Mary Katherine Whatley

Lesson Plan 1 (K-2)

Grade Level: First Grade

Conceptual Objectives: Rhythm is governed by the beat. Musical form is based on the principal of
repetition and contrast. The unique organization of musical elements creates a musical style, which
contributes to expressiveness. The basic speed of the beat and the alternation of such within a musical
whole (section tempi, accelerando, ritardando) contribute to expressiveness.
Skills: Movement, listening, describing
Behavioral Objectives:
1. When listening to Foggy Mountain Breakdown by Flatt & Scruggs, the students will pat the
steady beat as a class with 100% accuracy.
2. While listening to Foggy Mountain Breakdown, the students will name what instruments they
hear with 80-100% accuracy.
3. After listening to Foggy Mountain Breakdown, the students will identify, after demonstration
and explanation from the teacher, which parts of the song are the solos with 90-100% class
accuracy.
4. While listening to Foggy Mountain Breakdown, the students will appropriately move and dance
to express the mood of the song.
5. While listening to Sweet Afton by Nickel Creek, the students will appropriately move and dance
to express the contrasting mood of this song.
6. After listening to Sweet Afton by Nickel Creek, the students will describe the contrasting mood
of this song to Foggy Mountain Breakdown.
7. The students will be able to identify three or more instruments used in the bluegrass style.
8. The students will be able to identify that the double bass typically keeps the steady beat in a
bluegrass band.
9. The students will accurately be able to demonstrate knowledge of a circle dance.
National Standards:
6-Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
9-Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

State Standards:
(Grade 2) #13: Distinguish between various vocal and instrumental timbres.

(Grade 1) #9: Using creative movement to express mood of musical selections.

(Grade K) #6: Create expressive movement to folk songs, folk games, lullabies, and marches.
#9: Identify solo or group performances by sound.
Procedures:

A. Motivationa. Raise your hand and tell me where you think this music could be played? Students
respond. Some answers could be back porch, barn, house, party, etc.
Was the song fast or slow? Was it happy or sad?

b.
B. Advance Organizera. I am going to play another song for you, I want you to listen and pat the steady beat on
b.

your leg. Students listen to Foggy Mountain Breakdown by Flatt & Scruggs.
Can anyone raise their hand and tell me if they know what this kind of music is called?
Students may or may not respond. This music is a style called bluegrass. It was created
not too long ago, only about 70 years ago. Quietly raise your hand if you listen to country
music. Good! Bluegrass is a lot like country music. It comes from the South just like
country music did. Many of the old country music songs are about the same things some
bluegrass songs are about. Many of the old country singers were also bluegrass players
like Bill Monroe!

C. Sequencinga. Lets listen to the song again. This time, I want you to listen carefully to see if you know

b.
c.
d.

e.

f.

some of the instruments that are playing in the song. Play Foggy Mountain Breakdown
again. Raise your hand and tell me if you can name one instrument you heard. Students
respond. Answers may be banjo, fiddle, violin, bass, and guitar. Very good.
Now lets stand up without talking. Im going to play the song one more time and I want
you to dance or move like the song makes you feel. Students dance to the song.
Well that was fun! Now were going to listen to another bluegrass song. Its a little
different from the first song. I want you to move the way this song makes you feel.
Raise your hand and tell me something different that you heard in that song. Raise
your hand if you heard a different instrument in that song. Was it a high sounding
instrument or a low one? That instrument is called the mandolin and it is a very popular
bluegrass instrument. Doesnt it sound pretty? Heres a video of someone playing a
mandolin. This is Chris Thile. Hes a very famous mandolin player. Did you know that a lot
of bluegrass players, like Chris Thile started playing bluegrass when they were kids? Many
started when they were even younger than you! This song were about to hear is about
rabbits! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_CKeb2gPQ8 (Start at 4:40/41)
The double bass is the instrument that usually keeps the steady beat in the bluegrass
band. Would you like to see and hear it? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he6qQnq4eA Is the bass high or low sounding? Low. Thats right. Raise your hand and tell me
another instrument you heard earlier. Students respond.
In bluegrass the violin is called a fiddle. Lets watch someone play the fiddle! (Start
video at 0:25) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWS6fXU79wc

g.
h.

i.
j.
k.

Another famous bluegrass instrument is the banjo! Its shaped like a circle guitar, but it
has only 5 strings. The banjo has a very special sound thats unlike all the other
instruments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz7ZNoeebBg (Start at 2:00)
Bluegrass and country music have some really cool instruments, dont they? Would you
like to hear another one? This instrument is called a dobro. Point to it. Raise your hand
and tell me what instrument it looks like. Students say guitar. Thats right! A guitar! It
sounds a little different though. Would you like to hear?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEOY06U6JW8 (Start video at 0:15/16)
Lets dance some more! Im going to teach you a dance to do to this bluegrass music. Its
called a circle dance. A circle dance is a type of square dancing mood.
When I say to, we will all get into a circle holding hands and once I start the music and
say go, were going to all move to our right in a circle to the beat of the music. Then
when I say SWITCH! well circle the other way!
Ok, now lets quietly get into a circle holding hands. Remember, when I say go, were
going to circle to our right with the music. Students join hands. Play Bile em Cabbage by
Heights of Grass. Students circle right, then left, then right, then left with the music. Then
as the teacher leads, stop circling, put hands in the middle of the circle and go in and out
and in and out. That was so fun! Ok now please sit down quietly.

D. Closurea. Raise your hand and tell me what bluegrass instrument keeps the steady beat. Students
b.
c.

answer bass. (If need prompt, prompt with its a low sounding big instrument that we
saw a video of)
Raise your hand and tell me another bluegrass instrument we saw. Students answer
guitar, mandolin, banjo, dobro, etc.
Raise your hand and tell me if you remember what other kind of music bluegrass is
like?

Materials:
Recordings of Sweet Afton by Nickel Creek, Foggy Mountain Breakdown by Flatt & Scruggs, Head Hung
Down by Dailey & Vincent, and Bile Em Cabbage Down by Heights of Grass on Spotify.
Pictures/poster of bluegrass instruments. If possible, bring banjo and mandolin for examples.
Youtube videos to demonstrate the sounds of different bluegrass instruments. (Bass, banjo, mandolin,
dobro, guitar)
Extensions:

Play a jazz selection (Duke Ellington and Orchestra 1962: Take The A Train start at 0:40 play
through solo) and have the students hear the similarities in the form of the jazz songs and the
bluegrass songs. (ie. Play together, solo, etc.)
Dance can be extended by teaching the students how to dosey do or while in circle going up and
down with hands (Reach for the sky! Touch your toes!)
Further history of bluegrass facts:

Talk about the Grand Ole Opry Raise your hand if youve heard of the Grand Ole Opry.
The Grand Ole Opry was a place where many country and bluegrass musicians got their
start. You could even say that the Grand Ole Opry was where bluegrass became famous!
It was a radio show where many country and bluegrass bands got to play their music for
people to hear!
Bluegrass is sometimes called hillbilly music and that is because bluegrass came from
the Appalachian Mountains, or hills and was played and sung by the hillbillies or the
people who lived in the hills. The style was created in those mountains by the people that
lived there. It was very common back in the 1930s for people to gather at their houses
and play bluegrass music for fun.

Evaluation:
The teacher will visually and aurally assess the students based on participation in discussions and
question responses and their ability to keep the steady beat during the beginning recording and the
dance.
Documentation:
Most of this lesson was compiled from information I already knew about bluegrass (facts were checked),
but some of the ideas came from The Nuts and Bolts of Bluegrass by Sean McCullough.