Study Guide
Field 203: Vocal/General Music
Sample Constructed-Response Assignment
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The following materials contain:
- Test directions for the constructed-response assignment
- A sample constructed-response assignment
- An example of a strong and weak response to the assignment, and a rationale for each
- The performance characteristics and scoring scale
Test Directions for the Constructed-Response Assignment
This section of the test consists of one constructed-response assignment. You are to prepare a written response of approximately 300to600 words on the assigned topic. You should use your time to plan, write, review, and edit your response to the assignment.
Read the assignment carefully before you begin to write. Think about how you will organize your response.
As a whole, your response must demonstrate an understanding of the knowledge and skills of the field. In your response to the assignment, you are expected to demonstrate the depth of your understanding of the content area through your ability to apply your knowledge and skills rather than merely to recite factual information.
Your response to the assignment will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria:
start bold PURPOSE: end bold the extent to which the response achieves the purpose of the assignment
start bold SUBJECT MATTER KNOWLEDGE: end bold accuracy and appropriateness in the application of subject matter knowledge
start bold SUPPORT: end bold quality and relevance of supporting details
start bold RATIONALE: end bold soundness of argument and degree of understanding of the subject matterThe constructed-response assignment is intended to assess subject matter knowledge and skills, not writing ability. However, your response must be communicated clearly enough to permit valid judgment of the scoring criteria. Your response should be written for an audience of educators in this field. The final version of your response should conform to the conventions of edited American English. Your written response must be your original work, written in your own words, and not copied or paraphrased from some other work.
Be sure to write about the assigned topic. You may not use any reference materials during the test. Remember to review what you have written and make any changes you think will improve your response.
Sample Constructed-Response Assignment
Competency 0015
Explain developmentally appropriate strategies to effectively address students' strengths and needs and inform instruction by analyzing instructional objective assessment strategies, activity plans, and student progress.
start bold Use the information provided in the exhibits to complete the assignment that follows. end bold
Using your knowledge of music and music education, and citing evidence from the exhibits provided, write a response of approximately 300–600 words in which you:
- select one or more of the bullet points in the "Indicators of Student Learning" table and describe a lesson that you might use to develop student understanding of the content or skill element(s) you selected;
- explain how you might address learning in an inclusive activity related to the lesson that addresses the learning needs of a diverse student population; and
- describe one strategy for assessing student learning related to the lesson you discussed.
Exhibit 1: Context
A fifth-grade music teacher is teaching students to sight-sing. Click on the remaining tabs to view an excerpt from a unit plan, student learning goals for the unit, and a sight-singing excerpt.
Exhibit 2: Excerpt from Unit Plan
| Unit Title | Sight-singing a melody | Three 30-minute lessons |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Description |
Context: Fifth-grade music students are learning to read music. Goal: By the end of the lesson students will be able to sight-sing a given melody with success. |
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| Essential Questions to Guide Student Learning |
Which skills are necessary for sight-singing successfully? What is my process for sight-singing? How should I establish tonic? Where am I likely to make a mistake? Which passage will probably give me the most difficulty sight-singing? |
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| Oklahoma Academic Standards for Music |
5 dot M dot C R dot 1 dot 4 colon Identify a system of syllables, numbers, or letters to demonstrate basic notation on a staff: Rhythmic (combination of sixteenth and eighth notes and dotted rhythms) Melodic (diatonic scale and treble clef). 5 dot M dot P R dot 1 dot 4 colon Match pitches, sing in tune (C, D, F, or G-pentatonic), and use appropriate tone and expression. 5 dot M dot P R dot 1 dot 4 colon Perform simple patterns or melodies in group ensembles with voice or on pitched or unpitched traditional or nontraditional instruments. |
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Exhibit 3: Student Learning Goals
| Indicators of Student Learning | |
|---|---|
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Content Students Will Understand
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Key Skills Students Will Demonstrate
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Exhibit 4: Sight-Singing Excerpt
A A six-measure melody for sight-singing is shown. There is a treble clef, F major key signature, and four-four time signature, Using the octave designation system in which middle C is C four, the pitches are as follows. Measure one: four quarter notes F four, E four, F four, G four; Measure two: two half notes F four, C five; Measure three: four quarter notes B-flat four, A four, G four, B-flat four; Measure four: four quarter notes A four, G four, F four, A four; Measure five four quarter notes G four, F four, E four, G four; Measure six: whole note F four.
Sample Strong Response to the Constructed-Response Assignment
start bold Please note: The sample response provided below is for review purposes only and should not be used in a response on an operational exam. Use of the exact words and phrases presented in this sample response will result in a score of "U" (Unscorable) due to lack of original work. end bold
To teach fifth graders how to sight-sing, I would begin by teaching them how to use solfege syllables, as I believe this would help them understand intervals in any key, as well as give them a basic understanding of keys and having a tonal center. I would then incorporate exercises varying the use of quarter, half, and whole notes to increase their comfort with reading these rhythmic values. I believe that after practicing exercises using solfege syllables and different rhythmic values in different keys, the students will be ready to sight sing the provided excerpt.
Solfege syllables can be a useful tool in understanding how to recognize and perform intervals in any key. Once the students have learned the basic concept of solfege syllables, I would create activities to help them get used to using them and applying them to notes in a scale. I would begin by writing an ascending and descending scale for them on the board with the solfege syllables written underneath. This scale would be written in quarter notes. Once the students are comfortable with this, I would gradually remove and/or rearrange notes in the scale. To begin, I would have them sing up to sol using quarter notes, and then remove re and fa to create a triad with do mi sol. These notes would be written below the scale as half notes so that the students could visually see where the notes would be in between and would have time to imagine singing these notes as steppingstones to mi or sol. This activity can be repeated and varied in different keys to get the students comfortable with finding different intervals in any key. I would recommend creating exercises that begin with stepwise motion on quarter notes and end with some larger interval(s) using larger rhythmic values so that students new to this kind of activity will be able to imagine the notes in the scale that would fit in between each interval.
Once the students are more comfortable reading and performing different intervals in keys, I would start incorporating different rhythms. I would start by using a scale and giving different notes different rhythmic values. It could be a game that puts longer or shorter rhythmic values in increasingly unexpected places. The students would tap the beat on their legs so that they can feel how many beats are in the given note value. This exercise would begin with quarter and half notes, and as the students become comfortable with this, more note values can be added. The sight singing excerpt we are working towards only uses quarter, half, and whole notes, so for this lesson I would only focus on these note values. This game would be a little like musical chairs, as the students have to be ready to stop in weird places of the scale and challenge themselves to hold the notes long enough. For example, one iteration could be "do - re mi fa - sol la ti - - - do". Holding the "ti" for a full four beats would be unexpected and, hopefully, a fun challenge for the students.
These exercises would give the students the basic foundation they need to sight sing. Next, they would need practice singing basic melodies. I would start with simple melodies that start from do, move away, and come back to end on do. For example: "do re mi - sol mi re - do - - -". Once they have done a few simple melodies like this, I would incorporate melodies they may be familiar with and that would be appropriate for this exercise. Movie or TV show themes, current popular songs, or common folk songs that may be familiar to the students could be written on the board and sung through so that they can continue matching how music looks on the staff to how it feels to sing. "Three Blind Mice" and "Mary Had a Little Lamb" would work well for this exercise. I would prepare a few examples that I know would work well for this exercise, and then let the students choose what melodies they want to learn from the options given. By using familiar tunes, this will not only give the students experience with real-life musical examples but will also help to engage less experienced students and help them see how the notes on the staff relate to what they are used to hearing and singing. Once the students are comfortable with this activity, I will know they are ready to attempt sight singing the exercise provided.
Rationale for the Sample Strong Response
Please note that the response is evaluated based upon the four performance characteristics of Purpose, Subject Matter Knowledge, Support, and Rationale. Please also note how the score point descriptions are based upon how the examinee attends to the performance characteristics. You should be very familiar with the CEOE performance characteristics and score scale and refer to them when reviewing this rationale.
The response fulfills the purpose of the assignment (refer to the instructions for the assignment) by correctly and accurately addressing all charges of the prompt. The response demonstrates an accurate and appropriate application of subject matter knowledge by providing a detailed lesson and describing how the teacher should put it into practice. Moreover, the response explains how the lesson will help students achieve the selected learning goals. The response provides sound, high-quality, relevant examples throughout and backs up all statements with adequate support. In particular, the response addresses the needs and interests of a diverse student population, creating exercises that will be engaging and appropriate for all skill levels. Overall, the response demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Sample Weak Response to the Constructed-Response Assignment
For students to be able to sight sing, they will need to know how to read music. I would write music on the board and show them how it sounds. Then they can sing it back to me. I would let each student make up their own song and write it on the board, then the rest of the class can sing it back. This will make things fun and let them be creative. If some students are struggling with the activity, I would let the stronger students show them what to do. They can sing through the music first to model how to do it to the weaker students. This way they can learn from each other. I would let them sing songs by Billy Eilish or other songs that they already know and have them write them on the board. If any student was having a hard time with the activity, I would have them come to the front of the class and sing it until they got it right. This would give them time to learn on their own. Everyone can sing so I would let every student make up a song that they can write on the board and teach the other students. They can make up silly words to go with it to keep things fun. I would let each student take turns leading the class. Then they can try sight singing the music below.
Rationale for the Sample Weak Response
Please note that the response is evaluated based upon the four performance characteristics of Purpose, Subject Matter Knowledge, Support, and Rationale. Please also note how the score point descriptions are based upon how the examinee attends to the performance characteristics. You should be very familiar with the CEOE performance characteristics and score scale and refer to them when reviewing this rationale.
The purpose of the assignment (refer to the instructions for the assignment) is only partially achieved. First of all, the response does not explain what fundamental skills the students will need to learn and understand before sight singing. The response provides little application of subject matter knowledge. For example, the response does not explain how the lesson will be taught nor what activities and repertoire would be used. In addition, some of the given activities are not age appropriate for fifth graders. Moreover, the response does not fulfill the purpose of the assignment in that it does not address the needs of a diverse student population and, unfortunately, creates division between the strong and weak students. Lastly, the supporting evidence is weak, and the response contains few relevant examples. Overall, the response reflects a limited, poorly reasoned understanding of the topic.
Performance Characteristics
The following characteristics guide the scoring of responses to the constructed-response assignment.
Scoring Scale
Scores will be assigned to each response to the constructed-response assignment according to the following scoring scale.