Scope and Sequence
Unit 1: Music & Me - Self-Expression
All About Me
Students fill out this worksheet which is a brief reflection of their musical interest. While doing so, the teacher plays their personal playlist so that students get a sense of their teacher's music taste.
EU: Individuals selection of musical works is influenced by their interests, experiences, understandings, and purposes.
EQ: How do individuals choose music to experience?
Bop or Flop?
Students listen to selected music and move on one side of the room if they like the song and to the other song if they don't like the song. They will share why they do or don't like the song with someone next to them. Can be done with pre-selected songs or with class playlist
EU: The personal evaluation of musical works and performances is informed by analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.
EQ: How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performance(s)?
Find Someone Who...
Students follow the prompts on this worksheet and tries to find at least one person in the classroom who can be in each category. This encourages community building and rapport.
EU: Understanding connections to varied contexts and daily life enhances musicians' creating, performing, and responding.
EQ: How do other arts, disciplines, contexts, and daily life inform creating, performing, and responding to music?
Personal Playlist
Students explore why we make playlists and sites they can use to create them. Each student then creates a playlist that represents themselves and explains why they choose the songs on their playlist.
EU: Musicians connect their personal interests, ideas, and knowledge to creating, performing, and responding.
EQ: How do musicians make meaningful connections to creating, performing, and responding?
Unit 2: Music & Us - Connection & Collaboration
Class Playlist/Listening Journal
Students pick one song from their personal playlist to add to a class playlist. Each student listens to one song that they are unfamiliar with and keep a listening log similar to this one.
EU: Individuals selection of musical works is influenced by their interests, experiences, understandings, and purposes.
EQ: How do individuals choose music to experience?
Body Percussion
Establish two different patterns, and make sure everyone can follow them. Split the group into two and exchange the patterns between the groups at the same time.
EU: The creative ideas, concepts, and feelings, that influence musicians' work come from a variety of sources.
EQ: How do musicians generate creative ideas?
Guess the Leader
One person exits the room while another is chosen to be the leader. Upon their return, the leader subtly changes a rhythm pattern for the group and the investigator has to guess who is leading the circle.
EU: Musicians' creative choices are influenced by their expertise, context, and expressive intent.
EQ: How do musicians make creative decisions?
My Name is a Song
Students read the book My Name is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow. Students discuss the book, and the importance and power of names. Students choose classroom instruments and create a composition based on their names. Students share their work with a partner or the class.
EU: Musicians' presentation of creative work is the culmination of a process of creation and communication.
EQ: When is creative work ready to share?
Unit 3: Music Always - Beyond These Walls
Chrome Music Lab Exploration
Students are introduced to Chome Music Lab. Rather than a tutorial on each page, they are given free range to explore and create. Teacher shows them how to save files and assists as needed.
EU: The creative ideas, concepts, and feelings, that influence musicians' work come from a variety of sources.
EQ: How do musicians generate creative ideas?
Incredibox
Students will pick a track and form a song with the samples present in the track. As a class, we will collaborate and share ideas on what makes a good song. Students will record their own songs through this program and present them to the class.
EU: Musicians' presentation of creative work is the culmination of a process of creation and communication.
EQ: When is creative work ready to share?
The Listening Walk
Students read the book The Listening Walk and go on one as a class. They define music and explore how sounds around them can be used in music. They create a composition based on this experience and share with the class.
EU: Understanding connections to varied contexts and daily life enhances musicians' creating, performing, and responding.
EQ: How do other arts, disciplines, contexts, and daily life inform creating, performing, and responding to music?