Discovering Musical Duration

Introduction

Year Level: Years 7-8

Subject: Music

Australian Curriculum Link: The Arts - Music. Understanding and exploring the musical concepts, including duration, aligns with the curriculum focus: "Students learning Music listen, perform, and compose. They learn about the elements of music comprising rhythm, pitch, dynamics and expression, form and structure, timbre, and texture."

Lesson Overview

Duration: 60 minutes

Class Size: 44 students

Lesson Focus: This lesson will focus on the musical concept of duration, encouraging students to develop aural skills by listening to a piece of music they have not heard before. They will explore how duration is used and discuss their findings with appropriate terminology. Students will scaffold their responses to ensure their observations are well-structured and supported.

Learning Objectives

• Gain an understanding of the concept of duration in music.
• Learn and appropriately use musical terminology related to duration.
• Develop the ability to support observations with structured discussion.
• Construct responses similar to exam questions to demonstrate understanding.

Materials Needed

• Audio system for playing music
• Selected piece of music (unheard by students)
• Listening response scaffold handouts
• Whiteboard and markers
• Student notebooks and pens

Lesson Structure

1. Introduction (10 minutes)

• Welcome students and introduce the topic of duration in music.
• Discuss the lesson's objectives and what students will achieve by the end of the session.
• Briefly explain the musical concept of duration and its importance in music composition.

2. Listening Activity (20 minutes)

• Play the selected piece of music two times.

  • First Listening: Students focus on getting an overall feel for the music.
  • Second Listening: Students take notes specifically on how duration is used in the piece (e.g., tempo, rhythm patterns, note lengths).

• Distribute the listening response scaffold handout which includes points such as:

  • Identify and describe changes in tempo throughout the piece.
  • Note any patterns in rhythm and how these contribute to the mood.
  • Observe and explain the use of long and short notes and their impact.

3. Group Discussion (15 minutes)

• Students form groups of four and discuss their observations from the listening task.
• Encourage students to use appropriate musical terminology such as 'beats,' 'syncopation,' 'tempo,' 'rhythmic motifs,' etc.
• Ask groups to share one observation with the class, highlighting how it relates to duration.

4. Structured Response Exercise (10 minutes)

• Students individually construct a brief written response to an exam-style question using their scaffold. Example question: "Describe how the composer uses duration to impact the mood of the piece. Support your answer with specific examples."
• Focus on structuring their response clearly, using evidence from the music and incorporating the musical terms discussed.

5. Conclusion (5 minutes)

• Recap key points covered in the lesson and gather feedback from students about what they found interesting or challenging.
• Encourage students to listen for duration in the music they encounter in everyday life.

Assessment

Students' aural responses will be assessed based on:

• Demonstrated understanding of the musical concept of duration.
• Use of appropriate terminology.
• Ability to support observations and discussions with specific examples.
• Clarity and structure of written response.

Extension Activity

For students who finish early or need additional challenges, ask them to think about or research how duration is used in different musical genres or cultural music. How does this element vary and why might it be important to the style of music?

Teacher Reflection

• Assess the effectiveness of the scaffold in supporting students' understanding and responses.
• Reflect on the engagement level during the listening and discussion activities.
• Plan to refine the selection of music pieces to better meet student interests and learning outcomes.