Grade 5

1st Quarter: start the year learning songs for our Opening School Mass - especially any songs that promote our school theme. We will be using lessons from the Essential Elements Music Class. Our first unit will be on rhythmic ostinatos, distinguishing "beat" from "rhythm", identifying whole, half, quarter, eighth & sixteenth note and rest values. We will also explore the app SongMaker in Chrome Music Lab and apply it to what we have learned.

2nd Quarter: study the music of George Frederich Handel and his famous oratorio, The Messiah (that includes the well-known "Hallelujah Chorus"). Handel was a famous composer from Germany, but made his fame while living in England. We will watch a video titled, "Handel's Last Chance" as Handel makes the adjustment of composing operas to oratorios. Websites we will use are: George Frederick Handel biography from Classics for Kids, George Frideric Handel synopsis from Biography.com, The Glorious History of Handel's Messiah from Smithsonian.com and George Frederick Handel BBC Documentary part 1 of 5.

3rd Quarter: engage the students in a study of gospel music in the African-American tradition. Use examples from our Music Connection book and recordings that include, "Certainly, Lord", "Down By the Riverside" and "Free at Last". Discuss the "call and response" style/form that is prevalent in gospel music and show how it is used in other forms of music. We will also learn about the famous band leader and composer, John Philip Sousa and play a different kind of "March Madness" with the U.S. Marine Corps Band.

4th Quarter: TBD

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