Essential Understandings Music Curriculum Essential Understandings

1. The discipline of music provides powerful tools to understand human experiences past and present. 2. Through the process of music making, people learn to respect how others think and express themselves. 3. The process of analyzing, refining and performing music develops problem solving skills which transfer to life situations. 4. Arts have the power to create, shape and reflect cultures.

8. Music is a collaborative art. 5. Music develops decision making skills when no concrete answers are evident. 6. Communicating thoughts and feelings through the performance of music supports a powerful repertoire of self-expression. 7. Exposure to a wide spectrum of musical experiences creates a discerning mindset. 8. Music is a collaborative art.  

Power Standards The student will be able to demonstrate music literacy. The students will be able to sing tunefully and with expression. 

Learning Targets Give students a goal to work toward Help students develop sequential skills at each grade level Provide consistency of learning throughout the district

Kindergarten I can keep the steady beat in my feet. I can demonstrate the four different kinds of voices: speaking, singing, calling and whispering. I can show the rhythm of the words in a song with my hands, while I am singing. I can sing a kindergarten song in a light voice. I can echo a melody my teacher sings.

First Grade I can read and play rhythms using quarter notes, quarter rests, and eighth note pairs. I can sing first grade songs in a light voice. I can decode and sing so and mi with the appropriate hand and body signs. I can stop and start performing with the rest of the class.

Second Grade I can read and play rhythms including quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth note pairs, and half notes. I can match the pitch of my teacher’s voice when he or she sings a short melodic pattern using second grade pitches. I can decode and perform melodies using do-re-mi-so and la. I can perform what happens when I see a repeat sign. I can interpret my teachers cues to start , stop and express music.

Third grade I can read and play rhythms including quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth note pairs, and sixteenth notes. I can sing a third grade song in a light, tuneful voice. I can decode and perform melodies using do-re-mi-so and la. I can use my “musical road signs” to navigate a classroom song. I can interpret my teacher’s conducting cues to create expressive music.

Fourth grade I can decode and play rhythms including quarter notes, quarter rests, eighth notes, sixteenth notes and syncopated rhythms. I can interpret my teacher’s conducting cues to create expressive music. I can read and notate absolute pitch names in the treble or G clef. I can sing a diatonic scale and use appropriate Curwen hand signs.