Activity Resource 2: Inventive teaching strategies

Teachers can fire pupils’ imagination through other learning and experiences by developing a variety of teaching strategies that will make musical learning more interesting, exciting and effective. When doing this, it is important to give pupils insight into how the creative process works. The teacher (and pupils) can model this by taking on the role of performer, composer or listener, sharing thoughts and queries with the class, and inviting their contributions

Using prior knowledge and experience

Activities like ‘Odd one out’ and ‘Observation’ (see case studies 1a and 1b) will draw out pupils’ prior learning and experience in a particular area. These activities can be introduced at any point in a lesson, but work particularly well at the start.

Case study 1a
Odd one out – using prior musical knowledge and experience In a Year 7 lesson, in which the differences between waltz and march styles will be explored (especially the differences in their metres), the teacher wants to find out what the pupils already know. At the very start of the lesson (before discussing learning objectives or revealing the context for the lesson) she draws their attention to three words on the board: MARCH GARAGE WALTZ She asks them to work in twos or threes and gives them 3 minutes to identify the odd one out. The pupils start sharing what they think the words mean, making connections between them, contrasting and comparing them, suggesting and rejecting hypotheses. The teacher circulates and listens to the discussions, occasionally prompting and encouraging groups with comments and questions such as ‘Good point. And what about …?’, ‘Is that the only …?’, ‘So you’re saying …’, ‘Try thinking about …’. Some pupils recognise that all three words can be musical styles. Others recognise that two words have double meanings (March: month or musical style; garage: building or contemporary dance music). Most realise that march and waltz are older musical styles than garage, and some that they are performed very differently. A few remember from primary school or instrument lessons that a march is in 2 or 4 time (L–R, L–R) while a waltz goes 1–2–3, 1–2–3. Some talk about waltzes that they have seen at wedding receptions and others about popular TV ballroom dancing competitions. One child realises that garage dance music has the same kind of metre as march, but not the same as waltz. At the end of 3 minutes a huge amount of information has been shared and discussed, and the teacher asks for pupils’ answers to the question: ‘Which is the odd one out?’ Various groups and individuals propose answers. Some are more ‘musical’ than others but it soon becomes apparent that there is no right answer. At this point the teacher introduces the learning objectives, discusses them briefly with the class, and moves into the main part of the lesson on waltz and march.

Case study 1a

Odd one out – using prior musical knowledge and experience

In a Year 7 lesson, in which the differences between waltz and march styles will be explored (especially the differences in their metres), the teacher wants to find out what the pupils already know.

At the very start of the lesson (before discussing learning objectives or revealing the context for the lesson) she draws their attention to three words on the board:

MARCH GARAGE WALTZ

She asks them to work in twos or threes and gives them 3 minutes to identify the odd one out.

The pupils start sharing what they think the words mean, making connections between them, contrasting and comparing them, suggesting and rejecting hypotheses. The teacher circulates and listens to the discussions, occasionally prompting and encouraging groups with comments and questions such as ‘Good point. And what about …?’, ‘Is that the only …?’, ‘So you’re saying …’, ‘Try thinking about …’.

Some pupils recognise that all three words can be musical styles. Others recognise that two words have double meanings (March: month or musical style; garage: building or contemporary dance music). Most realise that march and waltz are older musical styles than garage, and some that they are performed very differently. A few remember from primary school or instrument lessons that a march is in 2 or 4 time (L–R, L–R) while a waltz goes 1–2–3, 1–2–3. Some talk about waltzes that they have seen at wedding receptions and others about popular TV ballroom dancing competitions. One child realises that garage dance music has the same kind of metre as march, but not the same as waltz.

At the end of 3 minutes a huge amount of information has been shared and discussed, and the teacher asks for pupils’ answers to the question:

‘Which is the odd one out?’

Various groups and individuals propose answers. Some are more ‘musical’ than others but it soon becomes apparent that there is no right answer.

At this point the teacher introduces the learning objectives, discusses them briefly with the class, and moves into the main part of the lesson on waltz and march.

Case study 1b
Odd one out: using pictures Watch Video 3a to see a section of a lesson on the process of creating a blues melody, which starts with an ‘Odd one out’ activity to refresh pupils’ prior knowledge and thinking about the nature of blues music. Notice how it moves from open-ended questions to more focused questions about the relationship of the pictures to pupils’ prior knowledge about blues, and finally links all of this to the learning objectives for the lesson.

Case study 1b

Odd one out: using pictures

Watch Video 3a to see a section of a lesson on the process of creating a blues melody, which starts with an ‘Odd one out’ activity to refresh pupils’ prior knowledge and thinking about the nature of blues music. Notice how it moves from open-ended questions to more focused questions about the relationship of the pictures to pupils’ prior knowledge about blues, and finally links all of this to the learning objectives for the lesson.

Case study 2
Observation – using prior, non-musical knowledge A lesson introducing Indonesian gamelan starts by showing pupils a colour picture of a gamelan orchestra performing behind a costumed dancer. Pupils are asked to discuss in pairs what they can see in the picture, what they can infer from what they see, and what questions they would like to ask. Their paired discussions draw out many aspects of prior knowledge from different areas of their experience, both musical and non-musical, and both directly and indirectly related to the subject of the picture. Their imagination is fired: they want to learn more. As they talk, pupils record their ideas to focus their thinking and to use when giving feedback later. The picture for this type of activity could be posted or projected on a board, or incorporated into a form as follows.

Case study 2

Observation – using prior, non-musical knowledge

A lesson introducing Indonesian gamelan starts by showing pupils a colour picture of a gamelan orchestra performing behind a costumed dancer. Pupils are asked to discuss in pairs what they can see in the picture, what they can infer from what they see, and what questions they would like to ask.

Their paired discussions draw out many aspects of prior knowledge from different areas of their experience, both musical and non-musical, and both directly and indirectly related to the subject of the picture. Their imagination is fired: they want to learn more. As they talk, pupils record their ideas to focus their thinking and to use when giving feedback later. The picture for this type of activity could be posted or projected on a board, or incorporated into a form as follows.

diagram

Task 4: Adapting a lesson plan (20 minutes)
Select a lesson you are about to teach that introduces new ideas to the pupils. Adapt the lesson plan to include: an alternative use of music that enables pupils to use prior musical knowledge and skills; an alternative use of non-musical stimuli to fire imagination; an example of you as teacher, or the pupils, modelling the creative process. Development: You can find out more about effective starters in the training materials Pedagogy and practice: teaching and learning in secondary schools, Unit 5: Starters and plenaries (DCSF 0428-2004 G) with supporting video exemplification from a range of subjects on the DVD (DCSF 0445-2004 GDVD). You can also find out more about the processes of modelling in Unit 4: Modelling in music.

Task 4: Adapting a lesson plan (20 minutes)

Select a lesson you are about to teach that introduces new ideas to the pupils.

Adapt the lesson plan to include:

an alternative use of music that enables pupils to use prior musical knowledge and skills;
an alternative use of non-musical stimuli to fire imagination;
an example of you as teacher, or the pupils, modelling the creative process.

Development: You can find out more about effective starters in the training materials Pedagogy and practice: teaching and learning in secondary schools, Unit 5: Starters and plenaries (DCSF 0428-2004 G) with supporting video exemplification from a range of subjects on the DVD (DCSF 0445-2004 GDVD).

You can also find out more about the processes of modelling in Unit 4: Modelling in music.

KS3 Music