Music Curriculum
Northern Illinois District
Grade 8
XXV. Elements of the Arts (Music Theory – Listening/ Describing)
State Goal: Know the language of the arts.
Why This Goal Is Important: Through observation, discussion, interpretation and analysis,
students learn the “language” of the arts. They learn to understand how others express ideas in
dance, drama, music and visual art forms. In addition to acquiring knowledge essential to
performance and production, students become arts consumers (e.g., attending live performances
or movies, purchasing paintings or jewelry, or visiting museums) who understand the basic
elements and principles underlying artworks and are able to critique them.
Learning Standard A: Understand the sensory elements, organizational principles, and
expressive qualities of the arts.
Sensory elements
Objective 1:
Objective 2:
Objective 3:
Objective 4:
Identify and label different dynamic levels
Hear, identify, and perform syncopation
Identify and perform rhythmic/melodic ostinatos
Hear and identify vocal timbre (soprano, alto, tenor, bass)
Organizational principles (Formal/ technical elements)
Objective 5: Conduct simple patterns in meter of 2, 3, and 4
Objective 6: Hear, identify, and perform triplets
Objective 7: Hear, identify, and sing major/minor scales
Objective 8: Identify whole/half step structure of major/minor scales
Objective 9: Hear and identify the chromatic scale
Objective 10: Explain the concept of chordal harmony and the construction of triads
Objective 11: Hear and identify harmony in parallel thirds/sixths
Objective 12: Hear and identify chords and progressions in major/minor (I, IV, V, i, iv)
Expressive qualities
Objective 13: Discuss the concept of mood and expression and apply these ideas to specific
pieces of music
Objective 14: Hear, identify, and sing musical forms (including canon)
Objective 15: Compare/contrast polyphony/homophony
Changes in elements and expressive qualities
Objective 16: Recognize the effect of tempo change regarding musical expression
Objective 17: Recognize the use of composite forms
Learning Standard B: Understand the similarities, distinctions, and connections in and among
the arts.
Characteristics of musical styles
Objective 1: Recognize and identify acapella/accompanied
Objective 2: View and/or participate in a musical production or worship service
Similarities, contrasts, and relationships between music and the other fine arts
Objective 3: Compare and contrast music with visual art of the same and different periods
Objective 4: Compare and contrast musical and poetical form
Objective 5: Discuss how music, dance, and drama work together
Objective 6: Create and produce an original chancel drama/worship experience that conveys a
theological idea using music, visual art, and drama
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XXVI. Performance of the Arts (Applied Music – Creating/ Reading/ Performing)
State Goal: Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced.
Why This Goal Is Important: Students acquire skills to produce and perform dance, drama,
music and visual art. They learn to use media, tools and technologies. They learn to shape ideas
and emotions into sounds, images and actions. As students create and perform their own
artworks and review the works of others, they become more imaginative, strengthen their
problem-solving skills and learn to respond to the creativity of others. Creating and performing
are at the core of the fine arts. Students also learn about the role of the artist (e.g., dancer,
painter, actor, director, scriptwriter, musician).
Learning Standard A: Understand processes, traditional tools, and modern technologies used in
the arts.
Processes used to create solo, ensemble, and choral music
Objective 1: Evaluate the effectiveness and performance of a performer, conductor, and
ensemble
Objective 2: Evaluate the conductors’ and/or performers’ interpretation of a piece in a
performance
Instrumental and electronic music
Objective 3: Compare and contrast sounds of instruments and how they are produced from
different cultures
Use of musical notation
Objective 4: Sight-read simple melodies and rhythms
Objective 5: Use standard notation to record/write musical ideas
Learning Standard B: Apply skills and knowledge necessary to create and perform in one or
more of the arts.
Musical performance techniques
Objective 1: Sing or play music accurately, reading standard music notation; on pitch; in
rhythm; maintaining a steady tempo; using appropriate volume; demonstrating breath control;
demonstrating proper singing and/or playing technique; and demonstrating proper
articulations/diction
Objective 2: Sing from “All God’s People Sing” hymnal
Objective 3: Sing songs appropriate to the seasons of the Church year for performance at
worship service
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Vocal or instrumental writing and improvisational techniques
Objective 4: Improvise original melodies
Objective 5: Compose or arrange vocal and/or instrumental songs within specific guidelines and
style and demonstrating creativity and technical skill
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XXVII. The History and Application of the Arts (Music Appreciation)
State Goal: Understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present.
Why This Goal Is Important: The arts are a record of civilizations, past and present. Artists are
influenced by—and influence—the times and places in which they live and work. As students
learn through the arts about people and civilizations, they learn about others and themselves.
Also, students learn about careers related to this goal (e.g., animator, curator, art historian, sound
technician).
Learning Standard A: Analyze how the arts function in history, society, and everyday life.
Roles of artists and audiences
Objective 1: Learn how music is produced (field trip- visit studio, speaker)
Influence of music on societies, civilizations, cultures, and the church
Objective 2: Evaluate the way music is used to inform and persuade through traditional and
contemporary art forms
Objective 3: Hypothesize how music will function in the future as a result of changes in
traditional and contemporary media
Objective 4: Name current cultures and ethnic groups that make musical contributions to our
worship and perform examples of related music
How music can express universal and specific Christian themes
Objective 5: Discuss and demonstrate proper worship behavior
Objective 6: Sing songs appropriate to the seasons of the church year
How God’s Word can be communicated and remembered effectively when joined together
with music
Objective 7: Participate in planning music for worship services (e.g., chapel)
Objective 8: Give examples of how music is utilized in daily Christian life
Objective 9: Participate in Lutheran worship experiences where God is praised with various
instruments and voices
Objective 10: Listen to and/or learn songs based on various scriptures and Christian concepts
Learning Standard B: Understand how the arts shape and reflect history, society, and everyday
life.
Changes in music through the ages: their classification by artistic periods, and their
relationships to historical periods and cultures
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Objective 1: Know and describe how artists and their works shape culture and increase
understanding of societies, past and present
Objective 2: Analyze the impact of political actions, current events, and natural phenomena
(e.g., wars, civil unrest, disasters, economic prosperity, discovery, technology, legislation) on the
development and production of art
Objective 3: Sing hymns and songs from various times in our church’s history
Objective 4: Discuss the historical, social, and theological roots of hymns and liturgy used in the
Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
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