Music Syllabus

K5 Music Long Range Plans

Unit 1 Students will be introduced to the concepts of voice function and rhythm. This unit should focus primarily on pitch matching and identifying the steady beat in music. Students should be exposed to a variety of songs, games, and exercises that promote appropriate singing and an awareness of the steady beat.

Unit 2 Students will be challenged to analyze and evaluate a variety of melodic and expressive qualities in music. Through a variety of songs, dances, and listening activities, students should be able to describe and discuss prominent characteristics in music. In addition, students will learn how to appropriately respond to music, reflected in their performance etiquette.

Unit 3 Students’ improvisatory skills will be developed through movement and vocal exploration. Students will be introduced to a variety of classroom instruments and will learn proper instrument care and playing techniques. Students will be exposed to songs, dances, and musical games representative of a variety of historical periods and cultures.

Unit 4 Students will be exposed to a variety of composition techniques and cross-curricular connections. The composition concepts addressed in this unit lay the foundation for the composition skills that students will develop in subsequent years of study. In addition, through a variety of songs, stories, and other musical activities, students will analyze the real-life connections that can be made between music and other areas of life.

1st Grade Music Long Range Plans

Unit 1 Students will review many of the vocal techniques and concepts introduced in kindergarten. These concepts will be extended into further exploration of melodic contour and vocal ostinati. In addition, this unit introduces music notation and reading through both traditional and non-traditional forms of notation. A variety of songs, games, and activities can be used to introduce and practice these skills.

Unit 2 Students will be challenged to analyze and evaluate a variety of melodic and expressive qualities in music. Through a variety of songs, dances, and listening activities, students should be able to describe and discuss prominent characteristics in music. A heavy emphasis should be placed on identifying melodic, rhythmic, and expressive contrasts in songs and performances. In addition, students will learn how to appropriately respond to music, reflected in their abilities to describe their musical preferences.

Unit 3 Students’ improvisatory skills will be developed through movement and vocal/instrument exploration. Students will learn proper playing techniques on a variety of classroom instruments and will be able to group classroom instruments according to timbre. During this unit, students will also experience songs, dances, and musical games representative of a variety of historical periods and cultures.

Unit 4 Students will be exposed to a variety of composition techniques and cross-curricular connections. In addition to arranging melodic and rhythmic patterns, students will begin to compose original pieces using high and low sounds. Furthermore, through a variety of songs, stories, and other musical activities, students will analyze the real-life connections that can be made between music and other areas of life.

2nd Grade Music Long Range Plans

Unit 1 Students will be introduced to proper vocal technique as they explore the concepts of melodic contour and singing unaccompanied (a capella) vs. accompanied. Students will continue to develop their music literacy skills, learning how to read and notate half notes and half rests, tied quarter notes, and the pitches, Re and Do. A variety of resources that introduce and reinforce these skills are included.

Unit 2 Students will be challenged to analyze and evaluate a variety of melodic and expressive qualities in music. Through a variety of songs, dances, and listening activities, students should be able to describe and discuss prominent characteristics in music, including various musical forms, dynamic levels, and simple meters. In addition, students will learn how to appropriately respond to music, reflected in their abilities to demonstrate appropriate performance etiquette.

Unit 3 Students’ improvisatory skills will be developed through movement and vocal/instrument exploration. Students will continue to learn proper playing techniques on a variety of classroom instruments and will begin to play simple melodies and ostinati on classroom instruments. During this unit, students will also experience songs, dances, and musical games representative of a variety of historical periods and cultures.

Unit 4 Students will be exposed to a variety of composition techniques and cross-curricular connections. At this level, students will begin to compose simple melodic and rhythm patterns using traditional musical notation. Furthermore, through a variety of songs, stories, and other musical activities, students will analyze the real-life connections that can be made between music and other areas of life.

3rd Grade Music Long Range Plans

Unit 1 Students will be introduced to more indepent exercises in singing, including singing canons/rounds and singing with a moving bass or contrasting ostinati. In addition, students will continue to develop their vocal technique. Students will also continue to develop their music literacy skills, learning how to read and notate sixteenth notes, whole notes and whole rests and dotted half notes. A variety of resources that introduce and practice these skills are included.

Unit 2 Students will be challenged to analyze and evaluate a variety of melodic and expressive qualities in music. Through a variety of songs, dances, and listening activities, students should be able to describe and discuss prominent characteristics in music, aurally discerning major/minor tonality, pitch relationships, and various tempos and dynamic levels. In addition, students will learn how to appropriately respond to music, reflected in their abilities to describe and to demonstrate appropriate performance etiquette.

Unit 3 Students’ improvisatory skills will be developed through movement and vocal/instrument exploration. Students will be able to label and classify classroom instruments according to timbre and musical family, and students will learn to play simple melodies and ostinati on classroom instruments. During this unit, students will also experience songs, dances, and musical games representative of a variety of historical periods and cultures.

Unit 4 Students will be exposed to a variety of composition techniques and cross-curricular connections. At this level, students will begin to compose simple melodies, incorporating a variety of note values and using the pitches in the pentatonic scale. Furthermore, through a variety of songs, stories, and other musical activities, students will analyze the real-life connections that can be made between music and other areas of life.

4th Grade Music Long Range Plans

Unit 1 Students will be introduced to part reading on the treble staff. In addition, they will continue to develop their vocal technique by singing songs in a variety of modes. Students will also develop their music literacy skills by reading and notating various melodic and rhythmic patterns on the treble staff, using every pitch in the diatonic scale. In this unit, students should be able to identify each of the line and space notes on the treble staff. A variety of resources that introduce and reinforce these skills are included.

Unit 2 Students will be challenged to analyze and evaluate a variety of melodic and expressive qualities in music. Through a variety of songs, dances, and listening activities, students should be able to describe and discuss prominent melodic, rhythmic, and expressive characteristics in music. In addition, students will learn how to appropriately respond to music, reflected in their abilities to describe their musical preferences.

Unit 3 Students’ improvisatory skills will be developed through movement and vocal/instrument exploration. Students will begin to experiment with a variety of rhythmic, melodic, and chord patterns and will continue to learn simple melodies, accompaniments, and ostinati on classroom instruments. During this unit, students will also experience songs, dances, and musical games representative of a variety of historical periods and cultures.

Unit 4 Students will be exposed to a variety of composition techniques and cross-curricular connections. At this level, students will continue to develop their composition skills, incorporating a variety of note values, timbres, and musical forms to create melodies and rhythm patterns. Furthermore, through a variety of songs, stories, and other musical activities, students will analyze the real-life connections that can be made between music and other areas of life.

5th Grade Music Long Range Plans

Unit 1 In Unit 1 a heavy emphasis is placed on singing in harmony. Students will also sing songs in a variety of modes. In addition, the students’ music literacy skills will continue to develop through the practice of melodic reading and notation in a variety of modes, time signatures, textures. A variety of resources that introduce and reinforce these skills are included.

Unit 2 Students will be challenged to analyze and evaluate a variety of melodic and expressive qualities in music. Through a variety of songs, dances, and listening activities, students should be able to describe and discuss prominent melodic, rhythmic, and expressive characteristics in music. In addition, students will learn how to appropriately respond to music, reflected in their abilities to describe their musical preferences using music vocabulary.

Unit 3 Students’ improvisatory skills will be developed through movement and vocal/instrument exploration. Students will continue to experiment with a variety of rhythmic, melodic, and chord patterns, incorporating found sounds and electronic sounds into their performances. During this unit, students will also experience songs, dances, and musical games representative of a variety of historical periods and cultures.

Unit 4 Students will be exposed to a variety of composition techniques and cross-curricular connections. At this level, students will continue to develop their composition skills, incorporating a variety of tonalities, timbres, and expressive qualities to create music. Furthermore, through a variety of songs, stories, and other musical activities, students will analyze the real-life connections that can be made between music and other areas of life.