Title: Sounds of First Nations Approx.

150 minutes Critical Learning Students will make connections between the Aboriginal music and culture by discussing several picture books about First Nations culture. Students will be introduced to concepts of: drum circles, powwows, and Aboriginal dancing, Discussion will focus on the various aspects of Aboriginal music and culture introduced during the Creative Process as it guides the students in musical composition. Students will recognize the elements of music that create and communicate mood, atmosphere and emotion. Students will use nonstandard notation in creating a sound scape to a poem or piece of literature. Students will create graphic and dance representation to communicate and create mood to the sound scape.

Grade 6 Drum circles, powwows and the Spirit of the Dance Guiding Questions How is The Creative Process being used to make our sound scape? Where else would you hear a sound scape? What form of media uses sound scape to create atmosphere and mood? Why are drums used in powwows and Aboriginal dancing? How is music used in Aboriginal culture? What instruments can we use in our sound scape? How can we use the elements of music in our sound scape to communicate the mood of the text? What are some instruments we can use to create a sound scape? Do you think all Aboriginal music and dance use drums? How can I show my musical idea through pictures or symbols for others to understand?

Curriculum Expectations Unpacked Expectations Overall Expectations Learning Goals A1. Creating and Presenting: apply the creative At the end of this lesson, students process to the composition of short dance pieces, will be able to say: using the elements of dance to communicate feelings and ideas; Use the creative process in A2. Reflecting, Responding, and Analyzing: apply the creating a piece of music critical analysis process to communicate their feelings, Participate in discussion Grade 6- First Nations Sound Scape 1

ideas, and understandings in response to a variety of dance pieces and experiences; A3. Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts: demonstrate an understanding of a variety of dance forms, traditions, and styles from the past and present, and their sociocultural and historical contexts. Ontario Curriculum Specific Expectations Creating and Performing
C1.1 sing and play, in tune from musical notation, unison and two part music with simple accompaniments from a wide variety of cultures styles and historical periods C1.2 apply the elements of music when singing and playing, composing and arranging music to create a specific effect C2.1 express detailed personal responses to musical performances in a variety of ways C2.2 identify the elements of music in the music they perform, listen to and create and describe how they are used

Reflecting, Responding and Analyzing

Exploring Forms and Cultural Contexts C3.2 demonstrate an awareness of the use of music and musical instruments in various traditions, from early times to today

(oral communication) about First Nations Music Make connections between their life and First Nations culture(critical thinking) Understand the use of drums in First Nations culture Understand what a sound scape is. create a sound scape and express the meaning of the words with creative movement, sounds and actions (creative thinking) Use a nonstandard notations to create a Sound scape with simple accompaniment to a story (creative expression) Use an instrument to accompany a story or poem (creative expression) Add dynamic and expressive (loud vs. soft) controls while presenting (creative expression) Use movement and dance to express feelings and emotions Reflect on experience in written and oral form

Instructional Components and Context

Grade 6- First Nations Sound Scape

Readiness Being comfortable with various elements of music such as form, themes, variations, dynamic and expressive controls Being comfortable with First Nations history in Canada

Materials Flashlight
Books: Secrets of the Dance by Andrea Spalding (Alfred Scow and Darlene Gait. Orca Book Publishers, 2006) Rainbow Crow by David Bouchard (Red Deer Press 2010) Long Powwow Nights by David Bouchard and Pam Aleekuk (Red Deer Press, 2010) Other: Document projector Reflection journal page Instruments- glockenspiel, metallophone, triangles, rain stick, finger cymbals, drum, tambourine, hand drum, bongo drum, non-pitched instruments

Terminology - Aboriginal - First Nations - Powwow - Drum Circle - Sound scape - Nonstandard notation - Dynamic controls - Expressive controls

Introduction The teacher will have the students come into the class and sit on the ground with the lights off and with a flashlight covered with orange and yellow tissue paper. The students will then select various instruments and percussion items. The teacher will explain to each student how to play the instrument and when to play. A student will then proceed to read the book Long Powwow Nights. The teacher will then point to the students to play the instrument at specific times as the student reads the book. At the end of the book, the teacher will explain that the students will be making a sound scape to one of the books provided. ACTION!
In order to reinforce prior learning: a. Students will listen to the sound scape available on the CD that comes with the book. Providing opportunities for practice and application of learning (guided > independent) b. Students will also research other First Nations dance and music on the Internet and compare and contrast the different styles. c. Students will go to www.native-drums.ca to listen to various drum rhythms.

Grade 6- First Nations Sound Scape

Minds On Approximately 10 minutes Whole Group>Individual Leaders After each verse/presentation, use the strategy, Think, Pair, Share and identify how the elements, particularly timbre, dynamics and tempo, were evident in the different verses. Teacher Prompt: How did you keep a steady beat with your group? Why is it important to keep a steady beat when performing your sound scape?

Pause and Ponder Teacher Tip: Set up the class environment as positive, inclusive and safe for all, so that students will feel comfortable leading a sound scape vocal addition.

Action!
Activities:

Approximately 120 minutes Teacher Tip: Let the students pick more than one emotion or mood card for a challenge Teacher Tip: Create other cards that have dynamics on them such as fast, slow, quiet, loud,, etc. to add different elements to the activity

1. The students write down a brief reflection of the book and the experience on the page provided. They will write about how the book makes them feel and what they think the book is about. 2. The teacher will then collect the reflection paper. The student will project the book with a document projector and have the students read along while listening to the CD that has the sound scape. 3. Students will discuss what elements of the sound scape they liked and disliked. Students will also discuss what part of the sound scape created an emotions or mood. 4. Students will then try to create an emotion or mood with various instruments. The teacher will write out emotions or moods on cue cards and have the students pick a card and use the various instruments to create the mood or emotion.

5. Students will then be asked to create and write down a symbol or picture for the instrument used to create the mood or emotions. Students will be asked to expressive the notation for the duration of 8 beats. 6. Students will then use the same cue card activity that has emotions and moods to demonstrate the various moods and emotions through creative movement and dance. 7. Students will then be asked to create and write down a symbol or picture that represents the emotions. Students will be ask to express the notation for the duration of 8 beats 8. Students will then select another cue card and create a sound using

Teacher tip: explain to the student that one symbol or picture will mean to play the instrument once and if the picture/symbol is repeated it will mean more than once.

Grade 6- First Nations Sound Scape

their voice that creates the same mood or emotion. 9. Students will be asked to create and write down a symbol for the use of the voice. Students will be asked to express the notation for 8 beats. 10. Students will then create groups of 3 where each students will create the mood or emotions using their voice, instrument and movement together. 11. The teacher will then ask the students to create symbols or pictures to express the groups mood or emotion for 16 beats and write down the notation for each element: voice, instrument and movement. 12. The students will go to the computer and watch an Internet video about a drum circle and a powwow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImjIY5xUveM-. This video is from the Canadian Aboriginal Festival and is the drum circle where drumming is done to help start the Powwow. This is a good example of Canadian Aboriginal drumming and throat singing. It also has dancing with the students will be able to see. 13. Students will then select various instruments and recreate the beat, tempo and rhythm of the powwow and create a small powwow. 14. Students will then go to www.native-drums.ca. This website allows the students to learn about how drums are made, the singing voice of aboriginal and why and when the drumming is done. This is an easy website to show videos to the class that are not only educational but also traditional. The students will see how the drumming is done. The teacher will encourage students to include some aspect of drumming in their sound scape. 15. Students will then select various drums and percussion instruments and create a circle. One student will lead with a steady beat and other students will slowly enter the drum circle. 16. The student will split into 2 groups and have the students choose a book (Secrets of the Dance or Rainbow Crow). The teacher will explain that the sound scape requires that the whole group will participate through playing of instruments, reading, tableau or dancing, use of props, and that everything needs to be written down using musical notation. 17. The teacher will encourage students to add vocals in the background or for the students to write a melody to the story. 18. The teacher will then have the students practise and prepare during class time (i.e. they will have 2 more lessons to practise and prepare.)

Teacher Tip: Video the performance!

Teacher tip: project the website or use a smart board so the entire class can view the website.

19. The teacher will have the student record each group with a video
recorder so that the students will be able to see the performance.

Grade 6- First Nations Sound Scape

Extension Activities/Next Steps/Special education notes Invite someone from the First Nations community to play the hand drum and discuss the importance of drumming in the traditions and culture. Students will create a drum from homemade materials and bring it into to class. Special needs students will be required to participate by playing the instrument or by singing. The students may dance or add movement if playing an instrument proves to be too challenging. English Language Learners will be able to get help from the teacher to help learn any new words and will be encouraged to sing the song. If singing the song becomes too challenging, the students will be encouraged to play the instruments or listen to more You Tube video to learn the pronunciations. The students will also be able to verbally discuss the song if writing a reflection is too challenging or have a student pair up with the student to scribe the answer. Gifted students will be asked to add vocal harmony or accompaniment to the song to add another level of learning. They will also be asked to locate the area, the song mentions and asked to do a presentation on the area for next class.

Consolidation Approximately 60 minutes Whole Group >Presentation>Class Evaluation Perform the class composition.

Providing opportunities for consolidation and reflection a. Students will do a Think- Pair-Share with a peer from another group and discuss the sound scape. Helping students demonstrate what they have learned b. Students will learn how to add sound scopes to other books and poems. Components of Consolidation: o discussion of student work o teaching emphasis Grade 6- First Nations Sound Scape 6

o highlights and summary (What did you learn?) Teacher records students thinking on chart and this is the beginning of co-constructing success criteria c. Teacher discusses the creative aspects of the sound scape and the use of different instruments to add texture and harmony to the sound scape. o independent or further guided practice d. Students will be encouraged to research throat singing and the use of the singing in traditional song and gatherings. After each group has presented the information, the teacher will discuss how the story has been interpreted in different ways and transformed into a new story that the class has created through the creative process. The teacher will also mention that First Nation music is very sacred and the performance must be respectful to the culture. The teacher will then mention that the next class they will have time to practise the story and that it will be video recorded so that student will be able to see the finished product.

Grade 6- First Nations Sound Scape

Reflection Page

Name: _____________________________________ Date: ________________ What did you like about the sound scape performed in class?

What instruments did you think added to the sound scape?

How would make the sound scape better?

What mood or emotion did the sound scape reflect?

Grade 6- First Nations Sound Scape

Rubric for Sound Scape 4 Student is able to sing and vocal quality is excellent and add to atmosphere of story Student is able to perform with layering of sounds and tone/colour for creating mood 3 Student is able to sing vocal quality is very good and adds to atmosphere of story Student is able to perform with some layering of sounds and tone/colour for creating mood Student is able to play instrument during the story Student is able to play with some dynamic loud and soft 2 Student is able to sing vocal quality is good and adds to atmosphere of story Student is able to perform with little layering of sounds and tone/colour for creating mood. Student is able to play instrument some of the time Student is able to play with little dynamic loud and soft 1 Student singing and vocal quality is improving

Vocal quality

Timbre/texture

Instrumentation

Dynamic and expressive controls

Student is able to play instrument during the story with beat Student is able to play with dynamic loud and soft

Student sun able to perform and create some layering of sounds and tone/colour for creating mood. Student is unable to play instrument during story Student is able to play along

Grade 6- First Nations Sound Scape