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HELLO MACS FAMILIES!
I am Sara Teasley, the Arts teacher at MACS. Please reach out to me with any questions you may have about our arts program. I would love to connect with you and help in any way I can!
ARTS classes are taught in 3-4 week blocks, alternating art and music blocks. See the full calendar on our home page.
ARTS classes are taught in 3-4 week blocks, alternating art and music blocks. See the full calendar on our home page.
How is music taught at MACS?
How is music taught at MACS?
Our music program incorporates the Musicplay curriculum, which introduces students to a wide range of music from all over the world and incorporates music-based games as well. Additionally, 3rd, 4th and 5th graders will be working with Flat for Education, which is a new, innovative teaching and learning platform that allows students to discover and author musical language, experience the sounds of numerous orchestral and non-traditional instruments, and compose and share their own musical scores.
Students have opportunities to perform for a live audience at our Veterans Day/Founders Day Celebration as well as in our School Talent Show (grades 3-5)
Orff arrangements (with vocals and pitched and unpitched percussion instruments.) are incorporated in music classes and all grade levels throughout the year.
All grade levels participate in movement- based musical activities, such as choreographed dance, body percussion, high/low movements that correspond to musical scores, interactive movement-based musical videos, freeze-dancing, responding with props, etc.
All grade levels participate in Music Workshop activities that provide deep dives into a variety of specific areas of music, such as Instruments of Southeast Asia, Country Music, Broadway Musicals, Voice, and Classical Music, to name a few.
3rd-4th graders are encouraged to participate in Recorder Karate, a self-paced voluntary program that supplements our music classes.
What is Orff?
What is Orff?
Also known as Orff-Schulwerk, Orff refers to a specific approach to music education developed by Carl Orff during the 1920s, which combines music, speech, movement, and drama into music lessons that are very similar to the way a child plays naturally. The term “Schulwerk” is German for schoolwork. Most of the time, when someone says Orff, they are referring to the Orff-Schulwerk approach to music education. The fundamental principle of the Orff approach is the idea that children can learn music the same way they learn language. Carl Orff believed that just as every child learns their language without formal instruction, they can learn music using a gentle and friendly approach. It is often referred to as a “child-centered way of learning”.
The instruments associated with Orff-Schulwerk instruction are bells, chimes, glockenspiels, metallophones, xylophones, and timpani. Carl Orff believed that percussive rhythm instruments like this are the most natural and basic form of human expression. The music played on Orff instruments is often very simple and designed for first-time musicians. The Orff approach also has children sing, clap, dance, and snap their fingers along with the melodies and rhythms.
(Source: westmusic.com)
How are students graded in music class?
How are students graded in music class?
Students are graded based on the quality of their participation. Creative learning happens best when the learner actively participates in the lesson. Active student participation demonstrates learning through observable behaviors that reflect the student’s level of effort and/or extent of their comprehension of the instructional content.
The student’s quarterly grade reflects formative assessments of student engagement that occur throughout the marking period: I am looking for active and respectful engagement during the opening of class and lesson, during musical activities and games, and during practices and performances.
The students' quarterly grade is averaged from the total participation points they earned in each class attended.
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