MS. Rebecca Karwan

rkarwan@daltonschool.kr

7th Grade Music

Course Description

Welcome to Music Class! Get ready for a year of learning new songs, playing instruments, movement, and making music together. We will CREATE. PERFORM. RESPOND. and CONNECT. Come ready to try your best and persevere to overcome challenges and improve. Come with an openness to try something new and expand on what you can do. Come to be part of a community that makes and enjoys music together!

Formative

In-Class Playing Checks, Written Work, Theory Checks, Draft Assessments

Summative

Performances, Compositions and Analysis Projects

Unit-Specific Rubrics & Outlines

Quarter 1: Music Foundations: Instruments and Composers

Quarter 1: Music Foundations: Instruments and Composers (August 18 - October 29)
Essential Questions:
-What are the 4 main musical instrument families?

-How do composers use instrumental timbre and texture in their compositions?

-What techniques are specific to each instrument family?
In this quarter, students will explore musical instruments and how composers use them in their compositions. We will be learning about the 4 main musical instrument families, what distinguishes them, and the performing techniques for each instrument. We will also study composers through time, with a focus on how instruments are used in their compositions. The culminating project for the quarter will be a performance on a chosen instrument by a famous composer, and a class presentation on how the piece was written.
Assessments in this unit include a performance on their new instrument as well as a research/analysis task on an influential 20th Century composer.

Week 1: Class introduction and overview, musical instrument families review
Week 2: How composers use instrumental "color" in their compositions
Week 3: Woodwind and Brass playing techniques
Week 4: Strings and Percussion playing techniques
Week 5: Composers - "Modern" and electronic focus
Week 6: Composers - Jazz and Contemporary styles focus
Week 7: Composer research and performance selection
Week 8: Performance preparation
Week 9: Performance Assessments

G7 Q1 U1.2 rubric

G7Q1U2 rubric

G7Q1U4 rubric

Quarter 2: Percussion Around the World

Quarter 2: Percussion Around the World (October 30 - January 23)
Essential Questions:
-What are the similarities and differences of percussion instruments from different countries?

-How are percussion instruments used in different cultural contexts?

-How can we learn to perform an instrumental ensemble from a chosen culture?
In this quarter, students will be learning about percussion instruments and styles from West Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and Asia. Students will perform via drum circles and 사물놀이 ensemble. For the final quarter project students will create their own percussion ensembles, rehearse and perform a piece, and research the origins and characteristics of their chosen percussion style.

Week 1: African percussion instruments and playing techniques
Week 2: Drum circles - characteristic rhythms from different African regions, call and response singing and percussion styles
Week 3: Afro-Cuban and Latin American percussion - instruments and performing techniques
Week 4: Drum Circles - Regional style focus: Samba, Calypso, Reggae, Tango
Week 5: Percussion of Asia - Balinese Gamelan
Week 6: Percussion of Asia - 사물놀이 ensemble
Week 7: Students choose percussion groups and research music from a chosen region
Week 8: Ensemble performances and class presentations

Quarter 3: Pop Music

Quarter 3: Pop Music (January 26 - April 14)
Essential Questions:
-What are the roots of popular music?

-How does pop music reflect the culture it’s from?

-How did pop music evolve into different styles?
In this quarter students will explore the roots and evolution of popular music. We will also explore Kpop's evolution from Western pop music and the implications it has had for Korea on the world stage. Finally, students will form their own groups and work on a cover of a chosen song, and then create their own pop music composition in the same style.

Week 1: Introduction - the roots of pop music in the blues and jazz
Week 2: Who was Sister Rosetta Tharpe? Elvis Presley and the social implications of pop becoming mainstream
Week 3: Emerging pop music styles - rock, country, dance, hip-hop
Week 4: Kpop - where did it come from? What is "soft power" and what does it have to do with global relations?
Week 5: Students choose groups, instruments and a cover song they want to work on
Week 6: Cover Song performance
Week 7: Original song composition
Week 8: Final song performances

Quarter 4: Putting on a Show

Quarter 4: Putting on a Show (April 15 - June 19)
Essential Questions:
-What technical elements are part of a dramatic or musical production?

-How does a staged dramatic production differ from a TV program or a movie ?

-What is involved in organizing a stage production from the planning stages to the performance?
For the final quarter, students will explore all that is involved with staging a dramatic or musical production. Topics covered will include the roles of stage managers, tech crew, designers and actors; script reads and rehearsing, how sound and lighting are part of the production, and finally, the students will plan, design, rehearse and perform their own original production.

Week 1: Introduction & Overview - terminology, performance analysis and sample script reading
Week 2: Individual Roles - Managers, Actors, Tech Crew and Stage/Costume Design
Week 3: Sample Production - Students choose a mini-production, divide themselves into teams, and come up with their plans
Week 4: Rehearsals & Sample Performance - Mid-Quarter check-in
Week 5: Creating an Original Drama - students brainstorm and storyboard ideas
Week 6: Students choose their roles, create their teams and journal their plans
Week 7: Preparation and Rehearsals
Week 8: Final Performance

Weekly Schedule

Broad Learning Categories

25% 25% 25% 25%

CREATING

Anchor Standard #1 Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard #2 Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.
Anchor Standard #3 Refine and complete artistic work.

PERFORMING

Anchor Standard #4 Select, analyze and interpret artistic work for presentation.
Anchor Standard #5 Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
Anchor Standard #6 Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work.

RESPONDING

Anchor Standard #7 Perceive and analyze artistic work.
Anchor Standard #8 Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work.
Anchor Standard #9 Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work.

CONNECTING

Anchor Standard #10 Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art.
Anchor Standard #11 Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding.

7th Grade Music Expectations

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS

SHOW RESPECT: Be respectful to your teacher, your peers, the instruments, resources and classroom. Treat others how you would like to be treated yourself. Only touch instruments if you have been given permission to do so. If in doubt - ask!
BE RESPONSIBLE: Take responsibility for your learning. Make sure you come to class on time and prepared. Stay up to date with any homework and assessment due dates. Communicate regularly with your teacher.
HAVE FUN: Have fun by engaging in all activities in the music class! Be safe, collaborate and enjoy.
KEEP IT CLEAN: You are expected to clean up after yourself everyday. Do not leave instruments out of place, rubbish on the floor, or your belongings in the classroom. Pick up after yourself.
LANGUAGE POLICY: English is the official language at CDS. You are expected to speak English at all times in the Music room.

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR MUSIC

Chromebook
Pen/pencil
Earphones/headphones
Instrument (if needed)

GRADING POLICY

Feedback: Feedback will come in multiple forms: oral, written, and/or via rubric.
Rubrics: All rubrics will contain the skills that are assessed on the left-hand side. On the top, you will see the achievement standards in ascending order from left to right: DND, Beginning, Developing, Proficient, and Mastery.
Late Work: You will not be penalised for late work. However, you risk receiving a DND if work is not submitted within two weeks from the due date and you have not communicated any reasons with your teacher for non-submission.
Re-assessment: Please refer to the Fine Arts Reassessment Policy 2023-24 for more information on re-assessments.

MS Handbook Policies

Academic Honesty Policy - English Language Policy - Technology Policy - Missing/Late Evidence

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