MADISON PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Elementary Music Curriculum
Authored by: Kiera Casper
Reviewed by: Lee Nittel,
Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Stacy Snider,
Supervisor of Visual and Performing Arts
Adopted by the Board: January, 2013
Members of the Board of Education:
Lisa Ellis, President
Patrick Rowe, Vice-President
David Arthur
Kevin Blair
Shade Grahling
Linda Gilbert
Thomas Haralampoudis
James Novotny
Superintendent: Dr. Michael Rossi
Madison Public Schools
359 Woodland Road, Madison, NJ 07940
www.madisonpublicschools.org
I. OVERVIEW
Students in Kindergarten through Grade Five receive one forty minute period of General Music
instruction each week. The music class consists of a wide variety of interesting and challenging
experiences that present music as a means of self-expression, enjoyment and as an academic
discipline. In order to develop the musical skills needed for literacy, students learn music through
active participation in singing, musical games, reading music, writing music and playing a variety
of classroom instruments. The voice is the primary means of expression used during instruction.
Students are exposed to a large number of composers and performers relating to historical and
cultural areas from all over the world. Students will learn about American and European composers
and their music; the origins and development of Blues, Ragtime, Jazz, Swing, Rock and Stomp; as
well as the instruments of the band and orchestra. Students are presented materials in a sequence
that follows a child’s natural ability at various stages of development. The concepts and skills are
divided up into activities that include song repertoire (primarily folksongs and children’s songs)
melody, rhythm, notation, movement, harmony, form, timbre, listening, expression, culture and
terminology. Through this process and the development of their music literacy, students are
encouraged to appreciate music as an art which will become a lifetime enjoyment and means of
expression.
At the Third grade level, students are introduced to the recorder, solidifying their grasp of basic
musical literacy and learning the importance of playing an instrument. Following Third grade,
students can choose to participate in Band or Orchestra, taking private lessons for an additional
forty minutes a week. The opportunity to join school chorus is also provided to students entering Fourth
Grade.
II. RATIONALE
Music is an important part of a cohesive, comprehensive and developmentally appropriate
elementary education for several reasons. First, music has its own unique mode of thinking. The
process involved in creating and performing music helps students to develop higher level thinking
skills which can be applied to all other areas of learning. By developing the musical aptitude of
students, we are training them to be creative independent thinkers. The sequential process of
developing the musical skills gives the student opportunities for cognitive and esthetic growth,
social interaction, emotional and personal expression and teaches discriminating judgments.
Students learn how to interpret and understand the emotions in the music expressed by composers
and how to express themselves through listening to and creating music of their own. This allows the
students to more easily interpret the world around them and to more easily express themselves in
other areas as well. By providing the students with the tools for music literacy and teaching them
how to express themselves through music, we are providing them with access to understanding
music as an art form and can give them a lifetime of fulfillment through music.
III. STUDENT OUTCOMES
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
Creative Process
History of Arts and Culture
Performance
Aesthetic Response and Critique Methodologies
Rhythm: students will demonstrate the ability to (SWDAT) perform, read, write, derive and
compose specific rhythmic patterns applicable to their grade level.
NJCCCS:
1.2
Melody: SWDAT perform, read, write, derive and compose specific melodic patterns applicable to
their grade level.
NJCCCS:
1.2
Expression and Harmony: SWDAT perform, listen, and identify intervals, chords, part songs,
melodies, rounds and different styles of music.
NJCCCS:
1.2, 1.3
Form: SWDAT perform, listen and identify specific phrases and parts to vocal and instrumental
compositions. SWDAT will perform, listen and identify specific forms applicable to their grade level.
NJCCCS:
1.3
Listening, Culture and Appreciation: SWDAT understand and appreciate music through
singing and listening to individual/ group performances; group discussion of characteristics of
listening examples; critique individual and group performances; listen and view recordings, videos
and charts; music vocabulary development through reading, writing, listening and discussing;
listening analysis using specific music vocabulary with written and oral responses; Group
participation in movement to music both improvised and choreographed; participation in elective
school performing ensembles (band, chorus and orchestra)
NJCCCS:
1.1, 1.4
IV. ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND CONTENT
See attached K-5 Curriculum Map and Suggested Activities
V. STUDENT EVALUATION AND GRADING
Student participation, effort and skill levels are continually evaluated and assessed through: solo
and group performance, individual and group projects as well as through individual and class
dictation and notation. Students are expected to perform, write, hear and derive concepts
appropriate to their grade level. Based on this continual evaluation students are given a grade each
marking period reflecting these three categories:
Effort: Evaluation is based on the consciousness of the student’s singing, performing and
practicing of skills.
Skills: Evaluation is based on the student demonstrating knowledge and mastery of concepts
appropriate to their grade level through singing, playing instruments, dictation and notation.
Participation: Evaluation is based on the student’s amount and quality of participation in
individual and group performance and lessons.
VI. RESOURCES
Basic Resources:
Making Music, Silver Burdett, 2002
- Teacher Text
- Resource Workbook
- Accompaniment Book
- Student Text
- CD’s
- Transparencies
Grades
K-6
K-6
K-6
3-6
3-6
3-6
Schools
CAS/TJS/KRS
CAS/TJS/KRS
CAS/TJS/KRS
CAS/TJS/KRS
CAS/TJS/KRS
CAS/TJS/KRS
Instrument Resources available at all schools:
Maracas, Rhythm Sticks, Resonator Bells, xylophones, hand drums and various other percussion
instruments
Resources shared between schools:
Suzuki Hand Chimes
Choral Octavos found in the choral library located at Central Avenue School.
Other Resources:
Each school as a variety of other supplemental books, CD’s and videos that can be shared between
buildings if needed.
Concept Area
Beat/Rhythm
Pitch/Melody
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
- Steady Beat
(unconscious
and conscious)
- Fast/Slow
- Beat v. Rhythm
- Beat/Rhythm
- qsd Q
- 2 meter
- xxxc
- tie ( qq)
- wW
- e
- 4 meter
- In-tune singing
- up/down
- high/low
-vocal
exploration
- sol – mi (name
and hand signs)
- la (name and
hand sign)
- do (name and
hand sign)
- re (name and
hand sign)
- iconic
representation
of melody and
beat
- staff with 1, 3,
and 5 lines
- placement of
la, sol, mi on
staff
- stick notation of
- measures and
bar lines
- do clef
- ledger lines
- stick notation of
all rhythmic and
melodic elements
- staff notation of
all rhythmic and
melodic elements
N/A
N/A
- Same/different
- Repeat >
- verse/refrain
- question/answer
Notation
Grade 4
Grade 5
- aqa(syncopa)
- sxc, xcd
- t
- 3 meter
- Time signature
(with symbol on
bottom)
- Time signature with
numbers
- do pentatone
- low la
- la pentatone
- low sol
- absolute pitch
names
- recorder
- stick notation of
all rhythmic and
melodic elements
- staff notation of
all rhythmic and
melodic elements
- ra, ar
- anacrusis( q\,
a\, sd\)
- ssd(triplet)
- simple v.
compound
meter
- gb , vh
- 6*, 3*, 9*,
1 2*
- sdd
- qa , aq
- sol pentatone
- re pentatone
- pentachord/
hexachord
- fa
- accidentals
- ti
- Diatonic Scale
- Major/Minor
- Intervals
- Key Signature
- stick notation of
all rhythmic and
melodic elements
- staff notation of
all rhythmic and
melodic elements
- Round and
canon
- ostinato
- simple bourdon
and drone
- 2 Parts
- I chord
- ABA
- Call/Response
- ABCD (through
composed)
- Rondo
- D.Segno
- Da Capo
- Coda
- Fine
- Sequence
- Stick notation
of all rhythmic
elements
- Staff notation
of
all rhythmic
and
melodic
elements
- 3 Parts
- I – V chord
progressions
- I – IV – V
chord
progression
- Theme and
Variation
- Fugue
Harmony
Form
Grade 3
Expression
Timbre
Listening
- Loud/soft
(piano, forte)
- Short/long
- crescendo
- mood
- wood/metal
pitched
instruments
- classification of
non-pitched
instruments
- Greig’s “Peer
Gynt”
- Prokofiev’s
“Peter and the
Wolf”
- Mancini’s
“Elephant Dance”
- instrument
timbres
(woodwind,
brass, strings,
percussion)
- voice parts
(SATB)
- Sprechstimme
- Danse Macabre
- Mozart
- World Music
- Tchaikovsky
- Bach Chorale
- Mozart’s
“Romance”
- Philip Glass
- Ostinato
- Dynamics
- Crescendo
- Pentatone
- Downbeat
- Upbeat
- Time Signature
- Orchestra
- All Instrument
names
-Drone
- Bourdon
- Recorder unit
- dance the
minuet
- Conducting in 3
- Harmony
- Pentachord
- hexachord
- simple and
compound
meter
- triplet
- Chord
- Rondo
- Dal Segno
- Da Capo
- D.C al Fine
- Contra Dance
- Evaluating and
Critiquing
performance
- Mozart’s
“Theme and
Variations”
- Mozart’s “Die
Zauberflaute”
- Stravinsky’s
“Firebird
Suite”
- Stomp
- Fugue
- Theme and
Variation
- Genre
- Diatonic
- Interval
- Sprechstimme
- Different voices
sing/speak
whisper/shout
-
- pitched/ nonpitched
instruments
- barred
instruments
- Mozart
- Saint Saens’
Carnival of the
Animals
- Mussorgsky’s
“Pictures at an
Exhibition –
Chicks”
- Bach
- Nutcracker
- Beat
- Rhythm
- Melody
- piano/ forte
- phrase
- measure
- barline
- double barline
- repeat
- meter
- Staff
- Verse
- Refrain
- Clef
- Ledger line
- Tempo
- Form
- Round
- Canon
- Call/Response
- Free movement in
space to music
- Choreographed
motions
-Stepping/skipping
to music
- Conducting in 2
meter
- Conducting in
4 meter
- Introduction to
folkdance
Terminology
Movement
- Tempo markings
- Opera
Activities:
Rhythm: Clapping, patting, speaking, movement through space to music, body movement to music, rhythm instruments,
games, relays, ostinatos, canons, rounds, rhythm ensembles, improvisation, solo/ group work.
Melody: Echo singing, vocal inflections, imitation, tone matching, interval games and drills, ostintatos, canons, rounds, twopart exercises, games, relays, improvisation, solo/group work.
Harmony: Singing, playing instruments, oral and written response.
Form, Expression, Culture, Listening: Solo and group performing, listening, and analysis. Singing, playing, creating and
moving to music.
Concepts at each grade level can be prepared, presented and practiced using these and other activities
Kindergarten
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Content Area
Skills
Skills
Skills
Skills
- In-tune singing through
group and echo singing
- Vocal Exploration through
games and echo singing
- memorizing words and
melody
- Fast/slow
- marching to unconscious
steady beat
- high and low voice using
voice and instruments
- Vocal exploration
through improvisation
- in-tune singing
-singing on pitch
while improvising as
small groups or solo
- Using iconic
representation of words by
teacher
- iconic representation of
the melody by teacher
- up and down melodic
character using group
and solo singing
- echo singing on pitch
as large group, small
group and solo
- stepping, skipping,
galloping to steady beat
- making conscious the
steady beat
- iconic representation
of the beat with the
words by teacher
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Loud/soft
Short/long
-Same/different using
comparison of
rhythms and melody
Smooth/bouncy
Pitch/Melodic
Beat/Rhythm
Notation
- playing instruments to
unconscious steady beat
- Rhythm
presentation
- students using iconic
representation of
melody and beat
Harmony
Form
Expression
Timbre
Listening
Terminology
- Singing voice/speaking
voice
- sing voice/ speaking
voice/ whisper voice/
shouting voice
- Mozart
- Chicks from Pictures at
an exhibition
- Carnival of the
Animals
Piano/Forte
Beat
Melody
Rhythm
First Grade
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Content Area
Skills
Skills
Skills
Skills
- recognition of high and low
pitches through groups songs
and solo singing
- conscious presentation of
sol – mi with hand signs and
names
- presentation and use of la
with name and hand signs in
group and solo sing and
improvisation
-Steady Beat v. Rhythm in sing
and clapping during group and
solo singing
- conscious change of beat and
rhythm while using instruments
- presentation and use of
qand sd while clapping or
tapping rhythms as groups
or solo
- Continued practice with sol
and mi through solo and group
singing and improvisation
- Unconscious use of la in group
singing
- presentation and conscious
use of
Q while clapping or tapping
rhythms as groups or solo
- conscious feeling of strong and
weak beats
- Representation of high and low
pitches
- small iconic representation of
beats using heart beats
- stick notation of
q and sd through class and
small group work and
dictation
- notation of sol and mi
using one line to represent
high and low.
- stick notation of q, sd and Q
through class and small group
work and individual dictation
of known and unknown
rhythms
- notation of sol – mi using the
3 line staff and 5 line staff as a
large group and individual
dictation
N/A
N/A
N/A
- Discovery of how many
phrases are in a song
- Verse/Refrain
Question/Answer
- Discovery of repeated
sections and the symbol >
- Discover the difference
between barred instruments
-
-
- Nutcracker Suite
-
-
- Verse/Refrain
- Staff
- Measure
- Barline
- Double Barline
- Repeat
- Meter
Pitch/Melodic
Beat/Rhythm
Notation
- combining known rhythmic
elements to derive and create
rhythms of songs and
improvisation in group and
solo work
- presentation of two meter
as the organization of strong
and weak beats.
- Continued work with group
and individual creation
and/or dictation of rhythms
contaning
q, sd and Q
- writing rhythmic patterns
using barlines and double
barlines to show the
organization of strong and
weak beats as two meter
N/A
Harmony
Form
Expression
Timbre
- Definition of a lullaby and
what its characteristics are
- Discover the difference
between pitched and no-pitched
instruments and sounds
- Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto
Listening
Terminology
- Beat
- Rhythm
- Phrase
Second Grade
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Content Area
Skills
Skills
Skills
Skills
Pitch/Melodic
Beat/Rhythm
Notation
- Presentation of re with
name and hand signs
(presented through known
and new songs)
- Preparation of do
pentatone, singing
pentatonic songs
- Preparation and
Presentation of xxxc
- Presentation of do with name and
hand signs (presented through
known and new songs)
- Preparation of re through hearing
and singing songs
- preparation of wby presenting
Tie ( qq)
- Presentation of w
- Presentation of e
- Presentation of 4 meter
- Written stick notation of
xccc
- Placement of new unknown
note on the staff
- Notation of do on staff in relation
to sol and mi
- Notation on staff using the do clef
- Written stick notation for tie
- Function of ledger lines
- Review sol-mi-la
- Preparation of do through
hearing and singing songs
with do.
- Singing in round/canon
Harmony
- Round
- ABA
- Call/Response
Form
- Tempo
Expression
- Wood/Metal
- classifications of
non-pitched
instruments
- Greig’s “Peer Gynt”
- Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf”
- Mancini’s “Elephant Dance”
-Tempo
- Round
- Canon
-cleff
- Form
- Ledger Line
- Call/Response
Folk Dances in Circle
formation
Folk Dance in line Formations
Folk Dance in multiple circle
formation
- Conducting
Timbre
Listening
Terminology
Other
Third Grade
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Content Area
Skills
Skills
Skills
Skills
- Review of do-re- mi-sol-la
- Presentation of known
melodic syllables as do
pentatone
- low la
- Presentation of
aqa
- Absolute pitch names for all
notes on treble clef
- la pentatone
- Fingerings on recorder for
absolute pitch names B-A-G
- Fingerings on recorder for
pitches C-D-F
- Presentation of
sxc and xcd
- Presentation of
time signature
- Presentation of t
- Presentation of 3 meter
- Upbeat/ downbeat
- review all notation
for melody
- stick and staff
notation of
rhythmic elements
- placement of
absolute pitch
names on staff
- stick and staff
notation of
rhythmic elements
- Drone
- stick and staff
notation of
rhythmic and melodic
elements
- stick and staff
notation of
rhythmic and melodic
elements
- Mood
- Crescendo
- Decrescendo
- String family of the
orchestra
- Brass family of the orchestra
Timbre
- Woodwind family of the
orchestra
- Percussion family of the
orchestra
- Saint Saens “Danse
Macabre”
- Introduction to the Orchestra
Listening
- John Williams “Sound the
Bells!”
- Igor Stravinsky
“Rite of Spring”
- Ostinato
- Dynamics
- String instrument names
- Crescendo
- Drone
- Brass instrument names
- Decrescendo
- Bourdon
- Time Signature
- Woodwind instrument
names
- Recorder up-keep and
playing
- Percussion instrument
names
- upbeat and downbeat
Pitch/Melodic
Beat/Rhythm
Notation
- Ostinato
- Bourdon
Harmony
- ABCD
Form
Expression
Terminology
Other
- Conducting
Fourth Grade
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Content Area
Skills
Skills
Skills
Skills
- Low sol and sol pentatone
- Re pentatone
- Preparation of Fa
- presentation of Fa
- Presentation of
whole and half
steps
- pentachord
- hexachord
- Presentation of triplet sdd
- Accidentals
- Key signatures
- presentation of
ra and ar
- presentation of anacrusis a\,
q\
and sd\
- staff and stick notation for
all melodic and rhythmic
elements
- staff and stick notation for all
melodic and rhythmic elements
- staff and stick notation for
all melodic and rhythmic
elements
- staff and stick notation for
all melodic and rhythmic
elements
- notation of accidentals on
the staff and creation of key
signatures
- 2 parts
- 3 parts
- Introduction to I chord
- Da Capo (D.C.)
- Fine
- D.C. al Fine
- Dal Segno (D.S) /
- Coda
- D.S. al coda
- Rondo
- Sequence
Pitch/Melodic
Beat/Rhythm
Notation
- Simple v. Compound meter
Harmony
Form
Expression
- SATB voice parts
Timbre
Tchaikovsky
Bach chorale
Mozart’s “Romance”
Philip Glass
- Harmony
- Da Capo
- Fine
- anacrusis
- Dal Segno
- Coda
- Chord
- Pentachord
- Hexachord
- Rondo
- triplet
- Simple meter
- Compound meter
Listening
Terminology
Other
Fifth Grade
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Content Area
Skills
Skills
Skills
Skills
Pitch/Melodic
Beat/Rhythm
Notation
- Review all melodic
elements
- Preparation of ti
- Present ti
- Present major scale with
placement of whole/half steps
- Present Minor scale and different
placement of whole/half steps
- Review Simple v.
Compound meter
- Presentation of
gb and vh
- Presentation of compound
meter6*
- Present sddand ,ras used in 6*
- Present qa and aqas used in 6*
- Staff and stick notation of
rhythmic and melodic
elements
- Staff and stick notation of
rhythmic and melodic elements
- Staff and stick notation of
rhythmic and melodic elements
- Staff and stick notation of
rhythmic and melodic
elements
- Review I chord
- Present I-V chord cominations
- Present I-IV-V chord combinations
- Play Hand Chimes to use
concepts of chords and
Harmony
Harmony
- Theme and Variation
- Named intervals of scales
- Fugue
Form
- Genres of music
- Musical Style
- Opera
- Stomp
- Piano/Harpsichord
Synthesizer
- Vocal style :
sprechstimme
- Stravinsky’s “Firebird
Suite”
- Mozart’s “Theme and
Variation”
- Mozart’s “Die Zauberflaute
- Stomp
- Genre
- Theme/Variation
- Diatonic
- Major Scale
- Harpsichord
- Synthesizer
- Opera
- Sprechstimme
- Minor Scale
- Fugue
Expression
Timbre
Listening
Terminology
Other