Performing Arts

Task 1: Planning Commentary

TASK 1: PLANNING COMMENTARY

Respond to the prompts below (no more than 9 single-spaced pages, including prompts) by typing your responses within the
brackets. Do not delete or alter the prompts. Pages exceeding the maximum will not be scored.

1. Central Focus
a. Describe the central focus and purpose for the content you will teach in the learning
segment.
[
The students in the third grade class that are featured in the learning segment will gain
knowledge of note values. Before this central focus, students learned about rhythm. The rhythm
unit sets up the students well to learn about note values. The students will learn about whole
notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes and sixteenth notes. The students will learn how
the notes look, first by showing the note using his or her hands, then looking at the note on the
staff, and having the ability to see what the note looks like. The students will have the
kinesthetic knowledge from using their hands, the visual knowledge from seeing the note on the
electronic white board, and will have auditory knowledge from speaking the note values. The
students will reinforce the different note values throughout the class by speaking the note values
and using his or her hands to show the value. The learning segments also give students an
opportunity to perform note value math, by adding different note values together. ]
b. Given the central focus, describe how the standards and learning objectives within your
learning segment address creating, performing, or responding to music/dance/theater by
applying

artistic skills (e.g., self-expression, creativity, exploration/improvisation)

knowledge (e.g., tools/instruments, technical proficiencies, processes, elements,
organizational principles)

contextual understandings (e.g., social, cultural, historical, global, personal reflection)

[
The artistic skills that the students begin to develop or continue to develop in this unit
include rhythm, music notation, and creating and performing rhythmic melodies. The students
will be given opportunities to create rhythmic melodies based on his or her interests. The
students choose different foods and create a word chain using the rhythms that those foods
create. The students will perform rhythmic melodies based on a given set of four flashcards. The
students have their own input on the order of the four flashcards.
The students gain knowledge of musical notation during this learning segment. The
students have previous knowledge of rhythm. Some students in the class have prior knowledge
of note values from instrumental lessons administered outside of the school setting. The
students will learn about whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes and sixteenth
notes in this learning segment. The students also have opportunity to use different instruments
in this lesson, gaining knowledge of instrument technique. The students will play a hand drum, a
tambourine, rhythm sticks and a triangle. The learning segment focuses on students gaining
knowledge and understanding of note values and how the note values work in the context of
music.
The students will be able to connect to the word chain activity, because he or she will
have an opportunity to use words that are familiar to them. The students also have an
opportunity for gained connectivity through the use of the song America. The students sing this
as their patriotic song, and now have a chance to see the music and read along to it. This gives

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Performing Arts
Task 1: Planning Commentary

students a visual cue for the song as well as they all sing the music. This also connects auditory
learning and visual learning to a familiar piece. ]
c. Explain how your plans build on each other to help students in creating, performing, or
responding to music/dance/theater and in making connections to artistic skills,
knowledge, and contextual understandings.
[
The students choose different foods and create a word chain using the rhythms that
those foods create, giving the choice to connect to the material that he or she will perform in
music class. The students also have an opportunity for gained connectivity through the use of
the song America. The students sing the song on every Friday morning as the patriotic song.
In music class, the students typically only review the song in third grade, since they have sang
the song for three years at that point. Connecting to the learning segment and the specific
lesson, the students are able to see the music and put to use the newly gained knowledge of
note values to use and can see the connection between music notation and familiar songs. ]
2. Knowledge of Students to Inform Teaching
For each of the prompts below (2ab), describe what you know about your students with
respect to the central focus of the learning segment.
Consider the variety of learners in your class who may require different strategies/support
(e.g., students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted
students).
a. Prior academic learning and prerequisite skills related to the central focusCite
evidence of what students know, what they can do, and what they are still learning
to do.
[
Note values are the central focus of the learning segment. The students already have
knowledge of steady beat, rhythm and pulse. The students will be able to take the existing
knowledge of rhythm, and add a deeper meaning to the word. Once the students are able to
connect their favorite food to a rhythm, the students will be able to add a rhythm to many other
words. The students can clap and speak rhythms already; adding rhythm to words will add a
deeper understanding to note values in a rhythmic context. The students are still learning the
different between the note values, and to ensure understanding, throughout the class, we return
to the rhythm chant as a way for the students to recall the new information. ]
b. Personal/cultural/community assets related to the central focusWhat do you know
about your students everyday experiences, cultural backgrounds, practices, and
interests?
[
In class, there are students from different religious backgrounds, students with varying
interests and students from different economical backgrounds. The students are all familiar with
popular music that plays on the radio, and after the lesson, they will be able to add a deeper
understanding to any music that they might hear. Some students in the class take instrumental
lessons outside of music class. These students are ahead of the rest of the class in terms of
material knowledge. ]
3. Supporting Students Performing Arts Learning
Respond to prompts below (3ac). To support your justifications, refer to the instructional
materials and lesson plans you have included as part of Task 1. In addition, use
principles from research and/or theory to support your explanations.

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Performing Arts
Task 1: Planning Commentary

a. Justify how your understanding of your students prior academic learning and
personal/cultural/community assets (from prompts 2ab above) guided your choice or
adaptation of learning tasks and materials. Be explicit about the connections between
the learning tasks and students prior academic learning, assets, and research/theory.
[ ]
b. Describe and justify why your instructional strategies and planned supports are
appropriate for the whole class, individuals, and/or groups of students with specific
learning needs.
Consider students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language learners, struggling readers,
underperforming students or those with gaps in academic knowledge, and/or gifted
students.
[ ]
c. Describe common student errors, weaknesses, or misunderstandings within your
content focus and how you will address them.
[ ]
4. Supporting Performing Arts Development Through Language
a. Language Function. Identify one language function essential for students to learn the
performing arts knowledge within your central focus. Listed below are some sample
language functions. You may choose one of these or another more appropriate for your
learning segment.
Analyze

Compare/contrast

Describe

Explain

Express

Identify

Interpret

Perform

Summarize

Synthesize

[ ]
b. Identify a key learning task from your plans that provides students with opportunities to
practice using the language function. Identify the lesson in which the learning task
occurs. (Give lesson/day number.)
[ ]
c. Additional Language Demands. Given the language function and learning task
identified above, describe the following associated language demands (written or oral)
students need to understand and/or use:

Vocabulary and/or symbols

Plus at least one of the following:
Syntax
Discourse
Consider the range of students understandings of the language function and other
demandswhat do students already know, what are they struggling with, and/or what is
new to them?
[ ]

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Performing Arts
Task 1: Planning Commentary

d. Language Supports. Refer to your lesson plans and instructional materials as needed
in your response to the prompt below.

Describe the instructional supports (during and/or prior to the learning task) that help
students understand and successfully use the language function and additional
language demands identified in prompts 4ac.
[ ]
5. Monitoring Student Learning
In response to the prompts below, refer to the assessments you will submit as part of the
materials for Task 1.
a. Describe how your planned formal and informal assessments will provide direct
evidence of students creating, performing, or responding to music/dance/theater by
applying artistic skills, knowledge, and/or contextual understandings throughout the
learning segment.
[ ]
b. Explain how the design or adaptation of your planned assessments allows students with
specific needs to demonstrate their learning.
Consider all students, including students with IEPs or 504 plans, English language
learners, struggling readers, underperforming students or those with gaps in academic
knowledge, and/or gifted students.
[ ]

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The edTPA trademarks are owned by The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University. Use of the edTPA trademarks is
permitted only pursuant to the terms of a written license agreement.