An Orchestra Instrument Unit Test and Final Project
LESSON 8: Culminating Project and Unit Test
Duration: About Three-Four Forty minute periods; the last is for the unit
Rationale: The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with an opportunity to express their creativity and knowledge via a PowerPoint slideshow on the instrument family they have sleeted. The students will also take a Unit test to evaluate and assess their newly acquired knowledge.
Objectives: Students/learners will:
- Create a PowerPoint slideshow containing information on their selected instrument family
- Participate in a group project
- Recall information on the instrument families via a unit test
- Self-assess and discuss their newly acquired knowledge
National Music and Technology Standards: Learn more about all of the standards used in this unit here.
Materials:
- InFocus machine
- Large overhead screen
- Student laptops with all the appropriate software installed including Unit Test document
- Teacher laptop with example PowerPoint document
Class Organization: Students will be at their desks/tables and will be on their laptops. The teacher will be at the front of the class for the introduction to the lesson but will walk around to help students during the group activity. The teacher will be at the front of the class for all demonstrations.
Procedure:
- The teacher will explain to the students that they are going to be working on a PowerPoint slideshow that focuses on one instrument family that they select.
- The teacher will divide the class into four groups and have one student from each group pick their instrument family from a “hat” (basket. In my classroom). Each student in the group will then create one slide for each instrument in the family using the Internet resources and programs we have used during this unit.
- The students will then be given a criteria sheet/rubric that their project will be graded on. (See assessment/evaluation section below
- The students will then put their slides together to form a complete presentation on an instrument family for class presentation.
- The students will then complete the unit test that is saved in their documents folder of Microsoft Word, print it, and hand it in for their final grade.
- At the very end of the unit, the teacher will have the students open the original instrument worksheet from lesson one and check all of the instruments they now know. They then will compare this worksheet to the original and write a one paragraph response to it using Word.
- The teacher will also go through the rest of the KWL chart with the students so they can visually see what they have learned from this unit.
Assessment: Students will be assessed informally on their participation by means of a participation rubric as well as formally from a PowerPoint rubric and their final unit test.
Hopefully, after completing this orchestra instrument unit, your 5th grade Music students will have a better grasp on the instrument families, their members, and what they all sound like. They may even decide to learn how to play one too!
References
- Some of the questions from the unit test are taken from examples in Musical Instruments and the Voice: 50 Ready-To-Use Activities for Grade 3-9 by Audrey J. Adair. Parker Publishing: New York. 1987.
This post is part of the series: Instruments of the Orchestra Unit Plan Part 2-The Wrap Up
This series is the second group/series of lessons plans on an Instruments of the Orchestra Unit Plan. These detailed lesson plans would be considered the “wrap up” for this unit.
