List as many as you can of the key conventions for the musical style, genre or tradition that is the focus of your chosen unit.

Make sure that these include the most distinctive features that, when combined, create the unique sound world of the music.

Make sure that these do not just refer to aspects of the music that demonstrate a particular use of a ‘musical element’: be sure to include relevant processes and devices, including performing and/or composing techniques that are distinctive to the music.

From the ‘long list’ you have created from your own knowledge of the music, identify a maximum of five that will be the key focus of learning for the pupils.

You may want to use one of the following stems to articulate the conventions:

• Learning how music uses: (or)
• Learning that the key characteristics of music are:

Given these conventions, now identify the most likely focus of the practical activity by which pupils can access and develop their understanding of the conventions. This will be broad at this stage – performing, composing, listening and reviewing and evaluating will be appropriate, though you may already be able to refine this further (ensemble performing, for instance).

Note your decisions in the relevant section of the planning template.