GRADES 4 - 8
SEPTEMBER
1999
JENNIFER
DICOSTANZO REBECCA NEINDORFF
INTRODUCTION
Music
is an integral part of everyday life in our society. In order for our children
to be successful contributors in a diverse global society, they must first
understand and appreciate the historical and cultural diversity within their
own community. The City of
PHILOSOPHY
Music
is an international language through which children of all cultures, religions,
nationalities, languages and socioeconomic backgrounds can relate and
communicate. Music is an outlet for the academically challenged and a means by
which all students can succeed and express themselves. Through music, students
are exposed to a wide variety of learning strategies including but not limited
to listening, singing, creating, performing, perceiving, analyzing and
responding through movement. Through these skills the foundation of musical
knowledge is developed, showcased and built upon through the primary and
secondary educational years.
Music
is also an interdisciplinary subject. Through music, students strengthen math
skills, explore history and cultures, visit far away places and communicate in
a new language. While working with rhythm, students strengthen counting skills
as well as their awareness and use of fractions. Listening to and learning new music allows
students to experience cultures and places they may otherwise never get to
experience. Learning to read, sing and play
melodies through staff notation gives students a whole new language in which to
communicate. There are many operas and musicals that can be taught in
conjunction with language arts since many of their
librettos
are connected to great literary works.
SEVENTH GRADE GENERAL
OBJECTIVES
Rhythm:
Ø
To
reinforce the significance of the time signature.
Ø
To
reidentify what each number of the time signature represents.
Ø
To
be able to count and clap all rhythms in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4 and 6/8 times using the whole,
half, quarter, eighth, sixteenth, dotted half, dotted quarter notes and all
syncopated rhythms.
Ø
To
use the counting method only! No more rhythmic syllables.
Ø
To
introduce the time signatures 2/2 and 4/16.
Ø
To
identify common, cut, march and waltz times.
Melody:
Ø
To
continue working on the head voice.
Ø
To
introduce the important breathing apparatus that makes the head voice possible.
Ø
To
reidentify the different voices of the choir.
Ø
To
begin sight-singing various short melodies or songs.
Ø
To
sing scales within a voice part on "la".
Ø
To
use the hand solfege signs in warm-up activities and during scales.
Ø
To
continue to read and identify treble and bass clefs in vocal and instrumental
music.
Ø
To
introduce sight reading by voice or instrumental part.
Form
and Design:
Ø
To
begin looking at more detailed and formal classical compositions to identify
various musical forms:
Ø
To
continue to identify theme and variation.
Ø
To
continue to emphasize dynamic and tempo markings.
Music
Appreciation:
Ø
To
review various musical careers.
Ø
To
aurally identify different musical styles as well as the artists and composers.
Ø
To
review the definition and characteristics of a musical.
Ø
To
complete two separate musical units:
v
"TheWiz"
v
"
Ø
To
continue to practice appropriate audience behavior.
Ø
To
practice good performance and practice techniques.
Ø
Performance:
Ø
To
be given the opportunity to perform at least two concerts a year.
Ø
To
be given the opportunity to try out for the Honor's Choir.
Ø
To
perform in a musical production.
Ø
To
perform outside the school with the choir including but not excluded to the Mall
Expo, Teen Arts and the Music in the Parks Festival as well as going Christmas
caroling.
SEVENTH GRADE KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILL
Rhythm:
These
skills meet the Core Curriculum Standards 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3. At the completion
of the seventh grade, students will:
Ø
Be
able to confidently identify and define what a time signature is.
Ø
Be
able to confidently define what each number of the time signature represents.
Ø
Be
able to clap any rhythm in any time signature correctly.
Ø
Be
able to count any rhythm in any time signature keeping a steady beat with one
foot.
Ø
Identify
how many beats a note gets in any time signature through making a chart or
perceptualizing.
Ø
Identify
common, cut, march and waltz time signatures.
Ø
Write
any given rhythm in any given time signature with ease.
Ø
Clap
and count back any rhythm while keeping a steady beat with one foot.
Melody:
These
skills meet the Core Curriculum Standards 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3. At the completion
of the seventh grade, students will:
Ø
Effectively
tell the difference between the head and chest voices both physically and
aurally.
Ø
Identify
the different parts of the body that are useful for breathing.
v
Diaphragm
v
Lungs
v
Rib
Cage
v
Sinuses
Ø
Be
able to identify all the different voice parts in the choir.
Ø
Be
able to follow in a score, a particular voice part in the choir.
Ø
Be
able to identify the different instrumental parts of the band or orchestra.
Ø
Be
able to follow in a score, a particular instrumental part.
Ø
Be
able to sight-read on "la" a particular voice or instrumental part
by:
v
Keeping
a steady beat in one foot.
v
Identifying
the Key and Time Signature
v
Finding
the voice or instrumental part
v
Clapping
the correct rhythm
v
Singing
on "la" (Do not use the words until the part is learned)
Ø
Perform
all the solfege hand signs during warm-up activities and when singing a scale.
Ø
Identify
both bass and treble clef with ease as well as the names of the lines and
spaces in both.
Form
and Design:
These
skills meet the Core Curriculum Standards 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4. At the
completion of the seventh grade, students will:
Ø
Identify
any musical forms learned through various listening activities comprised of
classical or advanced musical compositions.
Ø
Identify
all dynamic markings.
Ø
Define
in English what each dynamic marking means.
Ø
Identify
all tempo markings.
Ø
Define
in English what each tempo marking means.
Ø
Aurally
identify all dynamic and tempo markings.
Music
Appreciation:
These
skills meet the Core Curriculum Standards 1-1, 1-4 and 1-5. At the completion
of the seventh grade, students will:
Ø
Identify
and describe all careers associated with music.
Ø
Aurally
identify any musical style played.
Ø
Identify
at least two groups/artists/composers associated with these musical styles.
Ø
Define
what a musical is.
Ø
Describe
some of the characteristics of a musical.
Ø
Complete
two separate musical units:
Ø
"TheWiz"
Ø
Watch
the movie and answer a worksheet.
Ø
Compare/Contrast
"The Wiz" to "The Wizard of Oz"
Ø
Review
findings
Ø
Be
tested on the movie.
Ø
"
Ø
Introduce
the serious issues portrayed in this movie such as hate, gangs, prejudice, etc.
Ø
Describe
the characters and the storyline.
Ø
Watch
the movie and answer a worksheet.
Ø
Let
the students react to what they saw.
Ø
Associate
certain character(s) with social problems.
Ø
Be
tested on the movie.
Ø
Display
mature, respectful and responsible audience behavior.
Ø
Practice
correct posture and singing techniques.
Ø
Performance:
Ø
These
skills meet the Core Curriculum Standards 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-6. By the
completion of the seventh grade, students will:
Ø
Randomly
clap rhythms using various notes and time signatures.
Ø
As
a class, in sections, sight-read different scores from vocal and instrumental music,
using the sequences outlined.
Ø
Have
had the opportunity to perform in the 7/8 grade choir in two concerts. This choir
does not require an audition. This choir sings in three parts.
Ø
Have
had the opportunity to audition for and perform in the 7/8 grade Honor's Choir.
This choir sings in three parts.
Ø
Have
had the opportunity to perform in a musical production through singing in the
choir, dancing and acting.
Ø
Have
had the opportunity to try out and perform an instrumental and/or vocal solo
for one or both of the concerts or in the musical drama.
Ø
Take
individual written tests on various units and lessons.
SEVENTH GRADE
ASSESSMENTS
The
learner will demonstrate his rhythmic ability to the teacher by:
Ø
Performing
written tests on writing rhythms.
Ø
Performing
written tests defining time signatures.
Ø
Individually
clapping rhythms from the board correctly.
Ø
Performing
written tests identifying proper note names and correct number of beats in
various time signatures.
Ø
Orally
and on written tests identifying common, cut, waltz and march times.
Ø
Demonstrating
march, waltz and common times on the body.
Ø
The
learner will demonstrate his melodic ability to the teacher by:
Ø
Correctly
singing in the head voice during classroom activities.
Ø
Identifying
on his body and on a written test the proper tools for breathing.
Ø
Identifying
on a written test and aurally the different sections of the choir.
Ø
Sight-singing
in class short melodies from the board or from a song.
Ø
Singing
and performing the hand signs to different major scales.
Ø
Using
the proper sequence for sight-singing from a score.
Ø
Identifying
different voicings or instrumental sections from a score.
Ø
Identifying
in class and on a written test bass and treble clefs as well as the names of
the lines and spaces for both.
Ø
The
learner will demonstrate his knowledge of Form and Design to the teacher by:
Ø
Taking
listening tests of the various musical forms learned.
Ø
Taking
written tests on dynamic markings.
v
Identifying
the Italian and English translations and meanings.
v
Identifying
each marking within a song.
v
Aurally
identifying each marking.
v
Taking
written tests on tempo markings.
v
Identifying
the Italian and English translations and meanings.
v
Identifying
each marking within a song.
v
Aurally
identifying each marking.
Ø
The
learner will demonstrate his knowledge of Music Appreciation to the teacher by:
Ø
Identifying
various musical careers both in class and on written tests.
Ø
Identifying
various musical styles and their composers through listening activities.
Ø
Defining
musical and describing the characteristics of a musical both in class and on a
written test.
Ø
Completing
two units on musicals:
v
Watching
and comprehending the storyline.
v
Completing
a written worksheet.
v
Participating
in class discussions involving both musicals.
v
Taking
a short answer/ essay test on each musical.
v
Practicing
good performance and audience behaviors throughout the year.
EIGHTH GRADE GENERAL
OBJECTIVES
Rhythm:
To
review time signatures.
To
reidentify note values in various time signatures.
To
write rhythms in each time signature using all learned notes.
To continue to count rhythms in the various time signatures.
Melody:
To continue to keep good practice and performance behaviors.
To continue to work the diaphragm and other breathing
apparatus.
To continue to sight-sing short melodies and songs using the
proper sequence of events.
To continue to emphasize treble and bass clefs.
To
continue to utilize the hand signs during scales and warm-up activities.
To
continue to read different voice sections and instrumental parts from scores.
Form
and Design:
To continue to identify and define all tempo markings in a
score.
To continue to identify and define all dynamic markings
within a score.
To complete a unit on "Music in the Movies"
utilizing all dynamic and tempo markings.
Music
Appreciation:
To review the definition of a musical.
To review the characteristics of a musical.
To complete a unit on the musical "The Sound of
Music".
To complete a project on classical composers.
To introduce operetta.
To complete a unit on the operetta "
Performance:
To
be given the opportunity to perform at least two concerts a year.
To
be given the opportunity to try out for the Honor's Choir.
To perform in a musical production.
To
perform outside the school with the choirs at various activities including but
not
excluded to the Mall Expo, Teen Arts and the Music in
the Parks Festival as well as going Christmas caroling.
EIGHTH GRADE KNOWLEDGE
AND SKILLS
Rhythm:
These
skills meet the Core Curriculum Standards 1-1, 1-2 and 1-3. At the completion
of the eighth grade, students will:
Ø
Be
able to identify any time signature or time signature change within a song.
Ø
Define
what each number of the time signature represents.
Ø
Identify
all note values in any given time signature.
Ø
Write
rhythms in any time signature using any note or rhythmic pattern learned.
Ø
Count
rhythms in any time signature using any note or rhythmic pattern learned.
Melody:
These
skill meet the Core Curriculum Standards 1-1, 1-2 and
1-3. At the completion of the eighth grade students will:
Ø
Continue
to practice good posture for singing in the head voice.
Ø
Effectively
tell the difference between the head and chest voices both physically and
aurally.
Ø
Identify
and find the different parts of the body that are useful for breathing.
o
Diaphragm
o
Lungs
o
Rib
Cage
o
Sinuses
Ø
Be
able to identify all the different voice parts in the choir.
Ø
Be
able to follow in a score, a particular voice part in the choir.
Ø
Be
able to identify the different instrumental parts of the band or orchestra.
Ø
Be
able to follow in a score, a particular instrumental part.
Ø
Be
able to sight-read on "la" a particular voice or instrumental part
by:
Ø
Keeping
a steady beat in one foot.
Ø
Identifying
the Key and Time Signature •
Ø
Finding
the voice or instrumental part
Ø
Clapping
the correct rhythm
Ø
Singing
on "la" (Do not use the words until the part is learned)
Ø
Perform
all the solfege hand signs during warm-up activities and when singing a scale.
Ø
Identify
both bass and treble clef with ease as well as the names of the lines and
spaces in both.
Form
and Design:
These
skills meet the Core Curriculum Standards 1-1, 1-2, 1-3 and 1-4. At the completion
of the eighth grade, students will:
Ø
Identify
all dynamic markings.
Ø
Define
in English what each dynamic marking means.
Ø
Identify
all tempo markings.
Ø
Define
in English what each tempo marking means.
Ø
Aurally
identify all dynamic and tempo markings
Ø
Identify
the role of music in movies and musicals.
Ø
7.
Complete a unit on "Music in the Movies"
Ø
Review
the various dynamic markings.
Ø Pick out four separate movie s