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Music Curriculum
Keysor Elementary School
Music Curriculum Outline
The musical activities we will be focusing on this year in music class include: singing, playing instruments, composing music, listening to music, and moving to music. All of these activities fulfill the National Standards for Music Education, the Missouri Show-Me Standards for Fine Arts, and are written into our school district's music curriculum.
Kindergarten:
An atmosphere will be created to encourage spontaneous solo and group singing. The musical skills and concepts will be reinforced through the use of pitched and unpitched instruments, body percussion, and movement. An awareness of music vocabulary, sound effects vocabulary, and appreciation of the expressive qualities of music through whole language will be cultivated. Attention to steady beat, melodic direction, simple notation, and tempo will be directed in all singing, instrument, movement, and listening activities. Students will be acquainted with a variety of music and its role in societies.
First Grade:
An atmosphere will be created to encourage spontaneous solo and group singing. Familiarity with body percussion and pitched and unpitched instruments will enable students to produce and identify simple melodies and patterns to aid in ear training, performing an ostinato, enhancing poetry, and listening to compositions. There will be an expansion of music vocabulary and notation taught through song, poetry and listening experiences. Attention to steady beat, melodic direction, simple rhythmic and melodic notation, and tempo will be directed in all singing and listening activities. Students will be developing their traditional repertoire and positive musical attitude while responding to and performing a variety of multicultural and traditional selections. The winter program acquaints children with appropriate performance behaviors, the skills of following a conductor, appropriate movements and facial expressions to be used in public performance, and the experience of singing in an ensemble.
Second Grade:
Each student has use of a music textbook and is expected to sight-read stepwise and skipwise melodic patterns with varied rhythmic notation in addition to learning by rote modeling. Students are learning more about the performance of their basic folk, patriotic, and multicultural repertoire by giving careful attention to accuracy, good diction, mood and meaning of the text. Time is taken with voice and instruments for two-part rounds, descants, and improvisation eclectically implemented through the methods of Orff, Kodaly, and Dalcroze. The winter program acquaints children with appropriate performance behaviors, the skills of following a conductor, appropriate movements and facial expressions to be used in public performance, and the experience of singing in an ensemble.
Third Grade:
The third grade student will be utilizing a greater repertoire, more experienced ear, and increased sight-reading skills. Greater emphasis is directed toward aurally identifying with the tonic, or "home tone", hearing harmony, utilizing the meter signature and conducting in simple meters. The barred instruments (glockenspiels, xylophones, and metallaphones) are introduced with greater skill requirements. Recognition and classification of voices and instruments is continued through listening lessons. Skills are enriched through movement games, instruments, ensembles and individual performance. Students' study of orchestral instruments is reinforced with a field trip to Powell Symphony Hall for a concert.
Fourth Grade:
Fourth grade students are expected to be familiar with and portray a degree of competency regarding the musical note reading requirements of two-part singing (rounds, partner songs, ostinati, and descants). An emphasis will be placed on tone production and intonation during ensemble singing. The soprano recorder will be introduced and added to the playing of barred instruments. Students will learn to make music expressively and interpret different selections. Students will be familiar with simple forms, traditional folk dancing, and improvisation. Students will express positive association with the arts in everyday life experiences.
Fifth Grade:
Fifth grade students are expected to be familiar with and portray a degree of competency regarding the musical note reading requirements of three-part singing (rounds, part songs, ostinati, and descants). They will continue to make music expressively and participate in ensemble singing. An emphasis will be placed on tone production and intonation during ensemble singing. Students will become familiar with orchestral forms, traditional folk dancing, composing, and improvisation. Emphasis will be placed upon displaying competencies for leadership in musical activities. Students will demonstrate proficiency in their understanding of musical history, musical styles, and the value of music.Grade Cards:
All Keysor Learners will receive grades in music class at the end of the Second and Fourth Quarters. It is our goal to have each child reach a 3 (Meeting Grade Level Expectations) in each area by the end of the school year. For a description of the music grade card criteria for your child's grade level, see the link below:
Music Grade Cards K-5 (pdf, 45.18KB)
The National Standards for Arts Education - Music Content Standards:
1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines
5. Reading and notating music
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
7. Evaluating music and music performances
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.