Peer Teaching Lesson Plan

Setting: Sixth Grade general music. The class has been learning to sing major scales, identify

major keys and sing in those major keys. Today will be an introduction to minor keys, the

different kinds of minor scales and the characteristics of minor scales.

1. Objectives: Students will be able to differentiate between major and minor keys and

scales and be able to differentiate between major and minor tonalities as well as

between the different kinds of minor tonalities. The scales will be played by the

instructor one at a time on the piano and then he/she will ask the students which type

of minor scale was played.

2. Materials: The students need a notebook, pencil and staff paper in order to take notes if

they choose to do so. The instructor will need a piano or other instrument (vocals are

also acceptable) of his or her choice in order to demonstrate the different major and

minor scales for the students as well as a chalkboard to write out the different types of

scales for a visual aid. The instructor will also need a device to play Mussorgskys Night

on a Bald Mountain for the class.

3. Opening Activity:

a. Greet the students. Say that in because Halloween is coming up we should listen to

some music that people often associate with this time of year.

b. Ask the students to listen to the piece being played over the speaker and think about

some qualities that this music has. They should come up with a few adjectives that

describe the music being listened to and maybe what makes those qualities present

in the music.
 c. Play the opening to Mussorgskys Night on a Bald Mountain on the classrooms

Bluetooth speaker.

4. Procedure:

a. After playing the excerpt for the students, ask them what they noticed about the

feel of the music and what they think made it feel that way (i.e. texture, key,

instrumentation)

b. Explain that a big reason that the piece sounded the way it does is because it is in a

minor key.

c. Ask the class if anyone knows the difference between a major and a minor key, if

they dont explain that to go from a major to a minor key, you add three flats (or

take away three sharps), lowering the third, sixth and seventh scale degrees.

d. Show this concept on the blackboard, writing out a C major and C natural minor

scale and then playing them on the piano.

e. After playing these scales on the piano, ask the students to listen to the next scale

you play and determine whether it is a major or minor scale.

f. Play a G natural minor scale. Ask a student whether it is a minor or major scale.

g. Repeat exercise, but this time play a B flat major scale.

h. Explain that there is more than one kind of minor scale and ask if anyone knows

what one other kind may be. If someone answers, play that version of C minor on

the piano and draw it on the board. If no one is willing to step up, play and write a C

melodic minor scale.

i. Now say that there is one more kind of minor scale, again ask if anyone knows it.
 j. If someone answers with the final kind of minor scale, play and write that version of

C minor. If no one answers, play and write C harmonic minor.

k. Say Now to review, this is a major scale (play C major). This is a natural minor scale

(play C natural minor). This is a melodic minor scale (play C melodic minor) and this

is a harmonic minor scale. (play C harmonic minor scale).

5. Assessment/closure:

a. Tell the students that you will play a scale and ask the students to identify whether it

is a major or minor scale, and if it is a minor scale, which type of minor scale it is.

They will have a chance to hear the scale, discuss with a partner for 15 seconds and

then hear it again before the instructor asks a random group what kind of scale was

played.

b. Play a G natural minor scale.

c. Ask one group to identify what quality of scale you played.

d. Repeat with a C harmonic minor scale and finally with an F major scale.

e. Thank class for their attentiveness and dismiss class