KColeLesson

The following lesson plan is one that I used with the SATB freshmen chorus at the school I am currently student teaching. We have been working on the piece, "Thy Will Be Done" by Craig Courtney and for this lesson I wanted to focus on the specific context of the song and to continue developing their tone and performance of the piece. Since my time at this school one of my main goals has been to get the students to really warm up and mature their sound. Through this lesson I wanted to continue "working" on this goal but I also wanted the students to understand the specific context of the song and the passage it is based from. My favorite part of the lesson was where the students helped me read the scripture passage. I handed out five sections to students as they entered class and asked them to read the highlighted portion. After the warm ups, I started to read and each of the students read Jesus' words. It was neat to see the students listen to one another and then discuss what it all meant. Not only was this my favorite part of the lesson but I also think it went well and the students seemed to respond positively as well. If I were to do this lesson again, I would like to keep the scripture the basis throughout the lesson and even show them how it is the motivation for the musical choices the composer made.  || Warm ups- 1.  Get voice moving and focus on "the resonance in the nose" - Be-Be - Do to Sol and back down- Start on A above middle C and descend by 1/2 steps from there 2.  Get lips moving and tall vowels – Yum Yum – Sol down to Do – Start on High C and descend by 1/2 steps from there 3.  Continue to focus on tall vowels and breath – Nee ya ha ha ha (do do re mi mi fa sol mi do) – Start on middle C and ascend by 1/2 steps 4.  Focus on tall and unified vowels – "Do Do Ti Do Canon" – without the consonants (focus on vowels) – sing through all together and then split 5.  Continue by singing chord on different vowels and dynamics – watch me! (This is to help them focus, isolate the vowel sounds, listen for their dynamics, and practice being sensitive to my conducting) Start right into the Scripture Reading (have 5 student volunteers read Jesus’ words- hand out before class) Scripture Passage – //Matthew 26: 36-42// 36 “Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, **“Sit here while I go over there to pray.”** 37 He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. 38 He told them, **“My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death, Stay here and keep watch with me.”** 39 He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, **“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”** 40 Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, **“Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? 41 Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!”** 42 Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, **“My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.”** Questions: 1.  What was the cup Jesus speaks of? – “cup of suffering and separation” 2.  Who was He going to be separated from and why? – He was going to be separated from His Father for taking on the sins of the world. 3.  Even though Jesus knew exactly what lay ahead of him, what was his response? – “Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” 4.  How many of us can say this, “yet I want your will, not mine”? Through this passage we are able to see what Jesus went through, his anguish and suffering, which allows us to relate to him when we suffer, yet we also see how He handled it. He went before his Father and prayed, trusting every step of the way and humbly said “your will not mine”. With this is mind, let's go to the music. Start top of page 3 – "My Father, let this cup pass from me" Sing through –one giant phrase (VOWELS) Then look at top of page 5 – How are we going to make this different as it is the same text and pitches as page 3? (relate to scripture- the intensity of his emotions/fears were growing as time went on- take it all up a step) Next go to middle of page 7 – (FORTE) Have them discuss what we should do with this phrase (VOWELS) (This is the last time Jesus says "My Father, let this cup pass from me", his last plea so stay Forte through this and then decrescendo back down.) Where’s the climax of the piece? How do we know this? Page 6 to top of page 7 – dynamics/phrasing/vowels/TEXT ( no breath between life, put) Life = “lahife” Death = eh What is the vowel on the word "again"? 'Eh' for 8 counts and then go to the 'n' on downbeat of ms 56 Next remind them of the “caramel” feeling we want for both verses. Sing through first verse and get that smoothness Have them mark in breaths – after darkness, death, it, hope, and self. (any where there is a rest! J  ) Have gentlemen mark their breaths on vs 2 (Ladies stagger) Read through scripture one more time and then run the piece! || Get out of the score as much as possible Specific Praise ||
 * [[image:file://localhost/Users/Coles/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_image001.png width="542" height="7"]] **  Teacher Name: ** || K.Cole || **  Date: ** || 2-23-200 ||
 * ** Subject/Grade: ** || Freshmen Choir ||
 * ** Concepts/Skills/Values: ** || Through the lesson today these students will have a better understanding of the context in which this song is set and they will continue to focus on tall, unified vowels and dynamics throughout the piece. ||
 * National Standards (check all that apply): **
 * ** x ** || ** 1. Sing ** ||  || ** 2. Play ** ||   || ** 3. Improvise ** ||   || ** 4. Compose/Arr. ** || ** x ** || ** 5. Read/Notate ** ||
 * ** x ** || ** 6. Listen ** || ** x ** || ** 7. Evaluate ** ||  || ** 8. Related Arts ** || ** x ** || ** 9. History/Culture ** ||   || ||
 * ** Behavioral **
 * Learning **
 * Objectives: ** || The students will understand the specific context of the song by reading the scripture it is based from. They will continue to demonstrate this understanding of the text/context through the dynamics and phrasing of the piece as we rehearse it. They will also continue to focus on improving their vowels, making them more tall and unified. ||
 * ** Materials: ** || Thy Will Be Done Score, Scripture Passage Handouts ||
 * **Sequence of **
 * Activities and Assessment: **
 * Activities and Assessment: **
 * ** Teacher **
 * Effectiveness **
 * Reminders: ** || Move a lot – me and them