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W. G. Rhea Elementary School

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Music Class Curriculum

Activities and Curriculum

Or. . .

What exactly do you do in this class anyway? 


When you think of school music, what comes to mind? Band? Choir? That's part of it! But school music today is so much more than that. Here at Rhea School, we lay down the foundations for a lifetime of music learning and loving. J

 

The general music classes at Rhea consist of learning and practicing the basic elements of music and sound. The children begin by learning how to keep a steady beat on their very first day to music class in Kindergarten, then they go on to learn other more complicated concepts such as basic music theory by the time they leave in second grade. On any given day, you will find students at Rhea singing fun children's songs, dancing to folk songs from other countries, playing song games, playing classroom instruments, composing simple music, and even just sitting quietly and listening to a classical piece. 

 

The second grade classes perform an annual Christmas show in November or December. The kindergarten performs an annual spring program in April or May. We rehearse for many weeks before these programs to get the music just right for the parents.
All children are involved in some way.   

W. G. Rhea Elementary General Music Curriculum

 

This curriculum was designed to provide administrators, teachers, parents, and students with a detailed statement of the music curricula for grades K, 1, and 2 in the Paris Special School District. It was designed to meet both state and national standards for a music education at the early elementary level.

 

The curriculum assumes that a full time music specialist will be employed. It is to be used as a guide for the current teacher and/or future teacher(s) at Rhea School. For each grade level, there is a list of the basic music criteria. Under each criterion heading, there is a list of several objectives to be taught during the specified grade level. 

  • The following objectives represent the music concepts and skills that Rhea students will know upon entering third grade.

    Students will:

    1. be able to perform steady beat to a variety of songs in a variety of tempos.
    2. be able to discern if a song is in duple or triple meter.
    3. be able to discern between the melodic rhythm and the beat of a variety of songs.
    4. be able to identify and notate quarter, half, whole, and beamed eight notes.
    5. be able to identify quarter, half, and whole rests.
    6. be able to identify and notate songs in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meters.
    7. be able to identify and notate the treble clef, staff, and notes from middle c to f5.
    8. be able to sing in tune.
    9. be able to perform the solfege Curwen hand signs do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, and do ' .
    10. be able to distinguish between male, female, and child's voices.
    11. be able to distinguish between the four instrument families both visually and aurally.
    12. be able to identify simple AB patterns in a variety of songs.
    13. be able to identify and articulate a variety of musical expressions including loud/soft, long/short sounds, and legato/staccato.
    14. be able to sing in a variety of keys and tonalities including major, minor, and pentatonic.
    15. be able to correctly play all classroom pitched and non-pitched percussion instruments.
    16. begin to develop a value of a diverse selection of music including, but not limited to, patriotic, folk, classical, ethnic, jazz, and popular.
     

  • I. RHYTHM

    1. The students will develop skill in reproducing steady beat in a variety of songs and rhythmic exercises. 
    2. The students will reproduce long and short sounds and pitches in a variety of rhythmic exercises and songs. 
    3. The students will compose short rhythmic patterns that represent long and short sounds. 
    4. The students will echo short simple rhythmic patterns in a variety of exercises. 
    5. The students will recognize iconic representations of simple rhythmic patterns, which include stick notation for quarter and beamed eighth notes, and quarter rests in a variety of songs and rhythmic exercises. 
    6. The students will recognize likenesses and differences in simple rhythmic patterns in a variety of exercises and songs, and will demonstrate these through movement, answering questions about, and describing aural examples. 
    7. The students will distinguish between fast and slow tempos in a variety of songs. 
    8. The students will distinguish between tempos that are getting faster or slower in a variety of songs. 

    II. MELODY

    1. The students will distinguish between high and low nontraditional sounds available in a variety of environments including, but not limited to the classroom, the city, the farm, the body, and electronics. 
    2. The students will distinguish between high and low pitches in a variety of melodic exercises and songs. 
    3. The students will reproduce long and short sounds and pitches in a variety of melodic exercises and songs. 
    4. The students will recognize iconic representations of simple melodic patterns by using simple dot and line notation with solfege syllables in a variety or melodic exercises and songs. 
    5. The students will recognize likenesses and differences in simple melodic patterns and will demonstrate these by answering questions about and describing aural examples in a variety of songs. 
    6. The students will improvise vocally short song fragments in answer to simple musical questions. 

    III. APPLIED

    1. The students will develop correct singing techniques including correct posture and breathing. 
    2. The students will develop their singing skills using their correct head voices in a variety of songs. 
    3. The students will develop the ability to sing in tune a variety of songs in a variety of keys. 
    4. The students will develop a sense of audiation (inner hearing) and demonstrate it through a variety of exercises. 
    5. The students will correctly perform solfege Curwen hand signs so and mi in a variety of melodic songs and exercises. 
    6. The students will correctly play all classroom rhythm instruments. 
    7. The students will sing from memory repetitive, narrow-range, linguistically simple songs representing genres and styles from diverse cultures. 
    8. The students will develop skill in singing repetitive, narrow-range, rhythmically simple songs. 

     

    IV. TEXTURE

    1. The students will demonstrate an aural understanding of the difference between a sound that occurs alone, and sounds that occur simultaneously. 
    2. The students will recognize the presence or absence of sound through a variety of exercises. 

    V. STYLE

    1. The students will use simple folk songs and dances/games to relate music to geography.

     

    VI. FORM

    1. The students will demonstrate an aural understanding of beginnings and endings of musical compositions. 

     

    VII. EXPRESSION

    1. The students will distinguish between loud and soft dynamics in a variety of songs. 

    VIII. HARMONY

    1. The students will sing a variety of songs in major and pentatonic tonalities. 

    IX. TIMBRE

    1. The students will recognize the differences in tone colors of voices and classroom instruments in a variety of songs and exercises. 
    2. The students will recognize the differences between familiar lullabies and marches. 
     

  • The first grade music curriculum will review and develop all skills and concepts studied in kindergarten as well as the following:

    I. Rhythm

    1. The students will demonstrate steady beat with their bodies and classroom instruments in a variety of songs. 
    2. The students will recognize symbols that represent beat and rhythmic patterns in a variety of exercises and songs. 
    3. The students will recognize and notate whole, quarter, and beamed eighth notes in the music being studied. 
    4. The students will aurally recognize recurring patterns in familiar songs. 
    5. The students will aurally recognize long and short sounds and pitches in a variety of songs. 

    II. Melody

    1. The students will aurally recognize ascending and descending melodies in a variety of songs. 
    2. The students will improvise ascending and descending melodies with their voices and with classroom instruments. 
    3. The students will create musical sounds to accompany a variety of stories. 

     

    III. Applied

    1. The students will continue to develop correct singing techniques including posture and breathing. 
    2. The students will continue to develop singing using the correct head voice in a variety of songs. 
    3. The students will sing in tune a variety of songs in a variety of keys. 
    4. The students will continue to develop audiation (inner hearing) and demonstrate it through a variety of songs and exercises. 
    5. The students will correctly play all classroom instruments. 
    6. The students will perform solfege Curwen hand signs do, mi, so, and do' in a variety of melodic exercises and songs. 

     

    IV. Texture

    1. The students will aurally recognize the difference between melody alone and melody with accompaniment in a variety of exercises and songs. 

     

    V. Style

    1. The students will aurally recognize familiar songs of different cultures including, but not limited to Africa, Asia, Mexico, and the United States. 

     

    VI.            Form

    1. The students will aurally and visually recognize same and different sections in familiar pieces of music. 

     

    VI.            Expression

    1. The students will aurally recognize the differences in mood of various contrasting familiar pieces of music. 

     

    VIII. Harmony

    1. The students will sing in major, minor, and pentatonic tonalities in a variety of songs. 
    2. The student will develop skill in playing simple accompaniment patterns while simple melodies are sung. 
     

  • I. Rhythm

    1. The students will demonstrate steady beat with their bodies and on instruments in a variety of songs. 
    2. The students will distinguish between steady beat vs. no beat in the music being studied. 
    3. The students will demonstrate melodic rhythm with their bodies and on instruments in a variety of songs. 
    4. The students will distinguish between the pulse of the music and the rhythm of the words of the music being studied. 
    5. The students will demonstrate the macro beat of the songs being studied with their bodies and on instruments. 
    6. The students will demonstrate the micro beat of the songs being studied with their bodies and on instruments. 
    7. The students will demonstrate an understanding of rhythm patterns by moving in a variety of ways. 
    8. The students will notate quarter, half, whole, and beamed eighth notes. 
    9. The students will visually recognize quarter, half, whole, and beamed eighth notes in the music being studied. 
    10. The students will visually recognize quarter, half, and whole rests in the music being studied. 
    11. The students will visually recognize 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 time signatures in the music being studied. 
    12. The students will correctly compose short rhythm patterns in 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 meters. 
    13. The students will correctly identify and distinguish between duple and triple meters in the music being studied. 

    II. Melody

    1. The students will distinguish between high and low nontraditional sounds available in a variety of environments including, but not limited to the classroom, the city, the farm, the body, and electronics. 
    2. The students will distinguish between high and low pitches in a variety of songs. 
    3. The students will distinguish between high/low, ascending/descending, and steps/skips in a variety of songs. 
    4. The students will distinguish between ascending and descending melodies in a variety of songs. 
    5. The students will distinguish between stepwise and skipwise melodies in a variety of songs. 
    6. The students will identify which voice (male, female, or child) is singing the melody in a variety of songs. 
    7. The students will improvise short melodies on instruments and with their voices in a variety of pentatonic songs. 
    8. The students will identify both "question" and "answer" phrases in a variety of songs. 
    9. The students will improvise and "answer" phrases to a variety of "question" phrases on instruments and with their voices. 
    10. The students will identify, read, and notate the treble clef, staff, and middle C up to F4 in a variety of simple songs. 

    III. Applied

    1. The students will demonstrate correct posture when singing and playing instruments. 
    2. The students will correctly play all classroom rhythm instruments. 
    3. The students will develop correct breathing techniques when singing a variety of songs. 
    4. The students will sing using their head voices in a variety of songs. 
    5. The students will sing in tune in a variety of songs in a variety of keys. 
    6. The students will develop a sense of audiation (inner hearing) and demonstrate it through a variety of exercises. 
    7. The students will correctly perform all solfege Curwen hand signs in a variety of melodic exercises and songs. 

    IV. Texture

    1. The students will distinguish between acapella and accompanied songs. 
    2. The students will correctly identify the voices of soprano, alto, tenor, and bass in a variety of songs. 
    3. The students will correctly identify the four instrument families (percussion, woodwind, brass, and strings) by sight. 
    4. The students will distinguish between solo and ensemble in a variety of songs. 
    5. The students will distinguish between a marching band, a concert band, and an orchestra by sight. 

     

    V. Style

     

    1. The students will identify pieces from The Nutcracker Suite by Tchaikovsky, Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saens, and Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev by using skills developed throughout the year. 
    2. The students will begin to develop a value of many kids of music including patriotic, folk, classical, ethnic, jazz, and popular music by listening to and studying about a variety of songs in each of these styles. 

     

    VI. Form

    1. The students will distinguish between antecedent and consequent phrases in a variety of songs. 
    2. The students will identify simple AB patterns in a variety of songs. 
    3. The students will correctly identify verse and refrain both aurally and orally in a variety of songs. 

     

    VII. Expression

    1. The students will distinguish between fast and slow tempos by determining the speed of the steady beat in a variety of songs. 
    2. The students will determine if the tempo is accelerando or ritardando in a variety of songs. 
    3. The students will distinguish between loud and soft volumes in a variety of songs. 
    4. The students will distinguish between music that is in crescendo or diminuendo in a variety of songs. 
    5. The students will identify the following dynamic terms both visually, aurally, and orally: p, f, and mf.
    6. The students will distinguish between long and short sounds and pitches in a variety of musical listening examples and songs. 
    7. The students will identify and demonstrate staccato and legato phrases in a variety of songs both visually, aurally, and orally. 

    VIII. Harmony

    1. The students will sing a variety of songs in major, minor, and pentatonic tonalities. 
    2. The students will improvise harmonies on classroom pitched percussion instruments in simple pentatonic and major songs. 

    IX. Timbre

    1. The students will aurally identify different instrument of the orchestra. 
    2. The students will aurally identify the four main choral voice parts: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. 
    3. The students will demonstrate an understanding of the science of sound including sound vibration and low/high sounds in relation to the length of the instrument.