Music
Scheme of Work:
Topic / Unit
Overview / Context
Core Standards
Curriculum Opportunities
Unit 2 – Musical Stories (Programme Music)
To learn how music is used to tell stories through listening exercises and practical tasks.
Score analysis: Explore different styles of notation (traditional and tab).
Performance: Perform/realise a piece of music with technical control, expression and interpretation
Composition: Create and develop musical ideas with technical control and coherence
Listening and Appraising: Analyse and evaluate music using some key terminology
SPAG: Correct use of basic punctuation including some key subject terminology.
Listening, Performing and Appraising
SMSC
Assessment
Opportunities
Key Vocabulary
Wider Reading
Teacher Notes
@ DTA & DMA
Performance assessments will happen throughout each lesson. Students will peer assess at regular intervals in addition to the
formal teacher assessment
SCORE – where music is written down
NOTATION – music written on a stave
THEME – main melody
MELODY – the tune
RHYTHM – a pattern of long and short sounds to create variation in a melody
PITCH - highness or lowness of a sound (high/low; getting higher/lower)
TEMPO - speed of the music (fast/slow; getting faster/slower)
DYNAMICS - volume of the music (loud/soft; getting louder/softer)
Please list the wider reading that you will expect students to complete to develop their knowledge, understanding and critical
thinking about the topic they are studying. The wider reading could contain: poems, articles, journals, diary extracts, extracts
from novels, short stories, blogs, etc. and should be differentiated according to reading ages to ensure it is appropriate.
All resources for this unit of work are on http://www.misswardmusic.com/unit-2---musical-stories.html
Y8: Musical Stories
Learning Intention/s &
Lesson Standard/s
Learning Activities
LEARNING INTENTION 1
Danse Macabre – Part 1

Listening starter – complete the questions about the piece as it’s
played. Peer marked.
To learn the story of
‘Danse Macabre’ and start
to perform the main theme
Lesson Standards:
1. To complete listening
questions on Danse
Macabre
2. To work cooperatively
with keyboard partner
3. To perform to the rest of
the class
Purpose:
 To understand how music
can tell a story
Working with learning partner, students are to rehearse the main
theme.
A selection of students will perform to the class – peers to offer
success and next steps
Danse Macabre – Part 2

Teacher recap of the task. Student Q&A for details of task
Lesson Standards:
1. To work cooperatively
with keyboard partner
2. To perform to the rest of
the class
3. To offer success / next
steps to peers
Lollipop to select students to perform (record all performances –
highest scoring mark will be used to data collection)
Students to offer success / next steps on peer performances
LEARNING INTENTION 3
Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Part 1

Listening starter – complete the questions about the piece as it’s
played. Peer marked.
@ DTA & DMA
Lollipop to select students to
feedback answers to listening
questions
Will need student copies of the
‘Danse Macabre’ differentiated
keyboard sheets.
Continual teacher assessment and
intervention re understanding.
Use of prisms to show confidence
level.
Will need student copies of the
‘Danse Macabre’ differentiated
keyboard sheets.
Allow approx. 20 mins rehearsal time in pairs
Purpose:
 To show progress from
last session
To transfer skills acquired
so far onto the Keyboard
Notes
Demonstration of Danse Macabre theme by teacher. Students to
Q&A musical techniques required.
LEARNING INTENTION 2
To embed skills from last
week in a performance
Assessment
Continual teacher assessment and
intervention re understanding.
Use of prisms to show confidence
level.
Will need student copies of the
‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’
differentiated Keyboard
sheets.
Y8: Musical Stories
Learning Intention/s &
Lesson Standard/s
Learning Activities
Lesson Standards:
Demonstration of Sorcerer’s Apprentice theme by teacher.
Students to Q&A musical techniques required.
1. To start to read keyboard
notation
2. To play the melody on the
keyboard
3. To work in pairs to
support each other’s skill
development
Working with learning partner, students are to rehearse the main
theme.
Purpose:
 To be versatile in applying
musical practice over two
different instruments
A selection of students will perform to the class – peers to offer
success and next steps
LEARNING INTENTION 4
Sorcerer’s Apprentice – Part 2

Teacher recap of the task. Student Q&A for details of task
To embed skills from last
week in a performance
Lesson Standards:
4. To work cooperatively
with keyboard partner
5. To perform to the rest of
the class
6. To offer success / next
steps to peers
Notes
Continual teacher assessment and
intervention re understanding.
Use of prisms to show confidence
level.
Listening and performance
Lollipop students to perform their
melody after 5 minutes
Will need student copies of the
‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice’
differentiated Keyboard
sheets.
Allow approx. 20 mins rehearsal time in pairs
Lollipop to select students to perform (record all performances –
highest scoring mark will be used to data collection)
Continual teacher assessment and
intervention re understanding.
Use of prisms to show confidence
level.
Purpose:
 To show progress from
last session
Students to offer success / next steps on peer performances
LEARNING INTENTION 5
Peter and the Wolf – Single lesson

Listening starter – complete the questions about the piece as it’s
played. Peer marked.
To embed skills from last
week in a performance
Assessment
Popcorn and Lollipop answers
Will need student copies of the
‘Peter and the Wolf’
differentiated Keyboard
sheets.
Lesson Standards:
7. To work cooperatively
with keyboard partner
@ DTA & DMA
Demonstration of Peter and the Wolf themes by teacher. Students
to Q&A musical techniques required.
Continual teacher assessment and
intervention re understanding.
Y8: Musical Stories
Learning Intention/s &
Lesson Standard/s
8. To perform to the rest of
the class
9. To offer success / next
steps to peers
Learning Activities
Assessment
Working with learning partner, students are to rehearse the main
theme.
Use of prisms to show confidence
level.
Purpose:
 To show progress from
last session
A selection of students will perform to the class – peers to offer
success and next steps
LEARNING INTENTION 6
The Nutcracker – Single lesson

Listening starter – complete the questions about the piece as it’s
played. Peer marked.
To embed skills from last
week in a performance
Popcorn and Lollipop answers
Notes
Will need student copies of the
‘The Nutcracker’ differentiated
Keyboard sheets.
Lesson Standards:
10. To work cooperatively
with keyboard partner
11. To perform to the rest of
the class
12. To offer success / next
steps to peers
Demonstration of The Nutcracker theme by teacher. Students to
Q&A musical techniques required.
Purpose:
A selection of students will perform to the class – peers to offer
success and next steps
To show progress from last
session
@ DTA & DMA
Working with learning partner, students are to rehearse the main
theme.
Continual teacher assessment and
intervention re understanding.
Use of prisms to show confidence
level.
Y8: Musical Stories