Second Grade Music - Units and Learning Targets

Unit 1Rhythm – Ongoing

Essential Question: How is sound organized to make music? How is the beat divided? How is time represented in music?

Learning Targets

1.Students will understand the difference between a steady beat and rhythm(B.4.1)

2.Students will understand groupings of beats (E.4.1)

3.Students will read, write and echo rhythmic phrases using two eighth notes, quarter notes, quarter rests, half notes and half rests (C.4.5)

Unit 2Melody - Ongoing

Essential Question: How is melody created? How can I read and perform tonal notation?

Learning Targets

1.Students will identify melodic phrases that move upward, downward and stay the same(E.4.7, F.4.1)

2.Students will identify treble clef lines and spaces (E.4.4)

3.Students will read, write and match pitch using known solfege notes (A.4.6, E.4.2)

4.Students will sing with melodic and rhythmic accuracy (A.4.1, A.4.7)

Unit 3Harmony - Ongoing

Essential Question: What ways can we create harmony? How does singing in groups/parts improve my own singing?

Learning Targets

  1. Students will identify and perform rounds and canons (A.4.4)
  2. Students will perform broken borduns on xylophones and metallophones (B.4.2, B.4.9)

Unit 4Tone Color/Timbre - Ongoing

Essential Question: Why does each voice and instrument have its own timbre/tone color? How can I identify each instrument?

Learning Targets

  1. Students will identify selected orchestral instruments(F.4.4, F.4.5, F.4.7)
  2. Students will create simple songs using found sounds, variations on instruments and body sounds (C.4.4, D.4.3)
  3. Students will use sound effects to enhance a story or dramatization (D.4.4)

Unit 5Form - Ongoing

Essential Question: What is musical form? How can I recognize different musical phrases and themes?

Learning Targets

  1. Students will understand and use question/answer and ABA form (F.4.1, F.4.2, F.4.8)
  2. Students will perform rounds and canons (A.4.4)

Unit 6Expression - Ongoing

Essential Question: What music symbols are used to show dynamic markings? How does the use of dynamics create emotion in music?

Learning Targets

  1. Students will understand and use piano and forte dynamics (A.4.2, E.4.3, E.4.7)
  2. Students will understand and use crescendo and decrescendo (A.4.2, E.4.3, E.4.7)
  3. Students will listen to and respond to the mood of a musical composition emotionally and kinesthetically (high and low sounds, fast/slow tempi, loud/quiet dynamics, up/down melodic movement, sound and silence, mood style characteristics (E.4.3, F.4.6)

Unit 7History/Style - Ongoing

Essential Question: How does music communicate? How do music and history influence each other?

Learning Targets

  1. Students will listen to and participate in songs, musical games and dances from a variety of cultures (A.4.3, B.4.3, F.4.3, I.4.2, I.4.3, I.4.5)
  2. Students will identify how music connects with other subject areas (H.4.1, H.4.2)

Unit 8Composition/Performance - Ongoing

Essential Question: What makes a significant and meaningful performance? How do I write down my musical ideas?

Learning Targets

  1. Students will sing songs with acceptable tone quality, pitch and expression (A.4.1)
  2. Students will respond to conductor’s cues while singing in an ensemble setting (A.4.5)
  3. Students will demonstrate appropriate audience and performance behaviors (I.4.1)
  4. Students will create compositions using symbols (E.4.5)
  5. Students will be able to articulate positives and areas of improvement of their and others performance (G.4.3)

Terms to Know and Use:

beatrhythmroundcanon

question/answerfortepianocrescendo

decrescendoABApitch