Lesson Plan for Junior Secondary 3 - Cultural and Creative Arts - Singing Minor Scales

**Lesson Plan: Singing Minor Scales for Junior Secondary 3** --- **Subject:** Cultural and Creative Arts **Grade Level:** Junior Secondary 3 **Topic:** Singing Minor Scales **Duration:** 60 minutes --- ### Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to: 1. Understand the concept of minor scales in music. 2. Identify the difference between natural, harmonic, and melodic minor scales. 3. Sing and identify minor scales by ear and with a piano accompaniment. ### Materials: - Piano or keyboard - Sheet music for various minor scales - Audio recordings of minor scales - Whiteboard and markers - Note sheets for students - Music notebooks ### Lesson Outline: #### Introduction (10 minutes) 1. **Greeting and Roll Call:** Warmly greet the students and take attendance. 2. **Review of Previous Lesson:** Briefly recap the last lesson on major scales and emphasize the contrast with today's lesson on minor scales. 3. **Introduction to Minor Scales:** Explain that minor scales have a different tonal quality compared to major scales, often sounding more somber or melancholic. #### Instruction (20 minutes) 1. **Types of Minor Scales:** Explain the three primary types of minor scales: - **Natural Minor:** Identified by the pattern of whole and half steps (W-H-W-W-H-W-W). - **Harmonic Minor:** Similar to the natural minor but with a raised 7th note. - **Melodic Minor:** Ascending form raises the 6th and 7th notes, and descending form reverts to the natural minor. 2. **Demo Singing:** Play and sing examples of each minor scale using the piano. Encourage students to follow along. 3. **Visual Aids:** Write out the scales on the whiteboard. - Example for A Natural Minor: A - B - C - D - E - F - G - A - Example for A Harmonic Minor: A - B - C - D - E - F - G# - A - Example for A Melodic Minor (Ascending): A - B - C - D - E - F# - G# - A #### Guided Practice (15 minutes) 1. **Singing Exercise:** Lead the class in singing each type of minor scale. Start with natural, then harmonic, and finally melodic. 2. **Call and Response:** Play a note on the piano and have students sing back the corresponding note in a minor scale. Gradually build up to having them sing the entire scale. 3. **Group Singing:** Divide the class into small groups and have each group practice singing a different type of minor scale. #### Independent Practice (10 minutes) 1. **Scale Identification:** Play short audio clips of different minor scales and ask students to identify whether each is a natural, harmonic, or melodic minor scale. 2. **Student Performance:** Allow individual volunteers to come to the front and sing a minor scale of their choice. Offer constructive feedback. #### Conclusion (5 minutes) 1. **Recap:** Summarize the key points of the lesson. Reinforce the differences between the types of minor scales. 2. **Q&A:** Open the floor for any questions or clarifications. 3. **Homework Assignment:** Assign students to practice singing all three types of minor scales and write about the emotional impact or scenes they envision while singing each type. ### Assessment: - **Formative Assessment:** Observations during singing exercises, group activity, and individual performances. - **Summative Assessment:** Homework submission evaluating understanding of minor scales and their emotional impact. ### Reflection: - **Post-Lesson Review:** Assess the effectiveness of the lesson in terms of student engagement, understanding, and performance. Identify areas for improvement in future classes. --- **End of Lesson Plan**