays some movement that represents
the group’s given tempo. characteristics of the characteristics of the
group’s given tempo. group’s given tempo.

Day 6 – Composition Performance Summative Assessment

Context:
-7th Grade General Music
-The students have been working on defining, establishing, and maintaining Vivacissimo, Largo,
Andante, and Presto Tempi throughout this tempo unit. The students have prepared a
performance with one of these tempi using percussion and movement. The students will review
and perform their compositions today.
Essential Question: How can we establish and maintain a tempo while performing percussion
compositions and dance routines?
Materials:
1. Various percussion instruments
 2. A room with enough space for students to comfortably split into four groups, dance
comfortably, and perform without distracting other groups.
a. Students may need separate rooms. Practice rooms, the hallway, or (if applicable)
other teacher’s rooms may be utilized.
3. Pencils and paper for students to write on for notes to reference or musical notation.
4. Summative Assessment Rubric
National Standards:
MU: Cr1.1.4a: Improvise rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ideas, and explain connection to
specific purpose and context (such as social and cultural).
MU: Pr4.2.4c: Explain how context (such as social and cultural) informs a performance.
MU: Re7.2.4a: Demonstrate and explain how responses to music are informed by the structure,
the use of the elements of music, and context (such as social and cultural).
MU: Pr4.3.4a: Demonstrate and explain how intent is conveyed through interpretive decisions
and expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, and timbre).
Learning Outcomes:
1. Students will perform a percussion ensemble composition and dance routine to a given
tempo.
Procedure:
a. The lesson will begin with the teacher asking the students to their group areas that they
were in yesterday.
a. The teacher will have reset the room to be the same as it was yesterday when the
students began their compositions.
b. The teacher will ask the students to review their compositions and routines from
yesterday and have them performance ready.
c. The teacher will allow the students about 15-20 minutes to review their performances.
d. After the 20 minutes are up, the teacher will have the students collect their percussion
instruments and their belongings and place them in the back of the room to store while
they wait to perform with them.
e. Once this is finished, the students will sit on the floor facing the front of the room while
the teacher sets up the percussion instruments for the performers in the front of the room.
f. The teacher will ask each group to come to the front of the room and perform in order of
1-4.
g. The teacher will use the Summative Assessment Rubric (below in assessment) to grade
each performance.
h. Once each group has performed, the teacher will have the students help them clean the
room by asking each of them to hand the teacher a percussion instrument at the cabinet
for the teacher to put back.
i. Once the room is reset, the teacher will ask the students to take a seat.
Glossary of Terms:
Tempo (Tempi, Plural of Tempo): The speed of the rhythm of a composition. Tempo is
measured according to beats per minute (bpm).
Presto: A directive to perform the indicated passage of a composition very quickly.
Eighth Note: A note having the time duration of one eighth of the time duration of a whole note.
Sixteenth Note: A note having the duration of one sixteenth of the time duration of a whole note.
Improvisation: Term referring to the spontaneous performance of music without previous
preparation or any written notes.
Percussion: Instruments that are sounded by striking, shaking, plucking, or scraping.
All instruments such as drums and bells fall into this category.
Andante: A moderate tempo marking between largo and moderato. This tempo typically has
between 76 and 108 beats per minute.
Subdivision: To break up a larger metrical pattern into smaller parts so that it may be more easily
understood. 
Beat: The regular pulse of music which may be dictated by the rise or fall of the hand or baton of
the conductor, by a metronome, or by the accents in music. 
Largo: A slow and solemn tempo marking, having between 40 and 60 beats per minute.
Vivacissimo: Lively or brisk manner, more intense than Vivace. Between 141 and 150 bpm.
Assessment:
1. The teacher will give a summative evaluation of student performances of their percussion
compositions and dance routines created around a given tempo.

Exemplary Proficient Approaching

Tempo The group maintains their The group maintains their The group does not
given tempo for the entirety given tempo for most of maintain their given
of their performance. The their performance. The tempo during their
group starts and ends their group starts and ends at performance. The group
performance at the same tempi similar to one starts and ends their piece
tempo and does not speed up another and fluctuates in at completely different
or slow down. tempo slightly during their tempi.
performance.
Percussion The percussion composition The percussion The percussion
 Composition utilizes mostly subdivision composition utilizes some composition utilizes little
that compliments the tempo subdivision to compliment to no subdivision to
of the composition. the tempo of the compliment the tempo of
composition. the composition.
Dance The dance routine includes The dance routine The dance routine
Routine movements that well includes movements that includes little to no
represent characteristics of partially displays some movement that represents
the group’s given tempo. characteristics of the characteristics of the
group’s given tempo. group’s given tempo.

Extension:
Students will receive feedback on their performances next class. The teacher will allow the
students to see their group grade. The teacher will also give both positive and constructive
feedback on their performances, both individually and as a group. The teacher will answer any
questions the students may have about their grade and will explain why they were given the
grades they received.

Gettysburg College Honor Code:

I affirm that I have upheld the highest principles of honesty and integrity in my academic work
and have not witnessed a violation of the Honor Code. x. Eric Andrew Gabriel