Exploring Instrumentation

Unit Title: Empowering Voices: Everybody!

Lesson 7 of 10
Year Level: Year 5
Learning Area: The Arts — Music
Strand: Music – Developing practices and skills; Communicating ideas
Content Descriptions (Australian Curriculum - v9.0):

• AC9AMA5P01: Develop technical and expressive skills in singing and playing instruments
• AC9AMA5C01: Practise and rehearse music, using listening skills to evaluate and refine performances
• AC9AMA5C02: Identify intended purposes and meanings of music works, using music terminology and structured listening

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WALT

We are learning to identify and describe different instruments used in the song Absolutely Everybody, and explain how these contribute to the mood and message of the song.

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Success Criteria

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

• Accurately identify at least four different instruments used in Absolutely Everybody
• Use correct music terminology to describe how the instruments sound (e.g. timbre, dynamics, rhythm)
• Describe how the instruments support the song’s mood and message of unity and celebration

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Duration

45 minutes

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Resources

• Audio recording of Absolutely Everybody by Vanessa Amorosi
• Printed lyric sheets
• Images and short samples of common pop instruments (e.g. electric guitar, keyboard, drum kit, bass, strings, synths)
• A3 group activity sheets with instrument icons and response spaces
• Whiteboard and markers
• Access to percussion instruments (if available) for class jam
• Student music journals

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Lesson Outline

1. Welcome and Warm-Up (5 minutes)

• Recap previous lesson on vocal harmony in Absolutely Everybody (Lesson 6).
• Quick question to build connection:
  “Have you ever heard a song that made you feel excited or inspired, even without knowing the words?”
• Introduce today's WALT on the board and read aloud with class.

⏩ Say aloud: "Today we are going to dive into how the instruments in this song help tell its uplifting story."

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2. First Listening: Whole-Class Focus (10 minutes)

• Play Absolutely Everybody in full. Ask students to listen carefully — no need to sing along for this listen.

• While listening, have students jot or sketch quick notes in their journal:
  “What instruments do you hear?” and “When do they come in?”

• After the song finishes, discuss as a class:

  • What did you notice?
  • What instruments stood out and when?
  • Did any create a certain feeling or mood?

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3. Instrument Breakdown Activity (15 minutes)

Group Sorting Challenge – "Sounds that Shape the Song"

Students work in groups of 4–5. Each group receives an activity sheet with 6 common pop/rock instruments and empty boxes for sound description, mood, and song role.

• Replay a 1-minute section of the song twice — chorus or bridge preferred for clarity.
• Groups collaborate to:
  • Match the instruments they hear
  • Describe what each instrument sounds like (e.g. sharp, smooth, echoey, pulsing)
  • Identify the instrument’s role (e.g. “keeps the beat”, “adds energy”, “supports vocals”)
  • Connect it to the song’s message of unity and celebration

Encourage students to use music-specific vocabulary:
tempo, dynamics, rhythm, layering, texture, melody, harmony, bassline

After completion, a few groups are invited to present their thoughts briefly.

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4. Instrument Interaction (Optional Jam) (10 minutes)

Note: Only if resources allow, such as class percussion or keyboards.

• Select 1–2 instrument parts from the song and invite students to try recreating them with classroom instruments (e.g. rhythm on drums, simple bassline on keyboard).
• Students can also create body percussion to represent different instrumental roles in the song.
• Discuss how recreating the instrumental parts helps us feel the song's energy and role of instrumentation more deeply.

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5. Reflection and Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

• Quick write in journals:
  • “One instrument I learned about today is…”
  • “It added to the song by…”
• Revisit the WALT and Success Criteria.
• Ask: “How does knowing about instruments help us appreciate music more deeply?”

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Differentiation Strategies

Learner Type	Strategy
Visual Learners	Use instrument images/icons in group work; colour-coded lyric sheets
Auditory Learners	Multiple listenings of the song’s sections with guided prompts
Kinesthetic Learners	Hands-on jam session or body percussion to replicate instrument rhythms
EAL/D and Language Learners	Provide visual scaffolds of music terms and translate key words where possible
Students with Additional Needs	Allow simplified response options like matching images or selecting adjectives from a word bank
Students with High Potential/Gifted Students	Invite analysis of how instrument layering affects song structure and build; suggest they compose a short 4-bar instrumental groove inspired by the song

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Extension Activities

• Song Designer Task: Students choose 3–4 instruments and design their own song section (intro/chorus) on paper — indicate what each instrument does and how it sounds.
• Instrument Detective: Listen to another song (e.g. Firework by Katy Perry) and identify similarities/differences in instrumentation to Absolutely Everybody.
• Mini Composer Challenge: Using a digital tool (e.g. GarageBand or Chrome Music Lab – offline version), create a short instrumental section reflecting one of the song's moods.

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Teacher Reflection Prompt

• Did students effectively identify and describe instrument roles using correct terminology?
• Were group discussions active, inclusive, and relevant to the lesson goal?
• How well did the hands-on activities support understanding of musical structure and mood?

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🎵 This lesson aims to foster a deeper connection with music by tuning into the often-invisible power behind the instruments — the emotional and structural architecture of everything we hear. By empowering our students to become active listeners, we reinforce the very themes of unity and collective voice at the heart of “Absolutely Everybody”.