Unit Plan Outline

Teacher: Meghan Marshall

Unit Title: The Romantic Era and Its Composers
Grade: Middle School General Music
Number of Classes: 4

MA Frameworks: Critical Response, Purposes & Meaning in the Arts, Concepts

of Style

National Standards: (Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting)

MU:Re7.1.7a Select or choose contrasting music to listen to and compare the
connections to specific interests or experiences for a specific purpose.
MU:Re7.2.7b Identify and compare the context of music from a variety of genres,
cultures, and historical periods.

Rationale:
(Why is this unit important, how does it fit into the long term goals of the
curriculum map?)
This unit provides students with the basic knowledge of the musical styles of the
romantic period of western classical music. It is one unit of several, following a
similar unit on the classical era and preceding a similar unit on the modern era,
or the 20th century. They will go in depth on one chosen composer and present a
project on that one composer to help assist them in learning the stylistic elements
of the romantic period.

Essential Questions:
What aspects distinguish the romantic era from other eras of classical music?
What aspects are similar between the eras?
What piece style/layout is the most popular among the romantic era composers?
Why?

Enduring Understanding:
(What will stick with them in the long term- what will they be able to use later in
the year or in years to come?)
Students will be able to use this knowledge to distinguish the specific styles of
various periods of western classical music. This, alongside the knowledge of
various composers, will aid them in their appreciation and future listening of
classical music, if they choose to do so. It will also help students that continue to
play music to choose pieces for auditions or solo works, or just to play in their
lessons or practice sessions.

Behavioral Objectives:
(Specific knowledge and skills)
Students will show their knowledge of the composers and styles of the Romantic
Era of western classical music by participating in class discussions, and giving a
final presentation on one chosen composer that includes three contrasting
pieces.

Assessment/Evaluation:
Informal: Teacher observation of class participation during presentations
and discussions.
Formal: Note taking by students during every lesson, check of
participation by asking summative questions at the end of lessons.
Long Range Assignment/Project/Product: Solo student presentation of
one chosen composer in the romantic era, which will include three
contrasting pieces by the composer.

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

(What do the students need to know and be prepared to do in advance in order
to be successful in this unit?)
-Basic knowledge of different classical ensembles and instruments, such as
orchestras (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion) and wind bands
(symphonic/concert band).
-Basic music vocabulary (melody, harmony, style, tempo, articulation, dynamics,
range, instrumentation, etc.).
-Using PowerPoint

Accommodations:
(How does instruction accommodate for special needs and ELL students to
insure equity?)
1. Special needs: I could make sure to have printed copies of my
PowerPoints for students that need an extra aid. Also, if there are
students that would not have access to computers to do their research
project, I could have the students pair up so that they can arrange
access to a computer. If this is still an issue, I can allow more in class
time to work on the project.
2. ELL: Depending on the extent of English knowledge a particular
student has, I could do a few different things to assist them. I could
have a printed version of my PowerPoints, so that they have a clear
visual aid that they can follow along to my presentation with. I could
also, if a certain student is really struggling, translate my presentation
into their first language.

School to Home/community connection:

(How can student connect this knowledge to their daily lives, community and/or
enhance their skills as global citizens?)
This unit will allow students to listen to classical music with a different
perspective, and that’s skill should transfer to the way they listen to other genres
of music. It will help give them a new appreciation for music, and will assist them
in their playing if they choose to continue in music.
Activator:
(What activities will the students do in order to activate prior knowledge to
support the new material in this unit?)
As I am presenting the first lesson, which is just an overview on the romantic era,
I will ask students to define certain key words like those listed in the prior
knowledge section. I will do this for any topics that are being reviewed throughout
the various lessons.

Repertoire:
(List all music literature, scores, octavos, videos, recordings etc.)
-Movement songs for first lesson (Fur Elise, Moonlight Sonata, Chinese Dance,
Bolero, William Tell Overture, Pavane, Pomp and Circumstance)
-Musical Examples (Beethoven’s 5, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Carmen
Overture, Blue Danube Waltz, Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Flight of the
Bumblebee, Mahler 5, Finlandia)

Materials Needed:
(List all materials necessary for this unit, including paper, pencils, instruments,
audio visual, digital equipment etc.)
My PowerPoint for the lessons, computer, projector, sound system, computers
for students to work on their project in class.

Lesson Outlines
(number the lessons in order and add as many as needed)

Behavioral Objective
Assessment/Evaluation (proposed)
Prior Knowledge and activator (proposed)
Lesson content (bullet points)

Lesson One, Intro to the Romantic Era

Objective: Students will show their knowledge of the Romantic Era of

music by writing down three points they learned during the lesson and
participating in classroom discussion.

Assessment: Write down three things you learned during the

presentation/what you found most interesting (to be collected and shared).

Prior Knowledge:
Basic knowledge of different ensembles and instruments used:
-orchestra (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion)
-wind band/concert band/symphonic band (woodwinds, brass, percussion)
 Knowledge of key musical terms such as, but not limited to:
-melody
-harmony
-style
-tempo
-articulation
-dynamics
-range

Lesson Content:
-Movement exercises to romantic era pieces (move with the music, use all
of the space to replicate with the music is doing with your body).
-PowerPoint on the romantic era.
-Classroom discussion on the PowerPoint.

Lesson Two, Composers

Objective: Students will show their knowledge of Romantic Era composers

by creating a short presentation about a composer of their choice that
includes three pieces in three different styles (concerto, sonata, etude,
symphony, etc.)

Assessment: Choose one composer, and start the research project.

Teacher observation of class participation.

Prior Knowledge: Basic piece styles in the Romantic Era such as those
listed above, and the ones covered in the previous lesson. Basic knowledge
of Romantic Era instrumentation and overall feel/style/sound (review from
last lesson).

Lesson Content:
-Review of last lesson (classroom discussion).
-Presentation on the composers of the romantic era.
-Start the research project.

Lesson Three, Styles of Compositions

Objective: Students will show their ability to pick out different composition
styles by choosing three different styles by their chosen composer to include
in their project.

Assessment: Adding pieces to their research project.

Prior Knowledge: The large composition styles that exist in the romantic
period, such as: romance, etude, program music, waltz, ballad, intermezzo,
and overture. This will be reviewed in depth in the lesson.
 Lesson Content:
-Review of last lesson.
-Quick overview of the different composition styles in the romantic period
(no PowerPoint needed, just a brief lecture that students can take notes
from).
-Continue working on the research project (finish at home if not completed)

Lesson Four, Project Presentations

Objective: Students will show what they learned about their chosen
composers by presenting their research project.

Assessment: The finished research project.

Prior Knowledge: All of the topics that have been covered in this unit.

Lesson Content:
-Student presentations
-Summative class discussion (time permitting).