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Unit 1: South America
In this unit, students will increase their knowledge and understanding of meters in 2, 3, 4, and 6 through the music, songs and literature from or inspired by the cultures and traditions of South America. Students will improve their ability to sight-read simple melodies through singing and/or recording playing. Students will begin to compare and contrast functions music serves, roles of musicians, and conditions under which music is typically performed in several cultures throughout the world.
Unit 2: Africa
In this unit students will explore form, harmony and rhythm through songs, dances, musical games, instruments and folklore from various parts of Africa. At the end of the unit, students will learn African drumming techniques and authentic rhythmic patterns. Students will combine these rhythm patterns with their own to create a hand drum rondo with movement.
Unit 3: Europe
In this unit, students will travel through time as they learn about Western musical styles and composers from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras. Students will listen and respond to Handel’s Water Music Suite, a string quartet by Haydn, selections from Mozart’s opera, The Magic Flute, and an overture by Brahms. Students will learn about Impressionism and representative music and art from France. Lastly, students will explore Eastern European traditions, through various folk songs and dances and the works of Stravinsky. By the end of this unit, students will be able to classify by genre and style and, by historical period, a varied body of exemplary musical works and explain the characteristics that cause each work to be considered exemplary in quality and characteristic.
Unit 4: Asia
This unit will expand upon students’ understanding of the pentatonic scale. Students will learn about Japan through a selection of songs and poetry. Students will write their own haiku and set it to a pentatonic melody using standard notation to record their musical ideas. Students will also discuss music and instruments representative of China. Students will learn about countermelodies and descants, and will demonstrate their ability to perform independent instrumental parts while other students sing or play contrasting parts. At the culmination of the unit, students will compose a short piece based on a Chinese fable of their choice. This short composition will demonstrate the students’ understanding of how the elements of music are used to achieve unity and variety, tension and release, and balance.
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