Broderick Lemke

Lesson Plan: We Wish You a Merry Christmas - Strings

Grade Level: First Year Orchestra Students
Description: This lesson plan will feature the students performing the holiday piece We Wish You a
Merry Christmas. The arrangement that was made has 2 errors, one in each part and the lesson aims to
have students identify and fix the parts that are incorrect.
Objectives:
- Play the violin and cello duet We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Find the error in the violin at measure 8, E instead of a G
- Find the error in the cello at measure 16, F instead of G
- Find solutions to both errors
Standards:
- Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
- Reading and notating music
- Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
Materials:
- Sheet music to We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- Violins
- Cellos
Prior Knowledge:
- Students will know bowings along with the first five notes on each string of their instrument.
- Students will know how to follow a conductor in time
- Students will have some experience with ear training
Procedures:
- The teacher will pass out the music for We Wish You a Merry Christmas
- The teacher will ask students a few general questions about the piece to review concepts
they have learned.
o Ask about Meter
o Point out Pick up Note
o Bowing markings
- Lead the ensemble through playing the piece, urge them to continue if they stop at wrong
notes.
- Ask the students what they heard that was wrong in the piece and guide them towards the
two errors.
- Correct the violin note to a G
- Ask students to find a note on the cello that fits with the note in the violin. Have the violins
sustain their G and let the cellos find a note that sounds good with it and ask wat they
chose.
- Play through the piece again with the corrections
Assessment/Evaluation:
- Students should be able to find the incorrect notes in their parts and correct them.
- Students should be able to play through the entire piece of music.
What will I do with any extra time?
- If there is extra time the teacher can discuss why errors occur in music (editing errors or
sometimes we think notes are errors when thats what the composer wants), or they could
work on adding dynamics to the piece of music.