Jazz Meets Classical

Unit: Exploring Jazz: Roots and Rhythms

Lesson 4 of 4
Grade: 7
Duration: 80 minutes
Class Size: 22 students

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Learning Objectives (Aligned to Common Core)

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.7.1: Engage effectively in collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.7.7: Compare and contrast a text to an audio, video, or multimedia version of the text, analyzing how each medium presents information.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
• CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.7.RP.A.2 (Supporting Logic & Pattern Recognition for rhythm and arrangement): Recognize and represent proportional relationships between quantities—here applied creatively in understanding musical patterns and rhythms.

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I Can Statements

• I can describe how Jazz influenced George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
• I can listen carefully to music and identify jazz elements within classical compositions.
• I can work collaboratively to create Jazz-inspired musical arrangements.
• I can perform and explain my group’s unique interpretation of Rhapsody in Blue.

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Materials Needed

• Audio system for playing Rhapsody in Blue and jazz music excerpts
• Printed dyslexia-friendly listening guides with clear fonts, high contrast, and spacing
• Whiteboard and markers
• Instruments (if available) or simple percussion instruments (e.g., tambourines, shakers)
• Paper and pencils for note-taking and lyric/arrangement brainstorming
• Chart paper for group work

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Lesson Outline

1. Warm-Up & Review (10 minutes)

• Begin with a brief review of previous lessons: key jazz elements (syncopation, swing, blue notes).
• Using I can statements, prompt students: “How do you remember jazz making music feel different?”
• Play a short snippet of a classic jazz piece (e.g., Louis Armstrong or Ella Fitzgerald).
• Quick whole-class brainstorm on the whiteboard: What sounds or rhythms do you hear? How does it make you feel?

Teaching Tip: Use large print dyslexia-friendly fonts and clear language on all print materials.

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2. Listening & Analysis Activity (20 minutes)

• Play Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin (first 5-6 minutes).
• Provide students with a dyslexia-friendly listening guide that highlights where jazz elements appear (e.g., clarinet glissando intro, syncopation, blues scales).
• Guide students through identifying jazz features in the piece with pauses and discussion (10 min).
• Small group discussion: How does Gershwin blend classical and jazz? What jazz elements stick out most? (10 min, groups of 4-5).
• Groups report back briefly.

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3. Creative Group Work: Jazz Remix Planning (25 minutes)

• Explain project: In small groups (4-5 students), they will create their own short jazz-inspired remix or arrangement based on Rhapsody in Blue motifs or rhythms.
• Provide prompts:
  • Which segment are you remixing?
  • What jazz elements will your group emphasize?
  • How will instrumentation or rhythm change?
• Each group crafts a sketch of their arrangement using rhythm notation or written description. Use proportional reasoning to divide sections for solos, ensemble, etc.
• Encourage creative risk-taking, mixing classroom instruments or body percussion. (If instruments not available, plan clapping or vocal rhythms.)
• Teacher circulates, offering scaffolding and guiding reflection with questions like, “How does this rhythm reflect jazz swing?”

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4. Performance & Reflection (20 minutes)

• Each group performs their jazz remix for the class (3-4 minutes each).
• After each performance, students briefly explain their choices using key vocabulary from the unit (e.g., syncopation, improvisation).
• Class gives positive feedback on rhythm, creativity, and jazz influence using sentence stems:
  • “I noticed your use of ______ which made the music feel ______.”
  • “Your arrangement really showed _____ because _____.”

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5. Wrap-Up & Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

• Exit ticket prompt (write or draw):
  • “One new thing I learned today about how jazz influenced classical music is...”
  • “If I could add one more jazz element to my group’s remix, it would be...”

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Assessment

• Formative: Participation in group discussions, remix planning, and performance.
• Summative: Group jazz remix performance and reflection statements.
• Exit ticket demonstrates individual understanding and personal connection to the material.

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Differentiation & Accessibility

• Provide all written materials with dyslexia-friendly fonts (e.g., OpenDyslexic), clear spacing, and high color contrast.
• Allow verbal or visual expression for the exit ticket (drawing or recording).
• Use multimodal texts (audio + print) to aid comprehension.
• Encourage peer support and flexible group roles (e.g., leader, note-taker, performer) to support diverse learners.

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Extension Ideas (If Time Permits)

• Explore how jazz influences other modern music genres (hip hop, pop).
• Compose a class “Jazz Meets Classical” soundtrack combining student remixes.
• Integrate technology: use music composition apps to expand remixes digitally.

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This lesson plan innovatively connects music analysis with creative collaboration aligned to Common Core standards, emphasizes accessible learning, and culminates in active student performance that deepens understanding of jazz’s enduring influence.