Artificial Intelligence and the Music Classroom

I don't know about you, but I hate writing lesson plans. I know what I want to do in my class and we get stuff DONE. What I hate is having to explain what I'm doing in a lesson plan format so that other people can understand it. I overthink things and end up explaining WAY to much and I get lost in the details.  I also hate having to match up what I'm doing to standards.  I can do it. I cover all the standards in my lessons naturally. It's just so TEDIOUS. 

I recently heard about ChatGPT and thought I would see if it would write sub plans for me. Oh, yes it did. In fact, just for fun, I asked it to write a lesson using Kansas Music Standards and "I Can" Statements. This is what it came up with:

My Prompt:  Using Kansas music standards and I can statements, write a bear themed music lesson for elementary music

Title: Bear Beats - Exploring Rhythm with the Help of Bear Friends!

Grade Level: Elementary (3rd Grade)

Duration: 45 minutes

**Objective:**

Students will be able to identify and perform various rhythms using body percussion and classroom instruments while connecting the rhythms to different bear-themed movements.

**Kansas Music Standards:**

1. MU:Cr1.1.3 - Generate musical ideas within specified parameters.

2. MU:Pr4.1.3 - Perform rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic patterns accurately and independently on rhythmic and melodic classroom instruments.

3. MU:Re8.1.3 - Interpret expressive elements of music, demonstrating understanding and intention.

**I Can Statements:**

1. I can create and perform different rhythms using body percussion and classroom instruments.

2. I can play rhythmic patterns accurately on classroom instruments.

3. I can interpret and express emotions through music.

**Materials Needed:**

- Bear-themed visuals (images or stuffed toys)

- Classroom instruments (e.g., rhythm sticks, hand drums, tambourines)

- Whiteboard and markers

**Lesson Outline:**

1. **Introduction (5 minutes)**

   - Show bear-themed visuals or stuffed toys to the students.

   - Discuss different bear movements and characteristics (e.g., lumbering, playfulness, sleeping).

2. **Warm-up Activity: Bear Rhythms (10 minutes)**

   - Lead the students in a rhythmic warm-up activity.

   - Clap and chant simple bear-themed rhythms as a group.

   - Have students imitate the rhythms using body percussion.

3. **Exploring Bear Rhythms (15 minutes)**

   - Introduce various bear-themed rhythms on the whiteboard.

   - Demonstrate how to play each rhythm on classroom instruments.

   - Divide the students into small groups and assign each group a specific rhythm to practice.

4. **Bear Rhythm Performances (10 minutes)**

   - Have each group take turns performing their assigned bear rhythm on classroom instruments.

   - Encourage students to incorporate bear movements and expressions while playing their rhythms.

5. **Creating Bear Music (5 minutes)**

   - Allow students to create their own bear-themed rhythms using body percussion or classroom instruments.

   - Give them a chance to share their creations with the class.

6. **Closure: Bear Jam Session (5 minutes)**

   - Bring the whole class together for a "Bear Jam Session."

   - Play various bear rhythms simultaneously, creating a rhythmic and melodic ensemble.

**Assessment:**

Observe students' ability to perform the bear-themed rhythms accurately on classroom instruments, as well as their engagement in the creative process and their expression of emotions through their bear movements.

**Extension Activities:**

1. Students can compose short bear-themed melodies to accompany the rhythms.

2. Create a bear-themed dance routine to the rhythms and music created during the lesson.

3. Research and discuss different types of bears and their habitats, incorporating geography and science into the lesson.

Remember to adjust the lesson based on the specific needs and abilities of your students. Have fun exploring rhythms and expressing bear-inspired musical creativity!

What are bear themed rhythms? I dunno. But my mind is racing with the possibilities! As you can see, the AI didn't do all of the work for me. It gave me a very basic structure while still leaving the creative stuff to me. AND! It brought up music standards and "I Can" statements for me!! Do you think if I wrote every lesson like this and noticed I was missing a standard, it could write a lesson based on that specific standard? We'll I tried, and it didn't recognize the standard based on the call name Re.1.4, so I had to type out the standards itself and this is what it gave me,

Certainly, here's a lesson plan based on the standard MU:Re.1.4 from the Kansas State music standards, focused on demonstrating and explaining how selected music connects to and is influenced by specific interests, experiences, purposes, or contexts, with a theme of spring:

**Grade Level:** Middle School

**Objective:** Students will demonstrate an understanding of how selected music pieces connect to and are influenced by the theme of spring, using critical thinking skills to explain the connections.

**Materials:**

- Audio recordings of music pieces with spring-related themes (classical, folk, or contemporary)

- Device for playing audio recordings

- Whiteboard or projector for class discussion

**Procedure:**

**Introduction:**

1. Begin by discussing the concept of how music can reflect specific interests, experiences, purposes, or contexts.

2. Introduce the theme of spring and its various characteristics, such as renewal, growth, and vibrant colors.

3. Explain that students will be exploring how different music pieces connect to the theme of spring.

**Activity:**

1. Play a spring-themed music piece (e.g., "Spring" from Vivaldi's "Four Seasons" or a contemporary spring-themed song).

2. Have students listen attentively to the music and jot down any feelings, images, or connections they make with the theme of spring.

3. Break the class into small groups and provide each group with a different spring-themed music piece to analyze.

4. In their groups, students should listen to the music and discuss how the piece connects to the theme of spring. Encourage them to consider the mood, tempo, instrumentation, and any specific elements that evoke the season.

5. Each group presents their analysis to the class, explaining the connections they made between the music and the theme of spring.

**Discussion:**

1. Lead a class discussion about the different ways the music pieces reflected the theme of spring.

2. Encourage students to share their personal experiences or emotions evoked by the music and how it related to spring.

3. Discuss how the music pieces might have been influenced by the composer's own experiences or the cultural context in which they were created.

**Wrap-Up:**

1. Summarize the key points of the lesson and emphasize the idea that music can be a powerful way to express and connect with different themes and emotions.

2. Assign a homework task where students choose a spring-related topic or experience and create a short musical composition or playlist that reflects that theme.

**Assessment:**

Evaluate students based on their participation in group discussions, their ability to identify connections between the music and the theme of spring, and their explanations of how specific interests, experiences, purposes, or contexts influenced the selected music pieces.

**"I Can" Statements:**

1. I can listen to different music pieces and identify how they connect to the theme of spring.

2. I can explain how specific elements in music reflect the characteristics of spring.

3. I can discuss how the experiences and influences of composers are reflected in their music compositions.

Remember to adapt the lesson plan to the grade level and abilities of your students, and feel free to incorporate additional resources or activities to enhance the learning experience.

This is not a replacement for a professional music teacher in any world, but it is a tool to get us tracking along. I'm no longer teaching in my own music classroom, but I am going to be substitute teaching this fall. How handy would it be to ask ChatGPT to write little sub plans for me? 

Wait, I don't like my summary paragraph. Let's let the AI write it for me.

Using AI to create music lesson plans offers a range of valuable benefits. AI can efficiently generate personalized and diverse lesson content, adapting to individual student needs and learning styles. It aids teachers in saving time by automating repetitive tasks, enabling them to focus on more creative and interactive aspects of music education. AI-powered lesson plans also ensure consistency in curriculum delivery and can integrate the latest trends and research in music pedagogy, enhancing the overall quality of instruction. Additionally, AI technology fosters innovation by suggesting unique teaching approaches and fostering collaboration among educators through shared resources and insights.

Yeah, that's so much better.