ART BOTS STEAM 9-12

ART BOTS

LESSON INFORMATION

ART BOTS

Learning Description

In this hands-on STEAM lesson, students will explore the relationship between electricity, motion, and unbalanced forces by designing and building their own wobbling art bots. Using hobby motors, battery packs, pool noodles, and markers, students will follow the engineering design process (Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve) to construct a bot that moves and draws in unpredictable patterns.

Through experimentation, students will discover how unbalanced forces affect motion, how simple circuits power their bots, and how small design changes can alter movement. They will analyze their bots' performance, make modifications, and reflect on their design choices. By combining science, engineering, and art, this lesson fosters creativity, problem-solving, and critical thinking while reinforcing foundational physical science concepts.

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 9-12

CONTENT FOCUS: STEAM

LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

I can build and test a simple circuit to power a motor.
I can explain how unbalanced forces influence motion.
I can describe how energy is transformed in my art bot.
I can use the engineering design process to test and improve my design.

Essential Questions

How do unbalanced forces affect the motion of an object?
How does a motor convert electrical energy into motion?
What design choices impact the movement and artistic output of an art bot?
How can the engineering design process help improve a design?

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Physics:

SPS8: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the relationships among force, mass, and motion.

SPS10: Investigate and explain the properties of electricity and magnetism.

Physical Science:

SPS7: Develop models to illustrate the transformation and conservation of energy.

Arts Standards

VAHSAE.1: Incorporate elements and principles of design into artworks for intentional effects.

VAHSCR.1: Apply creative thinking skills to develop ideas for personal expression.

VAHSPR.1: Create original artworks using a range of materials, techniques, and processes.

VAHSPR.2: Demonstrate proficient and safe use of tools, materials, and technology.

VAHSAR.1: Analyze personal and others’ artworks to evaluate meaning, intent, and technique.

VAHSAR.3: Critique artwork using formal, contextual, and intuitive approaches.

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Physics:

P-PS2-4. Use mathematical representations of Newton’s law of gravitation and Coulomb’s law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.

P-PS2-5. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.

P-PS3-2. Develop and use models to illustrate that energy can be explained by the combination of motion and position of objects at the macroscopic scale and the motion and position of particles at the microscopic scale.

P-PS3-3. Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.

P-PS3-5. Develop and use a model to illustrate the forces between two objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to their interaction through electric or magnetic fields.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.

Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art.

Anchor Standard 7: I can relate visual arts ideas to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Electric circuit – A closed loop through which electricity can flow. It includes a power source (like a battery), wires, and something that uses the electricity (like a motor or light)
Current – The flow of electric charge through a circuit, like water moving through a pipe
Voltage – The pressure that pushes the current through the circuit, like water pressure
Unbalanced forces – When the forces acting on an object are not equal, causing the object to start moving, speed up, slow down, or change direction
Rotational motion – Movement around a central point or axis, like a spinning top or a wheel
Center of mass – The point at which an object's mass is evenly distributed in all directions
Friction – The resistance between two surfaces that slows things down
Energy transformation – The process of changing energy from one form to another—for example, chemical energy in a battery turns into electrical energy, which becomes mechanical energy in the spinning motor
Vibration motor – A small motor with an unbalanced weight attached to its shaft; as the shaft spins, it vibrates and shakes, which powers the Art Bot’s movement

Arts Vocabulary

Conceptual art – Art in which the idea behind the work is more important than the finished product
Intentionality – The purposeful use of elements and design to express meaning
Process art – Artwork that emphasizes the act of making over the final product
Rhythm – The principle of design in an artwork that indicates a type of movement, often characterized by repeated shapes, lines or colors
Gestural mark-making – Marks that reflect movement or emotion, often expressive
Experimental media – Unconventional materials or techniques used in creative exploration
Collaboration – Co-creating with others or with tools (like art bots) in the creative process
Movement – This principle of design is associated with rhythm and refers to the arrangement of parts in an artwork that creates a sense of motion to the viewer's eye through the work.
Balance – This is a sense of stability in the body of work. Balance can be created by repeating the same shapes and by creating a feeling of equal visual weight.
Form – An object that is three-dimensional and encloses volume (cubes, spheres, and cylinders are examples of various forms)
Kinetic art – Art that incorporates real motion
Engineering Design Process – A problem-solving approach that involves identifying a need, researching, brainstorming possible solutions, developing and testing prototypes, and improving the design until the optimal solution is achieved; the steps are Ask, Imagine, Plan, Create, Improve

Materials

Hobby motors
Battery packs (with AA batteries)
Pool noodles (cut into sections)
Thin markers
Electrical tape or masking tape
Hot glue
Off-center weights (washers, clay, coins)
Switches (optional for advanced circuits)
Scissors
Image of the Engineering Design Process

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Engage:
- Show a short video of various art bots and kinetic sculptures.
- Facilitate a class discussion around the following question: “What do you think makes them move the way they do?”.
- Connect motion and circuits to previously learned physics principles.

Work Session

Introduce the Engineering Design Process and explain that students will follow these steps to create their own art bots.

Explore – Building the Art Bots

Have students use their sketchbooks or STEAM journals to record their process.
Ask:
- Where will you place the mass to make it wobble?
- How do you ensure your bot stays powered and balanced?
Imagine:
- Students will brainstorm ideas and sketch potential designs for their bots.
Plan:
- Show students a list of materials that they have available to them to build their bots.
- Students will create a sketch of their bot with materials labeled before beginning to build their bots.
Create:
- Provide time for students to create their bots.
- If needed, show students one method to create their bots. Allow time for students to revise their designs as needed.
  - Connect the battery pack to the motor, ensuring a working circuit.
  - Insert the motor into the pool noodle.
  - Attach markers as "legs" using tape.
  - Add weights off-center on the motor shaft to create an unbalanced force.
- Improve and Extend:
  - Students will test and record how their bots move by placing the bot on plain white paper and turning it on to observe its movement.
  - Students should reflect on the following:
    - Do they rotate, scoot forward, draw erratically?
    - What happens when the mass is adjusted?
    - How does surface friction affect performance?
  - Introduce design constraints and goals:
    - Ask students, “Can you get your bot to move in a figure-eight?”.
    - Have students find a partner and ask students, “Can your bot cover more surface area in one minute than your partner’s?”.

Engineering and Technology Pathways (optional extension): Design process, simple circuits, prototyping, and testing

Closing Reflection

Students will work with their partners to co-create an artwork with both of their bots.
Each pair should give their piece a creative title and write a short “artist’s statement” that explains:
- Their bot’s design
- Its motion pattern
- How they collaborated to create their artwork
- What they learned about forces and energy
- Gallery walk: Display art and artist statements; allow an opportunity for students to provide peer feedback.

Assessments

Formative

Assess students’ learning through observations of building and testing, student questions and responses during discussions, and design STEAM journal/sketchbook entries with sketches, reflections, and improvements.

Summative

Design Report (written or digital):
- Sketches, circuit diagram, energy flow description
- Data on motion (optional)
- Explanation of what worked and what didn’t

Artist Statement that includes a creative title and explanation of motion concepts and energy transformations

Differentiation

Accelerated:

Students can choose how to present their final work:
- A short video montage showing the bot’s drawing in action.
- A sketchbook spread combining bot photos, drawn output, and written reflection.
- A conceptual artist statement exploring the bot as collaborator or tool.
AP Physics or Engineering classes: Add formal motion data collection (speed, revolutions, force diagrams).
Technology Integration: Challenge students to control bots with microcontrollers (Arduino, micro:bit).

Remedial:

Provide pre-made circuits.
Provide extended time for building and reflecting.
Offer verbal instructions paired with written guides.
Allow for alternative methods of documentation (photos, audio).

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Shannon Green

*This integrated lesson provides differentiated ideas and activities for educators that are aligned to a sampling of standards. Standards referenced at the time of publishing may differ based on each state’s adoption of new standards.

Revised and copyright: May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

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ART BOTS ELA 9-12

ART BOTS

LESSON INFORMATION

ART BOTS

Learning Description

In this upper-level STEAM investigation, students conceptualize and build kinetic “Art Bots” that function as both machines and artistic collaborators. The lesson challenges students to understand and model energy transformations—how electrical energy from a battery is converted into mechanical energy and transferred into rotational motion that powers drawing behavior.

After iterative testing and design improvement, students explore the philosophical and conceptual dimension of their project by responding to the reflective prompt: “In what ways is your Art Bot a co-artist in your work? Write a reflection that explains your role as designer, the bot’s contribution, and what the final artwork expresses”.This task deepens students’ critical thinking, creativity, and the fusion of art and science. Final presentations include both the Art Bot’s physical output and a reflective artist statement, shared in a class critique or gallery walk.

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 9-12

CONTENT FOCUS: STEAM

LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

I can design a functioning electrical circuit that powers a small motor.
I can explain how force, motion, and energy interact in my Art Bot.
I can analyze how changes to mass, balance, and friction affect motion.
I can collaborate with a robot to create original art and evaluate the process.

Essential Questions

How do energy transformations power machines?
What role do unbalanced forces play in robotic motion?
How can small design adjustments significantly impact a machine’s behavior?
In what ways can humans and robots collaborate creatively?

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

SCIENCE

Physics:

SPS8: Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the relationships among force, mass, and motion.

SPS10: Investigate and explain the properties of electricity and magnetism.

Physical Science:

SPS7: Develop models to illustrate the transformation and conservation of energy.

ELA

Grade 9:

9.T.T.1.e Effectively apply a variety of narrative techniques to develop complex character(s) who change, use setting to create mood, develop an idea or theme across the text, achieve specific purposes, engage audiences, and enhance writing.

Grade 10:

10.T.T.1.e Effectively apply a variety of narrative techniques to develop complex character(s) who change, use setting to create mood, develop an idea or theme across the text using metaphors, achieve specific purposes, engage audiences, and enhance writing.

Grade 11:

11.T.T.1.e Effectively apply a variety of narrative techniques to develop complex character(s) who change, use setting to create mood, develop an idea or theme across the text using metaphors and symbolism, achieve specific purposes, engage audiences, and enhance writing.

Grade 12:

12.T.T.1.e Effectively apply a variety of narrative techniques to develop complex character(s) who change, use setting to create mood, develop an idea or theme across the text using metaphors and symbolism, achieve specific purposes, engage audiences, and enhance writing.

Arts Standards

VAHSAE.1: Incorporate elements and principles of design into artworks for intentional effects.

VAHSCR.1: Apply creative thinking skills to develop ideas for personal expression.

VAHSPR.1: Create original artworks using a range of materials, techniques, and processes.

VAHSPR.2: Demonstrate proficient and safe use of tools, materials, and technology.

VAHSAR.1: Analyze personal and others’ artworks to evaluate meaning, intent, and technique.

VAHSAR.3: Critique artwork using formal, contextual, and intuitive approaches.

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

SCIENCE

Physics:

P-PS2-4. Use mathematical representations of Newton’s law of gravitation and Coulomb’s law to describe and predict the gravitational and electrostatic forces between objects.

P-PS2-5. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that an electric current can produce a magnetic field and that a changing magnetic field can produce an electric current.

P-PS3-3. Design, build, and refine a device that works within given constraints to convert one form of energy into another form of energy.

P-PS3-5. Develop and use a model to illustrate the forces between two objects and the changes in energy of the objects due to their interaction through electric or magnetic fields.

ELA

English I

ELA.E1.C.2.1 Write informative texts to examine and convey complex information clearly and accurately through the analysis of multiple sources of information. When writing:a. introduce a topic and organize complex ideas and concepts to make important connections and distinctions; b. develop a topic with relevant and sufficient facts, definitions, details, quotes, examples, and/or other information appropriate for the audience; c. use varied transitions to link major sections of the text and clarify the relationships between ideas and concepts; d. use precise language and vocabulary appropriate to the complexity of the topic; e. use a tone and style appropriate to the task and audience; and f. provide a concluding statement or section that supports the information presented.

English II

ELA.E2.C.2.1 Write informative texts to examine and convey complex information clearly and accurately through the analysis of multiple sources of information. When writing:a. introduce a topic and organize complex ideas and concepts to make important connections and distinctions; b. develop a topic by selecting relevant and sufficient facts, definitions, details, quotes, examples, data, and/or other information appropriate for the audience; c. use varied transitions to link major sections of the text and clarify the relationships between ideas and concepts; d. use precise language and vocabulary appropriate to the complexity of the topic; e. establish and maintain a style and objective tone appropriate to the task and purpose; and f. provide a concluding statement or section that supports the information presented.

English III

ELA.E3.C.2.1 Write informative/expository texts to convey complex ideas and concepts while analyzing complex texts. When writing:a. introduce a topic and organize complex concepts and information; b. develop the topic by selecting relevant facts, definitions, details, quotations, statistics, data, and/or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic; c. use varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text and clarify the relationships between complex ideas and concepts; d. use precise language and vocabulary appropriate to the complexity of the topic; e. establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone appropriate for the task, purpose, and audience; and f. provide a concluding statement or section that supports the information presented.

English IV

ELA.E4.C.2.1 Write informative/expository texts to analyze and explain complex ideas and information. Write informative/expository texts to convey complex ideas and concepts while analyzing complex texts. When writing:a. introduce a topic and organize complex concepts and information so that each new element builds on what precedes it; b. develop the topic thoroughly by selecting relevant facts, definitions, details, quotations, statistics, data, and/or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic; c. use varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text and clarify the relationships between complex ideas and concepts; d. use precise language and vocabulary appropriate to the complexity of the topic; e. establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone appropriate for the task, purpose, and audience; and f. provide a concluding statement or section that supports the information presented.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can use the elements and principles of art to create artwork.

Anchor Standard 2: I can use different materials, techniques, and processes to make art.

Anchor Standard 7: I can relate visual arts ideas to other arts disciplines, content areas, and careers.

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Electric circuit – A closed loop through which electricity can flow. It includes a power source (like a battery), wires, and something that uses the electricity (like a motor or light)
Current – The flow of electric charge through a circuit, like water moving through a pipe
Voltage – The pressure that pushes the current through the circuit, like water pressure
Unbalanced forces – When the forces acting on an object are not equal, causing the object to start moving, speed up, slow down, or change direction
Rotational motion – Movement around a central point or axis, like a spinning top or a wheel
Center of mass – The point at which an object's mass is evenly distributed in all directions
Friction – The resistance between two surfaces that slows things down
Energy transformation – The process of changing energy from one form to another—for example, chemical energy in a battery turns into electrical energy, which becomes mechanical energy in the spinning motor
Vibration motor – A small motor with an unbalanced weight attached to its shaft; as the shaft spins, it vibrates and shakes, which powers the Art Bot’s movement

Arts Vocabulary

Conceptual art – Art in which the idea behind the work is more important than the finished product
Intentionality – The purposeful use of elements and design to express meaning
Process art – Artwork that emphasizes the act of making over the final product
Rhythm – The principle of design in an artwork that indicates a type of movement, often characterized by repeated shapes, lines or colors
Gestural mark-making – Marks that reflect movement or emotion, often expressive
Experimental media – Unconventional materials or techniques used in creative exploration
Collaboration – Co-creating with others or with tools (like Art Bots) in the creative process

Materials

Hobby motors
Battery packs (with AA batteries)
Pool noodles (cut into sections)
Thin markers
Electrical tape or masking tape
Hot glue
Off-center weights (washers, clay, coins)
Switches (optional for advanced circuits)
Scissors
Image of the Engineering Design Process

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Engage:
- Show a short video of various Art Bots and kinetic sculptures.
- Facilitate a class discussion around the following question: “What do you think makes them move the way they do?”.
- Connect motion and circuits to previously learned physics principles.

Work Session

Introduce the Engineering Design Process and explain that students will follow these steps to create their own Art Bots.

Explore – Building the Art Bots

Have students use their sketchbooks or STEAM journals to record their process.
Ask:
- Where will you place the mass to make it wobble?
- How do you ensure your bot stays powered and balanced?
Imagine:
- Students will brainstorm ideas and sketch potential designs for their bots.
Plan:
- Show students a list of materials that they have available to them to build their bots.
- Students will create a sketch of their bot with materials labeled before beginning to build their bots.
Create:
- Provide time for students to create their bots.
- If needed, show students one method to create their bots. Allow time for students to revise their designs as needed.
  - Connect the battery pack to the motor, ensuring a working circuit.
  - Insert the motor into the pool noodle.
  - Attach markers as "legs" using tape.
  - Add weights off-center on the motor shaft to create an unbalanced force.
- Improve and Extend:
  - Students will test and record how their bots move by placing the bot on plain white paper and turning it on to observe its movement.
  - Students should reflect on the following:
    - Do they rotate, scoot forward, draw erratically?
    - What happens when the mass is adjusted?
    - How does surface friction affect performance?
  - Introduce design constraints and goals:
    - Ask students, “Can you get your bot to move in a figure-eight?”.
    - Have students find a partner and ask students, “Can your bot cover more surface area in one minute than your partner’s?”.
  - Have students respond to the following writing prompt: In what ways is your Art Bot a co-artist in your work? Write a reflection that explains you role as designer, the bot's contribution, and what the final artwork expresses.
    - Reflection criteria:
      - Use vivid, sensory language to describe the bot's movement and its impact on the artwork
      - Include a clear sequence of events (design, testing, outcome).
      - Demonstrate personal voice and insight into the collaborative process
      - Use content vocabulary (e.g., unbalanced forces, rotational motion, center of mass).
      - Incorporate at least one quote or caption from your design partner to reflect collaboration or discovery.
      - Revise writing using peer and self feedback
  - AP Physics or Engineering classes: Add formal motion data collection (speed, revolutions, force diagrams).
  - Technology Integration: Challenge students to control bots with microcontrollers (Arduino, micro:bit).

Closing Reflection

Students will work with their partners to co-create an artwork with both of their bots.
Each pair should give their piece a creative title and write a short “artist’s statement” that explains:
- Their bot’s design
- Its motion pattern
- How they collaborated to create their artwork
- What they learned about forces and energy Gallery walk: Display art and artist statements; allow an opportunity for students to provide peer feedback.

Assessments

Formative

Assess students’ learning through observations of building and testing, student questions and responses during discussions, and design STEAM journal/sketchbook entries with sketches, reflections, and improvements.

Summative

Design Report (written or digital):
- Sketches, circuit diagram, energy flow description
- Data on motion (optional)
- Explanation of what worked and what didn’t
Gallery Artist Statement that includes a creative title and explanation of motion concepts and energy transformations
Writing prompt responses

Differentiation

Accelerated:

Students can choose how to present their final work:
- A short video montage showing the bot’s drawing in action.
- A sketchbook spread combining bot photos, drawn output, and written reflection.
- A conceptual artist statement exploring the bot as collaborator or tool.
Students respond to one of these advanced prompts:
- “Is the Art Bot merely a tool—or something more? Explore how machines can challenge traditional ideas of authorship in art.”
- “If your Art Bot could 'speak,' what would it say about the marks it left behind? Write from the bot’s point of view.”
- “Compare your creative process with that of a traditional artist. What new ideas about creativity have you discovered?”
Advanced Criteria:
- Integrate a metaphor or analogy comparing the Art Bot to another creative collaborator (e.g., a dance partner, a jazz improviser).
- Include evidence of revision—submit a first draft with feedback notes and a final version.
- Use philosophical or conceptual language (aligns with Anchor Standard 10).
Extension Option: Research an artist (e.g., Jean Tinguely, Harold Cohen, or Sougwen Chung) who worked with machines and compare their practice to your own.

Remedial:

Provide pre-made circuits.
Provide extended time for building and reflecting.
Offer verbal instructions paired with written guides.
Allow for alternative methods of documentation (photos, audio).
Written reflection:
- Provide structured prompts such as:
  - “My Art Bot moved by ________ because ______.”
  - “One thing I changed was ________, and it helped because ______.”
  - “The artwork shows ______ because the bot ______.”
- Oral reflection option: Allow students to speak their reflection, then transcribe or record it.
- Divide the writing prompt: Break into daily parts (Day 1: Describe the bot. Day 2: Explain how it moves. Day 3: What does your artwork show?)
- Visual Supports: Use labeled diagrams and photo sequences of their bot's process to guide the writing.
- Modeling: Show mentor texts or completed reflections and model how to revise for detail or structure.

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Shannon Green

Revised and copyright: May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

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YOUR VIEW MATTERS–FLASHBACK/FORESHADOWING 9-12

YOUR VIEW MATTERS–FLASHBACK/FORESHADOWING

LESSON INFORMATION

YOUR VIEW MATTERS–FLASHBACK/FORESHADOWING

Learning Description

Students will be engaged throughout this lesson as they take improvisation to a new level. They will create stories on their feet without a script bringing laughter and energy into the classroom as they put flashbacks and foreshadowing into their bodies. They will work individually and in groups to bring prophecies to life. Students will learn about and put into practice literary techniques without even realizing it because they will be having so much fun with their friends and classmates!

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 9-12

CONTENT FOCUS: THEATRE & ELA

LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

I can act out memories from my own life using my body and voice.
I can use improvisation to create stories.
I can work with others to create a story.
I can be intentional about creating positive memories in my life.

Essential Questions

How can improvisation help me be flexible in my world?
When have I had foreshadowing and flashback moments in my life?
How can memories enhance my life and stories?
How can I be in tune to hear the foreshadowing voices around me?

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

9th Grade Literature and Composition:

ELAGSE9-10RL5 Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g., parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.

10th Grade Literature and Composition:

Arts Standards

TAHSFT.CR.1 Organize, design, and refine theatrical work.

b. Incorporate dramatic elements through improvisation.

TAHSFT.PR.1 Act by communicating and sustaining roles in formal and informal environments.

a. Observe and demonstrate aspects of verbal and non-verbal techniques in common human activity for performance (e.g. voice, breathing, posture, facial expression, physical movement).

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

ELA.AOR.5: Evaluate and critique how an author uses words, phrases, and text structures to craft text.

English I:

ELA.E1.AOR.5.1 Analyze how an author’s choices in structuring a text, including the manipulation of time (e.g., flashback and foreshadowing), create effects such as mystery, tension, and/or suspense.

English II:

ELA.E2.AOR.5.1 Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a literary text, order events within it, and manipulate time, create effects such as mystery, tension, or surprise.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can create scenes and write scripts using story elements and structure.

Benchmark T.CR NH.1: I can work with others to add dialogue to a story.

Indicator T.CR NH1.2: I can collaborate with peers to improvise multiple dialogue choices.

Anchor Standard 3: I can act in improvised scenes and written scripts.

Benchmark T.P IM.3: I can use acting techniques to develop characters and create meaning in a simple theatrical work.

Indicator T.P IM.3.1: I can use acting techniques to develop characters and create meaning in a simple theatrical work.

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Character – A person, animal, or being in a story that takes part in the action; characters have traits, emotions, and motivations that shape the story.
Story – A connected series of events that includes a beginning, middle, and end; a story usually has characters, a problem, and a resolution.
Foreshadow – A hint or clue about something that will happen later in the story. Example: Dark clouds gathering in the sky may foreshadow a storm.
Flashback – A scene that takes the story back in time to show something from the past. Example: A character remembers their first day of school while getting ready for graduation.
Tone – The author's attitude toward the subject, shown through word choice and style
Mood – The feeling or atmosphere a reader gets from a story

Arts Vocabulary

Memory – The process of taking in information from the world around us, processing it, storing it and later recalling that information, sometimes many years later. Actors have to memorize lines for a performance.
Improvisation – A moment in a play that is not rehearsed or "scripted", or acting without a script
Dialogue – Conversation between two or more persons
Scene – A single situation or unit of dialogue in a play
Visualization – Creating vivid mental images and scenarios to enhance the understanding of characters, scenes, and the overall narrative, ultimately leading to more authentic and engaging performances

Materials

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

MEMORY WALK TIME MACHINE - FLASHBACK THEATRE

Ask students what happened right before they arrived today.
- That was a memory.
- Ask: Is a memory from the past or future? (Past)
  - Memory is the process of taking in information from the world around us, processing it, storing it, and later recalling that information.
  - Memories can be positive or negative.
  - Ask:
    - What is the first memory that pops into your head when I say…chocolate?
    - What about when I say…homework?
  - Explain that they are about to enter a Memory Machine Walk.
    - Invite students to close their eyes, if they feel safe to do so, and visualize a particular memory from their lives.
      - Actors visualize their characters, playing out the story in their mind's eye.
    - Tell students to think of events that have happened in their lives up to this point.
      - For example, when they were a baby, a toddler, an elementary schooler, activities or accolades, family milestones, the first day of school, birthday, embarrassing moments, etc.)
      - Tell students to choose one memory.
    - Explain how the Memory Machine Walk will work.
      - Students walk around the room.
      - Teacher calls, "1, 2, 3 …. FLASHBACK".
      - Students freeze.
      - Students act out their past event/memory from their life using body and voice.
      - Teacher calls, "1, 2, 3 …WALK".
      - Students visualize another memory and repeat the process.
    - Continue until through several rounds.
  - Memory Walk Group Improv:
    - Ask students to get into groups of three.
    - Tell them that they will improvise a scene (make it up on their feet).
    - Have them choose a simple scenario.
      - They can make up their own or use Simple Scene Ideas for Middle & High School for inspiration.
    - Give groups two minutes to decide on their scenario and who will play what characters.
    - Explain how the Memory Walk Improv will work.
      - Teacher calls, "1, 2, 3…ACTION".
      - Students start improvising the scene.
      - At some point during the improv, the teacher will call out "1, 2, 3…Flashback!".
      - Students must immediately improvise an earlier event that gives details to the scene.
    - Give students a moment to think about possible flashbacks that fit within their scenario.
    - Start the exercise.
    - Let students improvise for about 45 seconds before calling, "1, 2, 3…Flashback!".
    - Ask for any volunteers who would like to share their scene.
    - Reflect with students by asking what they noticed about the exercise. Use the following questions to facilitate discussion.
      - How did the flashback change the way they saw the story?
      - What emotions or surprises did it create?

Work Session

Ask students what they thought about the improvised scenes.
- What worked and didn't work?
- Did all of the partners accept suggestions given by their scene partner?
Tell students that improvisation is making up a story as you go along without using a script.
- It can be tough and often ends flat with the characters arguing.
- Improvisation takes practice, and there are some important rules that help actors make it successful.
- Discuss Rules of Improvisation.
- Watch the video Minute Improv Yes And.
- Tell students that improvisation is radical acceptance and cooperation in action.
- Tell students, “Now, let's put these rules into practice and sharpen our improvisation skills”.

CIRCLE OF PROPHECIES–FORESHADOW THEATRE

Ask students what a prophecy is.
- A prophecy is a vague or dramatic prediction.
  - It adds tone and mood to a story–usually suspense and mystery!
- Ask students if they can think of any movies or TV shows that they have seen or books they have read that contained prophecies.
- Share an example of a prophecy: "The sky will weep silver tears, and a path of glowing moss will appear. Choose the path, or face the silence".
- Ask them to think of a prophecy that they have heard or make one up.
  - Have them turn and share with the person sitting next to them.
- Invite students to sit or stand in a circle.
- Tell them that you have slips of paper with prophecies listed on them in a hat.
- Have one student pull a prophecy out of the hat and read it.
  - Work as a class to come up with three foreshadowing clues that go with the prophecy.
    - Example: "The lights flicker, a character makes a cryptic comment, a storm begins outside".
  - Work as a class to come up with a fast-forward idea to reveal what happens next.
    - Example: "A ghost appears!"
  - Encourage dramatic foreshadowing, over-the-top reactions, and creative problem-solving!
- Invite some students to the center of the circle to act out a short improv scene leading up to the prophecy coming true (or hilariously failing to).
  - The scene must include the following:
    - The prophecy
    - The three foreshadowing clues
    - The one fast-forward idea
  - Encourage students to have fun and take risks.
- Ask students to get into groups of three or four.
- Have them choose one scene idea from Scene Ideas for "Circle of Prophecies"- Foreshadowing.
  - Example: "The Missing Homework Will Decide the Future"
    - Prophecy: "Beware! If the sacred scroll (a.k.a. the missing homework) is not returned by sundown, disaster will strike!"
    - Scene: A group of students frantically searches for the missing assignment, convinced it holds magical powers. The teacher (or "guardian of knowledge") gets more suspicious by the minute.
  - Have students start on the spot or give groups five to ten minutes to decide the following:
    - Setting
    - Characters
    - Three foreshadowing clues that go with the prophecy
    - One fast forward idea
  - Have students share improvised scenes with the class.
  - Reflect with students by asking them what they noticed about the exercise. Use the following questions to facilitate discussion.
    - What made foreshadowing effective?
    - How does foreshadowing add suspense or mystery?

Fun additions to consider including in the lesson:

Encourage dramatic foreshadowing – Have one student act as the "Prophet" to ominously deliver the prophecy before the scene begins.
Use props, such as a toy crystal ball, an old book, and a flashlight for dramatic lighting.
Allow silly twists – Maybe the "big disaster" is that the vending machine runs out of snacks. Let them be creative!

EXTENSION:

Have groups write down their scenes after improvising them to create a script. Students will edit and revise the scripts.

Closing Reflection

Facilitate a discussion using the following questions:
- What did you like or dislike about this lesson?
- Do you have a better understanding of foreshadowing and flashbacks?
Tell students to get with their groups and share one memory they have from their improvised scenes.
Tell students that memories make life interesting and can make relationships stronger. Ask them to think of an intentional way to create a positive, fun memory with a friend or family member that might last a lifetime.

Assessments

Formative

The teacher can discern if the students understand the meaning of flashbacks and foreshadowings by the dialogue they include in their improvisations.

Summative

Create a checklist of the elements that need to be included in the scene.
Create a checklist for the rules of improvisation and have audience members check off the rules that were followed in each scene.

Differentiation

Accelerated:

Have advanced students write a complete story containing both foreshadowing and flashbacks using the Simple Scene prompts.

Remedial:

Create one scene as a class or allow students to contribute to the story without acting in the scenes. Or, allow remedial students to pantomime without using words while the teacher reads the improvised text.

Additional Resources

Improvisation Video - A Lesson on Improv Technique, with Chris Gethard | Big Think

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Susie Spear Purcell

Revised and copyright: May 2025 @ ArtsNOW

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THE POWER OF MULTIMEDIA IN MUSIC INTERPRETATION 9-12

THE POWER OF MULTIMEDIA IN MUSIC INTERPRETATION

LESSON INFORMATION

THE POWER OF MULTIMEDIA IN MUSIC INTERPRETATION

Learning Description

In this lesson, students will explore how different multimedia formats contribute to the presentation of a song and its message.

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 9-12

CONTENT FOCUS: MUSIC & ELA

LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

I can analyze how different multimedia formats change the way a message is presented and understood.
I can compare the strengths and weaknesses of print text, digital text, film, image, and performance in conveying information.
I can evaluate how audience perception is influenced by the choice of multimedia format.
I can use musical vocabulary to explain what I hear in a ballad.
I can use good posture, breath support, and accurate pitch while singing.

Essential Questions

How do different multimedia formats (print text, digital text, film, image, performance) influence the way an idea or topic is understood?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of using various multimedia formats to present information?
How can I use my voice to express emotions and communicate a message?

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

9th Grade Literature and Composition:

ELAGSE9-10SL2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.

10th Grade Literature and Composition:

ELAGSE9-10SL2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.

Arts Standards

HSMA.CR.2 Compose and arrange music within specified guidelines.

HSMA.CR.3 Evaluate and refine musical ideas.

HSMA.PR.2 Perform a varied repertoire of music on instruments, alone and with others.

HSMA.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

HSMA.RE.2 Evaluate music and music performances.

HSMA.CN.2 Understand music in relation to history and culture.

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

English I:

ELA.E1.AOR.10.1 Explain the advantages and disadvantages of using different multimedia

(e.g., print text, digital text, film, image, performance) formats for presenting ideas or topics.

English II:

ELA.E2.AOR.10.1 Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of using different multimedia

(e.g., print text, digital text, film, image, performance) formats for presenting ideas or topics.

English III:

ELA.E3.AOR.10.1 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different multimedia (e.g., print text, digital text, film, image, performance) formats for presenting ideas or topics.

English IV:

ELA.E4.AOR.10.1 Evaluate and critique the advantages and disadvantages of using different multimedia (e.g., print text, digital text, film, image, performance) formats for presenting ideas or topics.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 3: I can sing alone and with others.

Anchor Standard 6: I can analyze music.

Anchor Standard 7: I can evaluate music.

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Analyze - To study something closely and carefully
Evaluate - To study carefully and make a judgement
Multimedia - Using different types of media, like pictures, videos, sounds, and words, all together to tell a story or share information
Text - Can include, but is not limited to, materials such as books, magazines, newspapers, movies, paintings, television shows, songs, political cartoons, online materials, advertisements, maps, digital media, infographics, podcasts, charts, graphs, diagrams, notes, captions, lab reports, scenarios, and works of art

Arts Vocabulary

Lyrics - Words to a song
Pitch - The highness or lowness of sound
Rhythm - Long and short sounds and silences
Dynamics - Loud and soft sounds; volume
Tempo - The speed of the beat
Timbre - The distinctive quality of sounds; the tone color or special sound that makes one instrument or voice sound different from another
Form - The organization of a piece (how the music is put together)
Articulation - How a performer moves from one note to the next; how notes are connected or not

Materials

Projection board with internet access
Implements for completing writing assignments
Graphic organizers (optional)
Printed song lyrics
Audio recordings
Music video (if available)
Album art
Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routines

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Think, Pair, Share: Pose the following question–How does the format of a song (text, audio, video or performance) influence its impact?
- Allow students a few minutes to think individually and document their thoughts by using words or images.
- Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their response with a neighbor.
- Call on students to share their responses with the class. All responses are acceptable.

Work Session

Review the five multimedia formats that include print text, digital text (audio), film (music video), image (album art), and performance (live or staged).
- Discuss how each format affects perception, engagement, and understanding of the medium.
Choose a song to complete a song analysis. (**Song suggestions are in the Additional Resources section of the lesson plan.)

See, Think, Wonder (Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routine)

Prepare students for a “See, Think, Wonder” reading activity by telling students they are going to read the song lyrics (using an excerpt is acceptable) and answer three prompts. Students will need implements for annotating their responses.
- “I see”: What do you see? What words or phrases stand out to you?
- “I think”: What do you think the lyrics are about? What do you think about while reading the lyrics?
- “I wonder”: What do the lyrics make you wonder? What questions do you have?
Provide students with individual copies of the lyrics to read individually or as a group.
Have students answer the first prompt (I see) using words or images.
- Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their response with a neighbor.
- Call on students to share their responses with the class.
  - Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
- Students will read the lyrics a second time and answer the second prompt (I think) using words or images.
  - Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their responses with a neighbor.
  - Call on students to share their responses with the class.
  - Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable. Ask students, “What did you read in the ballad poem to make you think about …?” to encourage deeper connections to the written text.
- Students will read the lyrics a third time and answer the third prompt (I wonder) using words or images. **The “I think” and “I wonder” can be combined.
  - Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their responses with a neighbor.
  - Call on students to share their responses with the class.
    - Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.

Music Analysis: Hear, Think, Wonder

Prepare students for a “Hear, Think, Wonder” listening activity. This is a modification of the Project Zero “See, Think, Wonder” Thinking Routine activating strategy. **Make sure only the music is played without showing the accompanying video! This practice allows deeper analysis of the musical sounds!
Tell students they are going to listen to the song (or an excerpt) and answer three prompts:
- “I hear”: What sounds are heard. Musical sounds can include pitch (high/low sounds), rhythm (long/short), dynamics (loud/soft), tempo (fast/slow), timbre (instruments), form (same [repetition], different [contrasting]), articulation (smooth/detached).
- “I think”: What does the music make you think about?
- “I wonder”: What “wonderings” do you have? Wonderings are generally questions.
Students listen without talking the first time and answer the first prompt (I hear) using words or images.
- Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their response with a neighbor.
- Call on students to share their responses with the class.
  - Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
- Students will listen without talking a second time and answer the second prompt (I think) using words or images.
  - Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their responses with a neighbor.
  - Call on students to share their responses with the class.
    - Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
    - Ask “What did you hear in the music to make you think about …?” to encourage deeper connections to the music.
  - Students listen without talking a third time and answer the third prompt (I wonder) using words or images. **The “I think” and I wonder” prompts can be combined into one listening event instead of two separate events.
    - Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their responses with a neighbor.
    - Call on students to share their responses with the class.
      - Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
    - Discuss any changes in interpretation with the addition of musical sounds.

Music Analysis: See, Hear, Think, Wonder (combination of two Harvard Project Zero Thinking Routines See, Think, Wonder and Hear, Think, Wonder)

Prepare students for a “See, Hear, Think, Wonder” activity by telling students they are going to watch a music video of the song (using an excerpt is acceptable) and answer four prompts. Students will need implements for annotating their responses.
- “I see”: What do you see? What images or scenes stand out for you?
- “I hear”: What sounds are heard. Musical sounds can include pitch (high/low sounds), rhythm (long/short), dynamics (loud/soft), tempo (fast/slow), timbre (instruments), form (same [repetition], different [contrasting]), articulation (smooth/detached).
- “I think”: What do you think is the message of the video? What did you think about while watching the video?
- “I wonder”: What does the video make you wonder? What questions do you have?
Students answer the first prompt (I see) using words or images.
- Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their response with a neighbor.
- Call on students to share their responses with the class.
  - Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
- Students watch and listen without talking a second time and answer the second prompt (I think) using words or images.
  - Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their responses with a neighbor.
  - Call on students to share their responses with the class.
    - Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
    - Ask students, “What did you hear in the music to make you think about …?” to encourage deeper connections to the music.
  - Students watch and listen, without talking, a third time and answer the third prompt (I wonder) using words or images. **The “I think” and I wonder” prompts can be combined into one listening event instead of two separate events.
    - Tell students to “Turn and Talk” about their responses with a neighbor.
    - Call on students to share their responses with the class.
    - Restate students’ responses. All responses are acceptable.
  - Discuss how visual storytelling changes or enhances interpretation.

Performance

Students will use the lyric sheet to sing along with the recording. Singing along with the instrumental version adds an additional challenge.
- Teacher will remind students to demonstrate good posture, breath support, and accurate pitch while singing.

Group Discussion

Divide students into small collaborative groups. Using a graphic organizer might help students organize their thoughts and discussion.
- Possible questions include:
  - Which format was most effective in conveying the song’s message? Why?
  - How did each format alter the perception of the song?
  - What are the limitations of each medium?
- Conduct a whole-class share out and discussion.
- Finally, students will write a comparative analysis essay evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of two multimedia formats in presenting the song’s message.

Closing Reflection

Have students sing the song together.
Students will complete an exit ticket: Which format of the song do you think was most effective and why?
Students share one takeaway about how multimedia influences meaning in literature and music.

Assessments

Formative

Exit ticket: Which format of the song do you think was most effective and why?
Responses to thinking routines (See, Think, Wonder; Hear, Think, Wonder; See, Hear, Think, Wonder)
Teacher observations

Summative

Students write a comparative analysis essay evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of two multimedia formats in presenting the song’s message.

Differentiation

Accelerated:

Compare how different multimedia formats are used in other art forms, such as poetry or film adaptations of books.

Remedial:

Use graphic organizers.
Provide guided notes or sentence starters for discussion.
Provide discussion questions.
Use partner reading or small-group support for comprehension.

Additional Resources

Suggested Song Titles:

“Living on a Prayer” sung by Bon Jovi
“Julie” sung by Rhiannon Giddens
“Man of Constant Sorrow” sung by The Soggy Bottom Boys

Credits

Ideas contributed by: Dr. Rue S. Lee-Holmes

Back to Lessons

THE BLUES (OR NOT-SO-BLUE BLUES) 9-12

THE BLUES (OR NOT-SO-BLUE BLUES)

LESSON INFORMATION

THE BLUES (OR NOT-SO-BLUE BLUES)

Learning Description

Using a twelve-bar blues form, students will create music expressing the blues (or “not the blue blues”) about selected subject content.

Learning Targets

GRADE BAND: 9-12

CONTENT FOCUS: MUSIC & SCIENCE

LESSON DOWNLOADS:

Download PDF of this Lesson

"I Can" Statements

“I Can…”

I can write lyrics about assigned content using a prescribed form.
I can play blues harmony.
I can combine music and language to express feelings and ideas.

Essential Questions

How can music express feelings and ideas?
How can music and language be combined to express feelings and ideas?

Georgia Standards

Curriculum Standards

Non-ELA Standards will vary depending on selected content for blues compositions; thus, standards below are offered as ideas only and are not exclusive.

Biology I:

SB1 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to analyze the nature of the relationships between structures and functions in living cells.

Botany:

SBO4 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to analyze the impact of plant diseases and pests on plant defense systems and agriculture.

Earth Systems:

SES2 Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to understand how plate tectonics creates certain geologic features, landforms, Earth materials, and geologic hazards.

Arts Standards

HSMA.CR.3 Evaluate and refine musical ideas.

HSMA.PR.2 Perform a varied repertoire of music on instruments, alone and with others.

HSMA.RE.1 Listen to, analyze, and describe music.

HSMA.RE.2 Evaluate music and music performances.

HSMA.CN.2 Understand music in relation to history and culture.

South Carolina Standards

Curriculum Standards

Non-ELA Standards will vary depending on selected content for blues compositions; thus, standards below are offered as ideas only and are not exclusive.

Biology:

B-LS2-1. Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of biotic and abiotic factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.

B-LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations.

Chemistry:

C-PS1-5. Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.

Earth and Space Science:

E-ESS1-3. Construct an explanation using evidence to explain the ways elements are produced over the life cycle of a star.

Arts Standards

Anchor Standard 1: I can arrange and compose music.

Anchor Standard 4: I can play instruments alone and with others.

Anchor Standard 9: I can relate music to other arts disciplines, other subjects, and career paths.

Key Vocabulary

Content Vocabulary

Non-ELA vocabulary will vary depending on selected content for blues compositions.

Arts Vocabulary

Beat - The pulse underlying music
Blues music - A genre that evolved from folk music of African Americans in the American South (work songs, field hollers, and spirituals) during the late 1800s
Body percussion - Using the body as an instrument; includes patting, clapping, stamping, and snapping
Chord - A combination of three or more pitches played at the same time
Chord progression - A sequence of chords
Form - The organization of a piece (how the music is put together)
Harmony - Two or more pitches sounding simultaneously
Key - The group of pitches (scale) around which a piece of music revolves
Measure - The space between two bar lines
Phrase - Musical sentence

Materials

Boomwhackers (or other pitched instruments)
Writing materials (e.g., pencil and paper)
Recording of blues music (see suggestions below)
Sound production resources (e.g., speaker and phone)

Instructional Design

Opening/Activating Strategy

Using found sound or body percussion, perform a rhythm (or steady beat) for eight beats. Have students echo. Label this rhythm A.
Using a different found sound or body percussion, perform a different rhythm for eight beats. Have students echo. Compare and contrast with A. Label this rhythm B.
Tell students they will be creating musical compositions with same and different patterns (A and B).

Work Session

Play a blues recording and ask students about the mood of the music. Lead them to understand that blues music is often about hardship. Suggested blues pieces are “The Thrill is Gone” (BB King), “One Shoe Blues” (BB King), and “Sweet Home Chicago” (Eric Clapton).
While many different blues forms exist, this lesson will focus on the twelve-bar blues.
The twelve-bar blues includes three phrases (lines), each with four measures and chords, thereby yielding twelve bars (measures). Twelve-bar blues uses three chords (I, IV, and V) in the following sequence:

I I I I

IV IV I I

V IV I I

Display visual of twelve-bar blues (this is one example of twelve-bar blues; other versions also exist). The numbers on the top indicate beats; the roman numerals on the bottom indicate chords.

beats 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4

chord I I I I

beats 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4

chord IV IV I I

beats 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4 1-2-3-4

chord V IV I I

Have students keep the steady beat using different body percussion for each chord.
- For example, students pat the steady beat for the I chord, clap for the IV chord, and snap for the V chord.
Play the recording and have students perform body percussion to show the chord progression.
Display visual showing pitches in the I, IV, and V chords.

G C D

E A B

C F G

I IV V

Give each student a boomwhacker and practice playing each chord. Then play the twelve-bar blues, playing four beats for each chord.
- For example, students playing C, E, and G will play sixteen beats in the first phrase (bar) since there are four I chords in the first phrase.
Have students listen to the recording to determine the form of the lyrics. (This may take repeated listening.) Lead students to understand the form as A A B (A = first four bars, A is repeated, B = last four bars).
Listen to the recording to determine the specific content of the lyrics in A and B phrases (bars). Lead students to understand that A presents a problem, followed by A that repeats the problem (sometimes with a slight variation), and B offers a comment on or twist to what has been presented. All bars end with rhyming words.
Divide students into groups and have them write lyrics for their twelve-bar blues. (If students choose, they may write a “not-so-blue blues”, a celebration rather than a commiseration!)
- Since each phrase (bar) is sixteen beats long, the lyrics should present the problem (A) and reflection (B) succinctly and include rhyming words at the end of each bar!
Lyrics content can be aligned with subject matter content (see sample standards). For example, groups could write blues (or not-so-blue blues) about gravity, electricity, and magnetism as major forces acting in nature.
Have groups share their blues (or not-so-blues) compositions (speaking or singing) while other students play the chord progression. Other students listen and assess the group’s adherence to the prescribed musical and lyrical form.
For example, were the lyrics in A A B form? Did A present the problem and B respond to it? Did each bar end with rhyming words? Was the chord progression a twelve-bar blues?

Closing Reflection

Question students about lesson content, including music and content area vocabulary and understanding.
Have students compare and contrast blues with the music to which they typically listen.

Assessments

Formative

Through observing and questioning, assess students’ understanding of the twelve-bar blues harmony and lyrics.
Through observing, assess students’ ability to play a steady beat using body percussion and boomwhackers.
Through observing, assess students’ understanding of academic content while writing lyrics.

Summative

Students write and share lyrics reflecting assigned content in prescribed form.
Students play the twelve-bar blues.

Differentiation

Accelerated:

Students explore a different blues form.
Students write additional blues lyrics using the same form.
Students play two boomwhackers.
Create a rhythm for the chord progression (rather than playing the steady beat).

Remedial:

For a student having difficulty playing a steady beat, another student with beat proficiency could model the steady beat in front of or beside the student.
For a student having difficulty playing the boomwhacker at the right time, track the chords on a visual, point to the student (or have another student point to the student) to cue playing the boomwhacker, or pair the student with another student playing the same boomwhacker pitch.