High School Lesson Plan

Objective: High school students will improve in their aural skills through the study of intervals.

Purpose: This lesson is part of a unit on music theory. The students have already learned about intervals.

Materials Needed: Computers for each student (or every other student), headphones, and copies of the Auralia computer program for each computer, a piano.

Anticipatory Set: As the students arrive to class I will play Thelonious Monkπs ≥Misterioso≤, which contains intervals of major and minor sixths, on the piano. Initiate a discussion of intervals and have the students identify the interval in the music.

Procedure:

Introduce to the students the computer program Auralia
Start the students out a game identifying sharp and flat pitches
Have them identify intervals by ear (melodic intervals)
Have them identify intervals by sight

Check for student understanding: Students will keep track of their scores using the program.

Closure: Students discuss how intervals relate to one another (inversions) and how they form chords (harmonic intervals). Students, with teachers lead, practice singing various intervals.

Extensions: Have the children bring in their instruments to play melodic and harmonic intervals. Ask them to compose a piece in the manner of ≥Misterioso≤, using only one or two intervals.