Emma Burger
General Information
Unit Title: Syncopation
Lesson Number: #2
Lesson Title: Second Lesson on Syncopation
Lesson Concept: Syncopation
Essential Questions
What are the key teacher questions or prompts?
Listen for the syncopation in this listening example.
Come up to the board and count/clap the rhythm.
What questions or prompts might you pose to check for understanding?
How is a syncopated rhythm different from a non-syncopated rhythm?
What genres of music use syncopation the most?
What questions might you pose to push student thinking?
Why do composers use syncopation in their music?
Academic Language Needs
1. What key vocabulary (content-specific terms) do you need to teach and how will you teach
students that vocabulary in the lesson?
v Syncopation - This key word was introduced for the first time the previous day, where students
read the definition and through guided action, performed syncopated rhythm. Today’s lesson
has a stronger focus on understanding “Syncopation” in a broader sense. The vocabulary will
be taught to the student by showing them examples of syncopation that are found in various
styles of music, including contemporary popular music. This lesson is designed to show
students that syncopation is a commonly used musical tool and something that is relevant to
their personal musical life.
2. Academic language functions: What are students doing with language to express their
developing understanding of the content you are teaching? .
v The students will be answering guided questions about syncopation, i.e. Why do composers use
syncopation in their music? They will also continue to see and perform the vocabulary word
through counting, clapping, and playing line #156, “You’re a Grand Old Flag”.
3. Linguistic forms: What words and phrases do students need in order to express their
understanding of the content you are teaching?
v The students needs to know the following words: quarter note, half note, quarter rest, half rest,
eighth note, eighth rest, four/four time, bar line, key signature, as well as the idea of counting,
“one and two and three and four and” The students will also need to know the word
“Syncopation” and “strong and weak beats” to express their understanding of the content.
4. What opportunities will you provide for students to practice the new language and develop
fluency? (written and oral)
Emma Burger
v The students will have the opportunity to talk about syncopation through the teacher’s guided
questions about what syncopation is (and isn’t) and how and why syncopation is used in music.
They will have the opportunity to write about syncopation in the exit slip activity.
Necessary Prior Knowledge
1. Upon what assessment data or previous lessons are you building?
v I will be using assessment data from the syncopation pretest, administered in the previous week,
and the “check for understanding” formative assessment I did in the previous lesson, where I
asked students to identify the syncopated rhythms in line #156. Additionally, I will be building
off of the first lesson in syncopation, where the students learned the written definition of
syncopation and how to perform syncopated rhythms.
2. What requisite skills do students need in order to access the lesson and participate fully?
v The students need to recall basic information about syncopation from the day before,
understand basic rhythm counting, and actively listen to the musical examples. During this
second lesson, many supports will still be provided to students to help them understand the
counting, clapping, and performing of syncopated rhythm.
3. How does the content build on what the students already know and are able to do?
v This lesson builds on what students already know about syncopation. In respect to Bloom’s
Taxonomy, the previous lesson focused on defining and identifying syncopation, which is in the
knowledge level. This lesson incorporates those same things, while adding actions like,
“describing and discussing” from the next level of Bloom’s Taxonomy, comprehension. This
lesson is the next logical step toward mastery of the content.
4. How does this lesson fit into the curriculum?
v This lesson fits into the curriculum by reinforcing what was taught in the previous day, and by
slowly expanding the student’s working definition of syncopation through real world examples.
5. How does this lesson build on previous lessons or previous learning?
v The previous lesson was focused on experiential learning of basic syncopated rhythms. This
lesson reviews that concept while expanding the definition of syncopation to include examples
of syncopated rhythm in other forms of music. Additionally, this lesson will give students the
opportunity to begin to count and clap syncopated rhythms independently from the teacher.
6. How will the learning in this lesson be further developed in subsequent lessons?
v The learning in this lesson will be further developed by having students practice clapping and
counting new syncopated rhythms with even less help from the teacher. Additionally, the
students will learn to perform a new, unfamiliar tune that uses syncopation, without major
rhythmic supports from the teacher.
Materials – Are included as Additional Materials C-F
Student Materials: Music stand, chair, instrument, methods book “Band Expressions Book One”, pencil
Teacher Materials: Music stand, baton, chalkboard, chalk, teacher’s methods book “Band Expressions
Book One”, projector, white board, speakers, computer, syncopation PowerPoint presentation, notes of
rhythms to be done in class, lesson plan.
Emma Burger
Technology Usage
In this lesson, I will be using a multimedia presentation to engage student learning and efficiently
present information on various types of syncopated music. By having the music links embedded in my
PowerPoint, I will save time during the lesson and avoid opening and closing various windows. I will
also avoid the uncertainty of loading YouTube videos and eliminate the possibility of inappropriate
content being viewed by students on the YouTube website or other websites. The students will not use
technology in this lesson.
Standards, Objectives, Assessments, & Learning Tasks
Standards
Objectives – Include at
least one related to
academic language
Assessment –
Formative
and/or
Summative
6.3.CE – Identify different
functions and uses of music in
American Culture
The students will be
exposed to different genres
of music that frequently
use syncopation
Formative –
No
The students will be
exposed to different genres
of music that frequently
use syncopation
Formative –
No
6.4.CE – Identify the major
genres in the development of
western music
6.1.PR – Collaboratively
perform with good posture and
breath control a varied
repertoire of music representing
diverse cultures with
appropriate dynamics and
tempo.
6.2.PR – Play a variety of
classroom instruments,
collaboratively, with
increasingly complex rhythms
and melodic phrases
Summative Yes
Exit Slip
Summative Yes
Exit Slip
The students will be able to Formative –
clap, count, and play the
Yes
familiar tune, “You’re a
Teacher
Grand Old Flag”
Observation
Summative No
The students will be able to
play, count, and clap
simple syncopated rhythms
in simple melodic patterns
Formative –
Yes
Teacher
Observation
Summative No
Learning Tasks –
Give brief
descriptions of the
tasks as they align
with your standards,
objectives, and
assessment
My exit slip for the
day will ask the
question “What is
one reason
composer’s use
syncopation in
music?”
My exit slip for the
day will as the
question “What
genres of music use
syncopation the
Most?”
Each instrumental
section will play the
line individually
and I will use my
performance rubric
to assess their
performance.
Many students will
come up and
count/clap a
rhythm, after they
come up the board,
I will put a check,
check plus, or
Emma Burger
check minus by
their name on a
chart to indicate
their level of
proficiency
Differentiation, Accommodations, & Modification
Differentiation, Accommodation, Modification, and Rationale
Student
Differentiation Category Accommodation/Modifi Rationale – Why is this
– Why does this student cation
accommodation/modific
need an
ation appropriate?
accommodation/modific
ation?
Sierra
This student goes to a
pull out speech class
twice a week during
band class
Have the student come
to morning home base
once a week to get a
lesson on the concepts
learned in band class
This student misses a
large chunk of
instruction time of band
class and therefore, has
an incomplete
understanding of the
concepts.
Christopher
This student goes to a
pull out speech class
twice a week during
band class
Have the student come
to morning home base
once a week to get a
lesson on the concepts
learned in band class.
This student misses a
large chunk of
instruction time of band
class and therefore, has
an incomplete
understanding of the
concepts.
Lesson Procedures (Put the step by step procedures here. Make them as specific as possible
v Breathing Exercises – The students sit up tall in their seat, put their hand out in front of
their mouth and draw it in for eight counts as they breathe in. Then, they move their
hand away from their mouth as they exhale for eight counts. They do the same
procedure on four counts in and out, two counts in and out, and one count in and out.
The students are prompted to take in the same quantity of air for each time, even though
the time gets shorter. This teaches students how to take quality breathes in a short
period of time, which is what they need to do when they are playing their instrument.
v Chorale no. 2 in Eb (Same key as #156) – This chorale comes from “Five Progressive
Chorales for Developing Bands”, by Brian Balmages.
v Scale Preps No. 1 in Eb (Brass Buzz the first time, all play the second time) – This
exercise comes from “Scale Preps For Beginning Band” by Mike Hannickel.
v Scale Preps. No 2 in Eb – This exercise comes from “Scale Preps For Beginning Band”
by Mike Hannickel.
Emma Burger
v Ask students to recall what we talked about in our previous lesson. Do a quick recap of
the definition of syncopation and re-ask some of the questions, like “Why do composers
use syncopation in their music?” and “How is a syncopated rhythm different from a non
syncopated rhythm?”
v Talk about where syncopated rhythms are found in music, specifically jazz, ragtime,
pop, and African drumming. This will be a short PowerPoint, with sound clips for each
type of music, so the students can have an example of how syncopation is used in
various types of music.
v Have four examples of new syncopated rhythms on the board. Have individual students
clap each rhythm, and ask class to indicate if they are correct. If not, have another
student clap it. When the rhythm is successfully clapped, have whole class clap it
together.
v Then, have another student come up to the board and have them write out the counting,
ask class if they are correct, if not, have another student fix the rhythm. Then, have
everyone count it out loud.
v Then, have the class play the measure of music where this rhythm comes from in #156
“You’re a Grand Old Flag”
v Repeat these steps for all four rhythms.
v Have each section (flutes/clarinets/saxophones/trumpets/trombones/percussion) play
#156 on their own, starting with the percussion.
v After each section has played it through, have everyone play it together, after reminding
everyone that only the snare drum plays in the first three beats of measure 1.
v At end of class, ask students, “What genres of music use syncopation the most?” List as
many as you can remember on the index card, put your name on it, and give it to your
mailbox person.
Lesson Introduction
How will you engage your students?
I will engage my students through the short review of the previous day’s lesson. I will ask for students
to summarize what they learned the previous day, through guided questioning.
How will you connect to your students' previous experiences?
At the beginning of the lesson, when we are summarizing what we learned the previous day, I will be
connecting to yesterday’s experience in class, learning about syncopation. Additionally, I tried to pick
examples of syncopation from music they had most likely heard before, so that they could make a
stronger connection to it.
How will you communicate your learning goals/objectives and expectations to the students?
I will communicate the learning goals/objectives by verbalizing them throughout the lesson. For
example, when we count or clap a rhythm together, I will say, “We are doing this together now, but my
goal for the class is for each of you to be able to do this on your own, without my help”.
Lesson Procedures – Are attached as a reference material used in the lesson (Additional
Materials C)
Emma Burger
Questions to consider:
How will you teach, model, or demonstrate the skills, strategies, and/or concepts presented in the
lesson?
I will teach the concepts presented in the lesson by providing musical examples for students to listen to
that use syncopation. Doing so will help the students better understand what syncopation is, and how
and where it is used in music. Additionally, I will teach the concept and strategy of clapping and
counting syncopated rhythm by writing rhythm examples on the chalk board and having students come
down to the front of the class to count and clap each rhythm. If a student struggles, we will go over it
together and I will verbally provide strategies to help them be more successful, like not skipping steps
in counting, and putting silent beats in parenthesis.
What instructional procedures and strategies will you use?
The instructional strategies I am using promote doing before understanding. The first lesson focused
on getting students to feel and see syncopation. This second lesson is about getting students to
understand how syncopation is used in various types of music. It is also more focused preparing
students to count and clap syncopated rhythms independently of the teacher.
What learning activities do you have planned?
The first learning activity I have planned is to do a brief lecture/multimedia presentation on
syncopation and examples of different genres that frequently use syncopation. This will include sound
clips of music that use syncopation. The second learning activity I have planned involves students
coming to the board to write in the counting for the four measures of syncopated music in line #156,
“You’re a Grand Old Flag”. After this, the class will clap all four of the measures. Finally, the students
will be asked to write in the correct counting above the measures in their methods book.
What kinds of examples and/or samples will you provide for your students?
I will be providing several examples of syncopated music from various genres. I attempted to pick
musical examples that they might have heard before, so that it would be more memorable. I will also
write an example of a syncopated rhythm with it’s counting on the board for students to reference when
they write in the counting for their own rhythms.
What opportunities will you provide for students to practice what they are learning?
I will have students come to the board to write in the counting for the measures of syncopation from the
examples I provide. Additionally, all students will practice clapping the same rhythms.
What are the procedural directions for student to follow?
The students will be asked to come to the board and write in the counting for one of the four measures
of syncopated rhythm. Then all students will be asked to follow along and clap the rhythm. All
students will be asked to raise their hands if they got that answer right in their homework and then raise
their hand if they got it wrong. Finally, all students will be asked to correct the counting in their
methods book if it is different from the correct counting on the board.
Will students be grouped and, if so, by what criteria?
Students will not be grouped in today’s lesson.
Feedback
What is your plan to provide feedback to individual students or the class?
Emma Burger
I will provide verbal feedback to individual students who volunteer to come up to the board to write the
counting for the syncopated rhythms. This will affect every other student in the room as well, because
I will ask other students in the class if the person at the board has the right answer. This will engage
the entire class and require them all to be paying attention.
How will you review and correct common misunderstandings or errors?
I will review and correct common misunderstandings or errors by going through the counting process
step by step, and encouraging my students to do the same when they count syncopated rhythms.
Additionally, I will approach these common misunderstandings in a friendly way, and make sure that
no student feels like they are “dumb” for making these mistakes. If one person in the class has a
question about what we are doing, it is likely there are more people in the class with the same question
who are not brave enough to ask the question to help them understand.
Closure
How will the key points of the lesson be articulated? By whom?
The key points in the lesson will be articulated verbally by the teacher
What questions or prompts will you use to elicit student articulation of their learning?
“What genres of music use syncopation the most?”
“What is the difference between syncopated and non syncopated music?”
“How do you make sure that you are counting syncopated rhythms correctly?
How will students rethink and revise their understanding and work?
After the examples on the board, students will be asked to rewrite their incorrect answers from the
previous days homework assignment.
Homework and/or Extension Activities
What kind of opportunities will you provide students to apply this new learning?
Students will be asked to listen for syncopation in the music they listen to outside of band class.
References
(2008, Sept. 3) “SING, SING, SING” BY BENNY GOODMAN. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2S1I_ien6A
(2009, Feb. 10) Ragtime Piano: SCOTT JOPLIN. “The Entertainer” (1902). Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPmruHc4S9Q
(2013, Jan. 26) World Music from Africa: Ethnic Music, Percussion, African Tribal Music. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnAGCrw7JH0
(2013, Aug. 12) Katy Perry – Roar (Lyric Video). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9SeJIgWRPk
Balmages, B. (2003). Five Progressive Chorales for Developing Bands. Fort Lauderdale, FL: The FJH
Music Company.
Hannickel, M. (2003). Scale Preps for Beginning Band. Wilmore, KY: Curnow Music Press, Inc.
Njai, Basiru. (N.D.) African Drumming: The use of African drums. Retrieved from http://www.africandrumming.com/african_drums.htm
Emma Burger
Smith, R.W., Smith S. L., Story, M., Markham, G.E., Crain, R.C., & Gammon, L. J. (2003). Band
Expressions, Book One. New York, NY: Alfred Publishing Company, Inc.
Teichroew, Jacob. (N.D.) What is Ragtime? Retrieved from
http://jazz.about.com/od/historyjazztimeline/a/ragtime.htm
Reflection
I really enjoy enrichment learning and this lesson provided a lot of historical and cultural
context for what syncopation is and where it is found. I enjoyed creating and presenting the multimedia presentation and it was well received by the students. It is amazing how much they latch onto
technology and how it aids the learning process. It is also incredible how easy it is to cover the
material with the PowerPoint. I imbedded the sound clips into the PowerPoint, so I didn’t waste any
time opening the Internet to load the videos from YouTube. Creating the presentation took some prior
planning, but it was well worth it because it maximized my instructional time and gave the students a
great background on syncopation.