Running head: UNIT PLAN 636 1

EDI 636: UNIT PLAN

BRING ME LITTLE WATER, SILVY

Benjamin Mohr

Grand Valley State University

UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 2

Unit Overview

Most secondary choir classrooms do not have “units” in the traditional sense as they

apply to other classes. Rather, the classes are split into large units that correspond with their

concert cycles with the end goal being a final performance. With this in mind and since the

repertoire studied in class is what determines the curriculum, I decided to craft a three-lesson unit

that focuses on and breaks down the teaching of one piece, “Bring Me Little Water, Silvy.” This

unit will be taught to the auditioned 8th grade ensemble. This ensemble has sung in three part a

capella before, so they should have the skills to learn this piece. However, they have not

performed anything with such an involved body percussion aspect, so they will be stretched in

incorporating the two elements.

This unit contains three lessons, but it is likely that these lessons will be spread out over

multiple class periods due to time constraints and the necessity of learning other repertoire.

There will likely be intermittent days where review lessons are taught. During such days, little to

no new material will be covered, but previous material will be reinforced as well as retaught to

any students that are struggling or taught to students who were absent.

Initial assessment will involve the choir critiquing and responding in writing to a

professional recording of the piece. The final assessment will consist of students completing a

similar written reflection on their own taped performance as well as that concert performance.
UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 3

Lesson 1 – Introducing the Piece

I. Standard:
ART.M.I.8.1
Sing and play, with expression and technical accuracy, a diverse repertoire of vocal and
instrumental literature, with and without notation, including selections performed from memory

ART.M.I.5
Sight read basic melodies in treble and bass clefs, using combinations of whole, half, quarter,
eighth, sixteenth, and dotted notes and rests; in simple, compound, and alla breve meters.

ART.M.III.8.5
Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of one’s own and others’ musical performances and
creations by applying specific and appropriate criteria and offering constructive suggestions for
improvement.

II. Objective:
• Students will be able to listen to and provide a guided written reflection reacting to the
performance of the piece.
• Students will be able to sing through the melody of the piece on solfege using prompts
written into their music.
• Students will be able to perform the body percussion in isolation at a slow tempo
correctly in a small group without errors.

III. Anticipatory Set:

• Students will watch a performance by the Women of the Sea Chanters Chorus of “Bring
Me Little Water, Silvy.” During this performance students will be asked to write down
their response and observations using questions that are provided. This will serve as a
pre-assessment technique as the students will perform a similar exercise critiquing their
own performance at the end of the unit.
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY3XxnRtu48
• Watching a video of a professional ensemble will give the students a performance target
to aim for.

IV. Input
A. Task Analysis
• Students will need to know the key signature in order to write the solfege
correctly into their scores. This will be explained by following the rules that
have been discussed before (in flat keys, Do is always the second to last flat),
and by filling out the first measure together as a class. Since this melody has a
chromatic alteration in m. 14, the instructor will give that to the class, saying
that a lowered Mi becomes a Me.
• Learning the melody is scaffolded for the learners by first hearing it presented
on the video, then writing in solfege syllables to help them associate the
pitches where they need to go. Once the melody is secure, students will start
to sing through the song on the words.
UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 4

• The body percussion is the most complex part of this lesson. Rather than use
the written notation provided with the score, the students will learn this by
watching the composer teach a lesson and then by having the instructor model
and perform it for the students while they follow along. During this process, it
will be taken in smaller chunks.

B. Thinking Levels
• Remembering: what is the rule for finding Do in a flat key signature?
• Remembering: task of singing back and performing back the correct melodic
or rhythmic patterns of the piece.
• Understanding: does the body percussion match up with the macro or micro
beats in this song? (quarter notes or eighth notes).
• Applying: how many measures of music does the verse take? How many does
the chorus take? How many measures does the body percussion take and how
many times does it need to be repeated?
• Analyzing: Are there measures in the music that repeat? If so (there is one)
which measure is it?

C. Accommodations
• By providing video examples, sheet music, solfege/Curwen hand signs, and
learning the body percussion, this lesson will engage learners who excel in
auditory, visual and kinesthetic learning.
• Students will be given time to work in small groups to write in their solfege
and to practice the body percussion.
• The tasks that the students must accomplish will be done multiple times
during the course of the lesson, which will allow students to catch on if they
are falling behind.
D. Methods, Materials, and Integrated Technology
• Modeling will be used by the instructor.
• Students will be able to watch videos of a performance and the composer
teaching them the skills needed for this particular piece. These links will also
be provided to the students using the class’s YouTube playlist.
• Students will only require a pencil. The sheet music and pre-assessment
response will be provided to them during the class period.
• The lesson requires a computer and a projector in order to watch the
performance videos. The lesson however does not require a piano- students
will be learning this piece using solfege and aural skills.
V. Modeling:
• The instructor will model the correct singing of the melody and the performance of
the body percussion through the lesson. When errors are detected, the teacher will
correct and re-demonstrate the correct way of performing the piece. A great deal of
this piece will be taught through call and response.
• A video of the composer, Moira Smiley will be shown to the students that goes
through the body percussion step by step.
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTC_zb2LriA
UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 5

VI. Checking for Understanding:

• During the lesson, students will perform what has been learned so far on their own.
The instructor will listen for errors in that performance and will address and reteach
where errors are occurring.
• Students will also be asked throughout the lesson to give quick feedback to the
instructor through questions and visual signs (thumb up/down/to the side) to gauge
their understanding.

VII. Guided Practice:

• After the instructor models, the teacher and students will perform together. After this
the student will perform on their own directly after the teacher.
• The guided practice and modeling will be implemented in tandem.

VIII. Independent Practice:

• Students will confer with a partner sitting next to them in order to write in the solfege
syllables correctly.
• Students will be split into small groups by their sections and asked to practice the
body percussion on their own. The instructor will walk around and be available to
help groups that are getting confused.

IX. Closure:
• In closing this lesson, the students will perform both the melody and the body
percussion independently. The goal will be to not need the music for the lyrics,
though the instructor may call out cues to assist them. If this is successful, the class
will attempt to put the melody and body percussion together one time as a preview of
what is coming next.

X. Assessment:
• Students will complete a written pre-assessment form responding to the video that is
watched at the beginning of class.
• The instructor will assess informally throughout the lesson on how well students are
achieving the necessary skills.

XI. Reflection:
• Would students have more success if they were provided the written notation for the
body percussion as well? Could I provide that as an option for those students who are
more engaged by visual learning?
• Did the students seem to like the song? Is this something that they are already excited
about learning or will I need to work harder to get them interested in learning it?
• Will some students need the body percussion simplified or modified based on their
ability to perform it?
• What went well during this lesson and what was not as successful? How should I go
about re-teaching the skills that that students did not acquire during this lesson?
UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 6

Lesson 2 – Identifying Intervals: Quality

I. Standard:
ART.M.I.8.1
Sing and play, with expression and technical accuracy, a diverse repertoire of vocal and
instrumental literature, with and without notation, including selections performed from memory

ART.M.III.8.1
Identify and describe specific musical elements and events in a given aural example, using
appropriate terminology

ART.M.IV.8.2
Classify by genre and style (and, if applicable, by historical period, composer, and title) a varied
body of exemplary musical works and explain the characteristics that cause each work to be
considered exemplary.

ART.M.IV.8.4
Describe the impact of technology on music and culture.

II. Objective:
• Students will be able to perform their own vocal line alone with correct notes and good
sound production without using music.
• Students will be able to sing Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie in three-part harmony using
their music and singing in section groupings.
• Students will be able to perform the body percussion at the correct tempo without
mistakes as a group while singing the melody of Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie.
• Students will learn about the history of the song and how the way music is transmitted
and preserved has been changed by sheet music and video.

III. Anticipatory Set

• Students will watch excerpts of three different performances of Bring Me Little Water,
Sylvie. The first will be a repeat of the video from lesson one, which serves as our
performance goal. The second is the same arrangement being done at a High School
Choir Festival. The final video is the “original” being performed by the singer LeadBelly.
Students will participate in a class discussion lead by the teacher comparing the three.
The instructor will also teach the students about how music like this would’ve been
passed down through the oral tradition, which has resulted in multiple versions of the
piece. Having a formal written system and video by Moira Smiley allows her version to
become the most prevalent. Students will be asked to respond on whether they think that
is a positive or negative thing.
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY3XxnRtu48
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN7YYtXNz1g
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRDUm-9BNyg
• These resources may be used to help lead a discussion on the history of the piece:
o https://www.colburnschool.edu/colburn-city-sings/learn-to-sing/bring-little-water-
sylvie-part-ii/
o https://www.popmatters.com/moira-smiley-bring-little-water-2561338379.html
UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 7

o https://www.behind-the-music.com/bring-me-a-little-water-sylvie/
o http://www.stephengriffith.com/folksongindex/bring-me-little-water-sylvie/

IV. Input
A. Task Analysis
• The main focus of this lesson is to have the individual sections of the class
learn their notes. The sopranos already know the melody, but the baritone and
alto sections need to learn their parts.
• Students will learn the terms monophony and homophony and how they relate
to this specific piece of music. The students perform the tune altogether
initially (monophony – one voice). Then in the parts, they all sing the exact
same rhythms on different notes creating homophony.
• Students will again be asked to write in the solfege syllables for the other parts
of this piece to assist them in learning.

B. Thinking Levels
• Remembering: the melody and body percussion learned in the previous
lesson.
• Analyze: how do the three performances we watched relate to one another?
What types of things do they have in common and what are their differences?
• Evaluate: is one of those performances definitively better than the others? If
so, why or why not? What makes it a good performance?
• Understand: How do the harmony parts relate to the melody? Is there anything
unusual in the harmony parts? Have you sung other songs with similar styles
of harmony (i.e. homophony)?

C. Accommodations
• Students will be split into groups and have sectionals to learn their individual
parts.
• For the baritones that struggle to sing low or high enough, their part can be
edited for the individual’s needs.
• The use of written sheet music, solfege/Curwen hand signs, body percussion,
and echo style teaching will allow visual, verbal, and kinesthetic learners to all
be able to engage in learning their parts in a way that relates best to them.

D. Methods, Materials, and Integrated Technology

• Modeling will be used by the instructor.
• Students will watch videos of different performances to help them learn the
piece and the piece’s history.
• Students will only require a pencil and the sheet music they received before.
The remaining page of the score will be given to further engage visual
learners with the body percussion.
• The lesson requires a computer and a projector in order to watch the
performance videos. The lesson however does not require a piano- students
will be learning this piece using solfege and aural skills.
UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 8

V. Modeling:
• The instructor will help the students to learn their individual voice parts by modeling
them and singing them for the students.
• The instructor will continue to model the correct performance of the body percussion.

VI. Checking for Understanding:

• During the lesson, students will perform what has been learned so far on their own.
The instructor will listen for errors in that performance and will address and reteach
where errors are occurring.
• Students will also be asked throughout the lesson to give quick feedback to the
instructor through questions and visual signs (thumb up/down/to the side) to gauge
their understanding.

VII. Guided Practice:

• The students and instructor will review the body percussion multiple times in the
beginning of the class period together. After a few successful repetitions, the speed
will be increased until the performance tempo is obtained. By repeating the
movements, they will become muscle memory, which will make it easier to combine
it with the singing and with singing parts.
• The instructor will sing with students on their specific voice parts to help them learn
their notes.
• The parts will be added together one by one in order to build independence. For
example, first the baritones and sopranos will sing, then the soprano and alto, before
all three are put together. Various iterations will likely need to be attempted in order
to solidify and become comfortable singing in balanced three-part harmony.

VIII. Independent Practice:

• Students will be split into sections in order to learn their individual notes.
• Most of the learning will be done in a group setting with the instructor rather than
alone.

IX. Closure:
• Students will perform what they have learned so far from memory. They will put the
melody and body percussion together. When the song splits into parts, only the
sopranos will continue the body percussion since their part does not change.
• With remaining time, the students will continue to increase the body percussion
tempo seeing how fast they can correctly and consistently perform it without
mistakes. This will allow making the muscle memorization into a speed challenge for
the students.

X. Assessment:
• The instructor will assess informally throughout the lesson on how well students are
achieving the skills taught during this lesson and how well they are recalling the skills
from the previous lesson.
UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 9

• No formal assessment will be marked, though students will be graded on their class
participation and rehearsal etiquette as they are every class period.

XI. Reflection:
• Were the students able to hold three-part harmony in balance?
• What voice part do I need to hear more from? Is there a way to move some singers to
achieve a better balance?
• Will all of the students be capable of performing the body percussion, or do some
struggle too much with the rhythm?
• Is this style of music interesting to the students? If so, what other pieces can I search
for for them to perform in the future?
• Is the key chosen the best for the students? Would raising or lowering it allow the
students to have more success?
UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 10

Lesson 3
I. Standard:
ART.M.I.8.1
Sing and play, with expression and technical accuracy, a diverse repertoire of vocal and
instrumental literature, with and without notation, including selections performed from memory

ART.M.III.8.5
Evaluate the quality and effectiveness of one’s own and others’ musical performances and
creations by applying specific and appropriate criteria and offering constructive suggestions for
improvement.

II. Objective:
• Students will be able to perform Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie as it was intended with
three-part harmony, body percussion, and age-appropriate musicality by the end of the
class period.
• Students will be able to provide an accurate written reflection on their performance using
a guide provided to them.

III. Anticipatory Set

• In order to engage the students in this final lesson, the students will participate in a
discussion about what they are singing about. They will examine who exactly is supposed
to be singing the piece, what situations it makes them think of, and how these types of
questions influence the way that they should perform the piece.

IV. Input
A. Task Analysis
• This lesson serves as the closing and puts the learning done previously
altogether with the finishing touches.
• Students will review their individual parts and fix any wrong notes.
• Students will work to perform Bring Me Little Water, Sylive fully from
memory.
• Students will be engaged in deciding if we want to follow how Moira Smiley
suggests the piece be performed, or if we want to make the version a little
more our own and add in another verse or chorus. They will also be involved
in deciding the dynamic level and feeling that each section should have and
where the musical climax of the piece should be.
• Students will work to add in appropriate musical elements such as dynamics,
phrasing, syllabic stress, and diction.

B. Thinking Levels
• Analyze: why doesn’t the body percussion take place during the chorus
section of the piece? Does it work to have it?
• Create: choose how each section of the piece should be phrased or should feel
in relation to the other phrases. Because there is limited notation on the page,
students need to engage and add in the musical elements themselves.
UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 11

• Evaluate: after phrasing decisions are proposed, evaluate whether or not they
work and why they should be implemented or discarded.

C. Accommodations
• Students will again be allowed to sing an altered version of the song to fit
their specific vocal range.
• Students that are less comfortable with the body percussion will be placed in
the ensemble in order to help them feel comfortable during the performance.
• All skills previously learned will be reviewed at the outset of this lesson. Any
students who are struggling will have a chance to be retaught the sections that
are giving them trouble.

D. Methods, Materials, and Integrated Technology

• Towards the end of class, the students will perform the piece in its entirety.
This performance will be video recorded and then shown back to the students
for them to evaluate.
• The teacher will again engage in modeling and echoes to help the students
review their skills. During performances, the instructor will conduct the
students in order to add to their success.

V. Modeling:
• In this lesson, most of the modeling will be done by the ensemble themselves. The
instructor will model parts and skills that need to be reviewed and retaught. The
instructor will also show the students different musical aspects that must be included
such as diction, dynamics, and facial engagement.

VI. Checking for Understanding:

• During the lesson, students will perform what has been learned so far on their own.
The instructor will listen for errors in their performance and will address and reteach
when necessary.
• Students will also be asked throughout the lesson to give quick feedback to the
instructor through questions and visual signs (thumb up/down/to the side) to gauge
their understanding.

VII. Guided Practice:

• Guided practice will occur in the beginning of class to review the skills that have
been previously taught to the ensemble. In addition, the instructor will help the
students to come up with and implement musical ideas into their performances.

VIII. Independent Practice:

• Much of this class period will have the students performing different sections of the
song, implementing musical ideas in order to create a better performance. During
performances, students will be on their own, but the teacher will serve as a conductor
and can provide helpful cues to keep the ensemble together.
UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 12

IX. Closure:
• Students will watch their final in class performance and will critique it using a
written, guided response sheet. The students’ suggestions can be further used to fine
tune the performance for any upcoming public concerts.

X. Assessment:
• The final assessment for this unit will be in the uninterrupted, complete performance
of Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie and in the form a written, guided response that
allows the students to reflect and evaluate their own performance.

XI. Reflection:
• How successful were the students in their final performance?
• What aspects of their performance need to be improved before it is performed in a
concert setting?
• Do the students seem fatigued by this piece? Would their performance be more
energized in front of an audience and could one be brought into the classroom in the
form or para-pros or administrators?
• Have the students met my own goals for their performance? Have the students met
their goals for the performance?
• How can I conduct the students to improve their performance or would this piece be
better performed alone, without a conductor?
•
UNIT PLAN: INTERVALS 13

Assessment Forms

Pre-Assessment Questions for Reflection:

1. Have you ever heard this song before? Are there aspects of this piece that
remind you of any other songs you have heard or performed?
2. List and explain three strengths of this performance.
3. List and explain two things in this performance that could be improved.
4. What aspects of this performance would you like us to incorporate into our
own?
5. Did you enjoy listening to this performance? Explain specifically what you did or
did not like about it below.

Final Assessment Questions for Reflection:

1. Are you happy with our final performance? Give our ensemble a score on a
scale of 1-10, with 1 being the lowest and 10 the highest and then explain your
answer.
2. What are three strengths of our final performance? List and explain your
answers in the space below.
3. What are two aspects of our performance that we could improve upon next time
we perform this piece?
4. Have you enjoyed learning and performing this piece of music?
5. What are some things you have learned while studying Bring Me Little Water,
Sylvie?