MILLSTONE TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT MUSIC CURRICULUM GRADE: FIRST First Grade Unit of Study: Pitch Unit Overview: Students in first grade will begin to explore melody creation through high/low/patterns of solfege. They will explore singing and creating using patterns. Pacing: Enduring Understandings: Essential Questions: It is important to understand the elements of music Music has been influenced by society through history and across cultures Musical performance is significant and meaningful Music has value How can various degrees of high, medium and low pitch be used to create music? What other questions would you want the students to think about during this unit Objectives/Teaching Points: Recognize high vs. low pitch Produce a singing voice Use different registers of the voice Demonstrate vocal control when exploring various dynamics Use patterns involving solfege do, re, mi, so, la Grade Level Standards: 1.1.2.B1 Explore the elements of music through verbal and written responses to diverse aural prompts and printed scores. 1.3.2.B1 Clap, sing, or play on pitch from basic notation in the treble clef, with consideration of pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and tempo. 1.3.2.B2 Demonstrate developmentally appropriate vocal production/vocal placement and breathing technique. Learning Experiences: Use manipulatives to show high vs. low Handsigns for various solfege pattern (Explain) Manipulatives of solfege notes to create Assessments: Student performance Student creations using manipulatives Student notation
original compositions.(explain) Explain the assessment pieces a little more Suggested Resources: Student Materials: manipulatives such as scarves, student creation worksheets Teaching Materials/Resources: Stereo CD s Digital recorder Teacher generated rubric/critique Internet Resources
First Grade of Study: Rhythm Unit Overview: Students will expand on the differences between steady beat and rhythm. They will use picture notation to identify and create various rhythm patterns. Pacing: Enduring Understandings: Essential Questions: It is important to understand the elements of music Music has been influenced by society through history and across cultures Musical performance is significant and meaningful Music has value What is rhythm? How can we communicate rhythm with pictures? Objectives/Teaching Points: Speak syllables of quarter notes and eighth notes Keep a steady beat Recognize and play patterns Learning Experiences: Explain the experiences a little more Play rhythms that echo Group composition Switch from steady beat to improvisation Switch from steady beat to rhythm of a melody Stick games Body Rhythm Rhythmic Syllables reading with music Grade Level Standards: 1.1.2.B2 Identify musical elements in response to diverse aural prompts, such as rhythm, timbre, dynamics, form, and melody. 1.3.2.B1 Clap, sing, or play on pitch from basic notation in the treble clef, with consideration of pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and tempo. 1.3.2.B5 Improvise short tonal and rhythmic patterns over ostinatos, and modify melodic or rhythmic patterns using selected notes and/or scales to create expressive ideas. Assessments: Student performance Student picture notation Give more detail about assessment pieces Suggested Resources:
Student Materials: picture notation sheets, picture composition sheets Teaching Materials/Resources: Stereo CD s Digital recorder Teacher generated rubric/critique Internet Resources
First Grade Unit of Study: Vocal Development Unit Overview: Students will learn how to use their singing voice in a way that is developmentally appropriate. The unit will accumulate with a performance for parents. Pacing: Enduring Understandings: Essential Questions: It is important to understand the elements of music Music has been influenced by society through history and across cultures Musical performance is significant and meaningful Music has value Objectives/Teaching Points: Produce a singing voice vs. a speaking voice Use different registers of the voice Demonstrate vocal control when exploring various dynamics Learning Experiences: Learning songs of various singing styles and tempos Demonstrating how to act in front of an audience Playing various classroom instruments while singing. How does singing express what we re feelling? How has singing played an important part in our history? Grade Level Standards: 1.1.2.B2 Identify musical elements in response to diverse aural prompts, such as rhythm, timbre, dynamics, form, and melody. 1.3.2.B4 Vocalize the home tone of familiar and unfamiliar songs, and demonstrate appropriate posture and breathing technique while performing songs, rounds, or canons in unison and with a partner. 1.4.2.B3 Recognize the making subject or theme in works of dance, music, theatre, and visual art. Assessments: Student performance Explain in more detail Suggested Resources: Student Materials: song lyric sheets, classroom instruments Teaching Materials/Resources:
Stereo CD s Digital recorder Teacher generated rubric/critique Internet Resources
First Grade Unit of Study: Instrument Families Unit Overview: Students will learn about how instruments are grouped together in families. The emphasis will not be on individual instruments, but how groups of them are related to each other. Pacing: Enduring Understandings: Essential Questions: It is important to understand the elements of music Music has been influenced by society through history and across cultures Musical performance is significant and meaningful Music has value How to instrument families resemble human families? What characteristics are shared in an instrument family? How does each instrument family make sound? Objectives/Teaching Points: Compare and contrast instrument families to be able to recognize one family from another. Compare and contrast instruments within a family to see what makes them alike and difference. Explore how sounds are produced. Explore the physical mechanisms of the instruments. Learning Experiences: Instrument petting zoo - students will get to touch instruments of the families, including seeing the inside of the piano Peter and the Wolf Listening map Elmo s Peter and the Wolf (Explain) Students will use picture cards to group together instruments Grade Level Standards: 1.1.2.B2 Identify musical elements in response to diverse aural prompts, such as rhythm, timbre, dynamics, form, and melody. 1.3.2.B.3 Demonstrate correct playing techniques for Orff instruments or equivalent homemade instruments. Assessments: Nearpod assessment app during petting zoo Any listening map assessment or picture card assessment?
Suggested Resources: Student Materials: listening map, ipad for Nearpod assessment, instruments for hands on experiences Teaching Materials/Resources: Stereo CD s Internet Resources
First Grade Unit of Study: American Music History Unit Overview: Students will learn about songs that have played an important part of our American music heritage. Students will learn about historical events and how music has been used to record those events for generations. Pacing: Enduring Understandings: Essential Questions: It is important to understand the elements of music Music has been influenced by society through history and across cultures Musical performance is significant and meaningful Music has value How has music helped to preserve our American heritage? What other questions would you want the students thinking about during this unit? Objectives/Teaching Points: Look at pictures of historical sites, such as Fort McHenry, that relate to the songs. Hear stories of the historical events that the songs are based on The above two would be Learning Experiences. Think of two to three objectives for unit and then move the above down under Learning Experiences Grade Level Standards: 1.4.2.B.3 Recognize the making subject or theme in works of dance, music, theatre, and visual art. 9.1.4.A.5 Apply critical thinking and problemsolving skills in classroom and family settings 1.2 History of the Arts and Culture: All students will understand the role, development, and influence of the arts throughout history and across cultures. Learning Experiences: Singing various songs from different time periods in American history Learning performance choreography for the songs Suggested Resources: Assessments: Student performance Need more detail for assessment Commented [1]: Doreen, Look at my red comments throughout and you can probably knock them out in 20 minutes. you just need more explanation under some areas.
Student Materials: song lyrics Teaching Materials/Resources: Stereo CD s Teacher generated rubric/critique Internet Resources