lesson plan

Lesson Plan Overview - Lesson 7: Penta Scale

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In this lesson students will apply what they have learned to play a simple pentascale song with perfect posture. Musicians must demonstrate a level of emotional regulation to endure the challenges of learning musical passages.

Lesson Objectives 

By the end of the lesson: 

  • Understand and apply keyboard mapping and hand posture. 
             [Comprehension]
  • Recognize the note C, which is located to the left of the group of 2 black notes.
             [Identification]
  • Show the ability to play the “K-Piano Pentascale Song” with both hands and with proper posture. 
              [Fluency]


Materials Needed 
  • K-Piano equipment (computer, keyboard, stand, benches, headphones). 
  • Zoom meeting platform. 
Lesson Plan Outline 

Introduction:
  • Highlight the K-Piano culture & student expectations. 
  • Remind the students how far they’ve climbed in earning their White K-Tag. 
  • Review the rules for following directions the first time, remember that when you’re on cam you’re on task and to always do your best. Review the three keyboard learning positions. 
Finger Number Review: 
  • Review Finger Numbers (Thumb=1, Pointer=2, Middle=3, Ring=4, & Pinky=5). 
  • Technique exercise review. To shape your hand with perfect posture guide students to make the Heart Sign then Straighten Wrist and Raise Thumb. 
Hand Position: 
  • Students will place their Thumbs on the note C to create the hand position for our pentascale warmup. 
  • Remember: the note “C” is the white key that is next to the 2 note black key group. 
  • Follow the video for posture procedure for thumbs on C 
The Pentascale: 
  • The prefix penta means 5 so we will now put all five our fingers on the keys. 
  • The new musicians will play their first scale: 1-2-3-4-5 . . . 5-4-3-2-1. 
Finding the Note C: 
  • Analyze the keyboard and play the “C” notes you can find across the piano and play them with your finger 1.
Posture & Pentascale Hand Positions 
  • Watch video to review posture and how we will place our hands on the pentascale position. 
  • Technique exercise review. To shape your hand with perfect posture guide students to make the Heart Sign then Straighten Wrist and Raise Thumb. 
  • Students will then be guided to find the low C for the left hand. The ever important middle C will be used for their right hand. Knowledge check the class to see if they can find these positions on their own. 
The Pentascale Challenge: 
  • The students will now play along with the video with both hands in their pentascale position on the keyboard. 
Recap and Q/A 
  • K-Piano Culture & Expectations 
  • Finger Numbers 
  • Hand Posture & Control 
  • Keyboard Mapping 
  • Musical Alphabet 
  • Finding the Note “A” 
  • White Key Note Names 
  • 2 Black Key Group = CDE 
  • 3 Black Key Group = FGAB 
  • Finding the note “C” 
  • Creating a right hand pentascale on middle C 
  • Creating a left hand pentascale on low C 
  • Playing the Pentascale Challenge 
Conclusion 
At the end of this lesson, students will be able to locate middle C and Low C on the piano. With these two landmarks they will play their first pentascale warmup. This will begin to build the finger strength to expand into their first song.

Lesson Objectives
By the end of the lessons, students will be able to:
  1. Become familiar with the K-Piano equipment, including the computer, keyboard, stand, benches, and headphones.
  2. Comprehend the K-Piano class rules.
  3. Grasp the concepts of the K-Tag learning system.
  4. Understand the K-Piano learning positions.
  5. Effectively navigate Zoom meeting controls. This is only for classes that use Zoom. (Optional)
Materials Needed
  1. K-Piano equipment (2 Device Lesson For Instructor)
  2. Zoom meeting platform
Go directly to the lesson:
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Lesson Plan Outline:
Note to teacher: Today we are focused on building the relationships and connections in the lab.  Learning in a synchronous lab is a new experience.  We'll start slow getting used to structure, culture and technology of the lab.  Build Relationships. Guide Set-Up. and Troubleshoot Technology. 

Slide 1: Introduction (5-10 minutes)
  • Greet the students and determine if log-ins should happen before or after you begin the lesson. 
  • Set Expectations for Enjoyment & Fun. Connect with students. 
  • Check Guide Set-up, Check Technology
  • Provide an overview of the lesson objectives and what students can expect to learn.
Slide 2 - 5: Set-Up (10 minutes)
  • Get familiar with the equipment.
  • Walk students through the various components of the K-Piano equipment, including the computer, keyboard, stand, benches, and headphones.
  • Demonstrate the proper setup and usage of each piece of equipment.
Slide 6-8: What to expect (5 minutes)
  • Provide an overview of the Purpose for learning K-Piano. To learn how to read and play piano music. 
Slide 9-11: How the K-Piano Learning App Works (8 minutes)
  • Provide Overview of The K-Tag Level System. 
  • Present Class Goal (Earn White K-Tag by ??? )
Slide 13 - 17: Understanding K-Piano Class Rules (10 minutes)
  • Discuss the class rules and etiquette for using the K-Piano equipment and participating in the lesson.
  • Emphasize respecting the equipment and following guidelines for a productive learning environment.
Slides 8-22: Using the K-Piano On-Camera Positions (15 minutes)
  • Teach students about the different learning positions for playing the keyboard, including proper posture and hand positioning.
  • Demonstrate and guide students through the correct ergonomic setup for playing the keyboard.
Navigating Zoom Meeting Controls (For Remaining Time - TBD)
  • Show students how to effectively use Zoom meeting controls, such as audio settings, video settings, chat features, and screen sharing.
  • Allow students to practice navigating the Zoom platform and troubleshoot any technical issues.
Recap and Q&A (5 minutes)

Summarize the key points of the lesson and ensure that students have a clear understanding of the K-Piano equipment, class rules, learning system, learning positions, and Zoom meeting controls.
Encourage students to ask questions and address any remaining concerns.

Conclusion:
By the end of this lesson, students will have gained a comprehensive understanding of the K-Piano equipment, class rules, learning system, learning positions, and Zoom meeting controls, setting the stage for a successful and rewarding learning experience.