### 10th Grade Music Lesson Plan: Intermediate Music Theory
**Subject:** Music
**Grade Level:** 10th Grade
**Lesson Title:** Intermediate Music Theory
**Duration:** 50 minutes
---
#### **Objectives:**
- Students will be able to identify and use key signatures.
- Students will distinguish between major and minor scales.
- Students will understand chord structures and progressions.
- Students will apply these concepts to a piece of music.
---
#### **Standards:**
- **Common Core:** CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.1 (Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions.)
- **National Core Arts Standards:** MU:Pr4.1.E.IIa (Perform using rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic variations).
---
#### **Materials:**
- Staff paper and pencils
- Whiteboard and markers
- Key signature chart handout
- Musical instrument (e.g., piano or keyboard)
- Music theory textbooks or handouts on scales and chords
- Audio playback device and speakers
---
#### **Preparation:**
1. Copy handouts on key signatures, scales, and chords.
2. Set up the audio playback device with speakers.
3. Ensure the piano or keyboard is accessible.
4. Prepare a sample piece of music for analysis.
---
#### **Opening Activity (10 minutes):**
1. **Bell Ringer:** When students enter, have a short piece of music playing that uses a variety of major and minor scales. Ask students to listen and identify the mood of the piece.
2. **Discussion:** Briefly discuss their observations and introduce the topic of key signatures, scales, and chord progressions.
---
#### **Lesson Introduction (10 minutes):**
1. **Key Signatures:** Introduce key signatures and provide the key signature chart handout. Explain how to identify major and minor key signatures.
2. **Scales:** Discuss the difference between major and minor scales. Demonstrate on the piano or use audio examples.
3. **Chord Structures:** Introduce basic chord structures including major, minor, diminished, and augmented chords. Discuss common chord progressions (e.g., I-IV-V-I).
---
#### **Guided Practice (15 minutes):**
1. **Key Signature Identification:** Have students identify the key signatures of various scales provided on staff paper.
2. **Scale Construction:** In groups, students build major and minor scales on staff paper.
3. **Chord Progression Exercise:** Students will construct chord progressions using provided scales. Play back on piano/keyboard to hear the progression.
---
#### **Independent Practice (10 minutes):**
- **Analysis of a Piece:** Hand out a sample piece of music. Students analyze the key signature, identify the scales used, and note the chord progressions. They should write brief notes on their observations.
---
#### **Closure (5 minutes):**
1. **Review:** Recap the day's objectives and key points. Allow students to ask questions for clarity.
2. **Exit Ticket:** Students write down one new thing they learned and one question they still have about intermediate music theory.
---
#### **Assessment:**
- **Formative:** Observation during guided and independent practice.
- **Exit Ticket:** Review for understanding of the day’s material.
- **Homework:** Assign a short exercise involving scale construction and chord progression to reinforce learning.
---
#### **Differentiation:**
- **For Advanced Students:** Provide more complex pieces for analysis, introduce modes or less common scales (e.g., harmonic minor, melodic minor).
- **For Struggling Students:** Offer additional one-on-one support, use simplified examples, and pair with peers for collaborative learning.
---
### Homework:
- Complete an exercise where students are asked to construct major and minor scales and write out a simple chord progression using those scales.
---
Ensuring students have a solid grasp of intermediate music theory paves the way for more advanced musical understanding and performance skills. This lesson aims to balance theoretical knowledge with practical application, fostering a deeper appreciation and competence in music.