GRADE STRAND 3-5
DISPOSITIONS
Collaboration
Flexibility
Goal Setting
Inquisitiveness
Openness and respect for the ideas and work of others
Responsible risk-taking
Self-Reflection
Self-discipline and Perseverance
CREATING
Imagine
Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work.
Standard: MU:Cr1.1.5a
Improvise rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ideas, and explain connection to specific purpose and context (such as social,
cultural, and historical).
Enduring Understanding
The creative ideas, concepts, and feelings that influence musicians’ work
emerge from a variety of sources.
Essential Question
How do musicians generate creative ideas?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Pitches, patterns, sounds and silences, variation, simple rhythms, tempo,
phrasing, Timbre, Dynamics, Motif, Form
Performing
Students perform student-composed forms including improvised
segments.
Context
Historical, cultural, social influence, concert etiquette
Creating
Students improvise musical ideas, motives, rhythms, sounds and silences
Evaluation Criteria
Using a story as thematic material, students use a variety of found,
pitched, and rhythmic instruments to orchestrate primary components of
the story – character motifs, changes in expressive qualities as needed for
action, etc.
Aural & notational skills
Students improvise using patterns, repetition, ornamentation, sounds and
silences, portions of numerous songs
Explore the iconic and symbolic traditions used by modern composers,
as a model for notating their orchestrated stories
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 1
Evaluating
Vocabulary
Tempo, rhythm, phrase, beat, rest, slur, improvisation
Standard: MU:Cr1.1.5b
Generate musical ideas (such as rhythms, melodies, and accompaniment patterns) within specific related tonalities,
meters, and simple chord changes.
Enduring Understanding
The creative ideas, concepts, and feelings that influence musicians’ work
emerge from a variety of sources.
Essential Question
How do musicians generate creative ideas?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Melodies, chords, rhythms, motives, tonalities
Asymmetric meter (5/8, 7/8)
Changing meter
Performing
Perform pre-written musical ideas
Context
Social, historical, political influence
Evaluation Criteria
Students perform harmonic accompaniments using Orff instruments
and/or boomwhackers.
Students perform choreographed dances in asymmetric meters
Creating
Create music combining various rhythms, melodies, and including various
tonalities and meters
Aural & notational skills
Notate simple rhythms and melodies, within a specified meter and tonality
Evaluating
Vocabulary
Meter, chord, melody, tonality, asymmetric meter
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 2
Plan and Make
Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Standard: MU:Cr2.1.5a
Demonstrate selected and developed musical ideas for improvisations, arrangements, or compositions to express
intent, and explain connection to purpose and context.
Enduring Understanding
Musicians’ creative choices are influenced by their expertise, context, and
expressive intent.
Essential Question
How do musicians make creative decisions?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Form
Performing
Perform improvisations on instrument
Musical context
improvisation
Collaborate in small groups to create rhythm complements based on
repeated improvised patterns layered around a steady beat – using found
sounds or rhythm instruments
Context
Historical, social, and political
Creating
Students work in small groups to share and refine musical ideas.
Evaluation Criteria
Aural & notational skills
Students notate compositions
Evaluating
Students write short self-reflections about their composition and the
creative process.
Students provide feedback and positive constructive criticisms to assist
peers in developing ideas.
Vocabulary
Improvisation, Arrangement, Composition, feedback, criticism, brainstorm, free improvisation, collaboratio
Standard: MU:Cr2.1.5b
Use standard and/or iconic notation and/or recording technology to document personal rhythmic, melodic, and two chord
harmonic musical ideas.
Enduring Understanding
Musicians’ creative choices are influenced by their expertise, context, and
expressive intent.
Essential Question
How do musicians make creative decisions?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Recording technology
Standard notation
Musical ideas
Symbolic notation
Icons
Performing
Students perform on musical instruments to create recordings.
Students perform peer compositions from notation.
Creating
Composing musical ideas
Context
Recording industry
Evaluation Criteria
Use of standard notation
Aural & notational skills
Ability to write music using standard notation
Evaluating
Accurate use of notation and evidence of harmonic musical ideas
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 3
Students will discuss composer intent and impact of composed material on
the listener.
Vocabulary
Standard notation, chord changes, rhythm, composition, harmonic ideas, composer intent, constructive feedback, refining ideas
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 4
Evaluate and Refine
Refine and complete artistic work
Standard: MU:Cr3.1.5a
Evaluate, refine, and document revisions to personal music, applying teacher-provided and collaboratively developed
criteria and feedback, and explain rationale for changes.
Enduring Understanding
Musicians evaluate, and refine their work through openness to new ideas,
persistence, and the application of appropriate criteria.
Essential Question
How do musicians improve the quality of their creative work?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Use of rubric
Collaboration
Evaluation
Performing
Students perform peer compositions
Creating
Students refine and edit compositions based on peer and teacher
feedback
Context
Social influence
Aural & notational skills
Students change notation based on peer and teacher feedback to
accurately depict desired changes
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluating
Evidence of self and peer assessment
Evidence of revisions
Students contribute to a rubric or check-list for self-assessing their creative
work
Students listen to peer recordings or performances of composition and
provide feedback
Vocabulary
Rubric
Collaboration
Refine
Revision
feedback
Present
Share creative musical work that conveys intent, demonstrates craftsmanship, and exhibits originality.
Standard: MU:Cr3.2.5b
Present the final version of personal created music to others that demonstrates craftsmanship, and explain connection to
expressive intent.
Enduring Understanding
Musicians’ presentation of creative work is the culmination of a process of
creation and communication
Essential Question
When is creative work ready to share?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Presentation
expression
Concert
Etiquette
Performing
Knowledge and Skills
Perform work on musical instrument
Perform compositions on stage in a formal concert for students, family,
Grades 3-5
page 5
Context
and community
Creating
Evaluation Criteria
Aural & notational skills
Evidence of originality
Evaluating
Students will write reflections following the performance, evaluating their
own and peer compositions.
Vocabulary
Presentation
Performance
Concert
Expressive intent
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 6
PERFORMING
Select
Select varied musical works to present based on interest, knowledge, technical skill, and context.
Standard: MU:Pr4.1.5a
Demonstrate and explain how the selection of music to perform is influenced by personal interest, knowledge, and context,
as well as their personal and others’ technical skill.
Enduring Understanding
Performers’ interest in and knowledge of musical works, understanding of
their own technical skill, and the context for a performance influence the
selection of repertoire.
Essential Question
How do performers select repertoire?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Technical skills
Music selection
Personal music preference
Performing
Creating
Context
Influence of personal interests, knowledge, cultural, historical and social
context
Evaluation Criteria
Aural & notational skills
Evaluating
Students will write program notes to accompany performances
Students will write performance reviews of performances
Vocabulary
Technical skill, musical preference, musical context, program notes
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 7
Analyze
Analyze the structure and context of varied musical works and their implications for performance.
Standard: MU:Pr4.2.5a
Demonstrate understanding of the structure and the elements of music (such as rhythm, pitch, form, and harmony) in music selected
for performance.
Enduring Understanding
Analyzing creators’ context and how they manipulate elements of music
provides insight into their intent and informs performance.
Essential Question
How does understanding the structure and context of musical works
inform performance?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Form
Harmony
Pitch
Rhythm
phrasing
Performing
Perform pieces with accurate musical phrasing
Creating
Students adhere to a check-list of musical elements when creating a
musical work with a specified form and intent.
Context
Aural & notational skills
Evaluation Criteria
Vocabulary
Structure
Form
Harmony
Pitch
Rhythm
phrasing
Standard: MU:Pr4.2.5b
When analyzing selected music, read and perform using standard notation
Enduring Understanding
Analyzing creators’ context and how they manipulate elements of music
provides insight into their intent and informs performance.
Essential Question
How does understanding the structure and context of musical works
inform performance?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Performing
Perform music through sight-reading and practiced performance
Standard notation
Creating
Context
Evaluation Criteria
Aural & notational skills
Vocabulary
Standard notation
Music analysis
Sight-reading
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 8
Standard: MU:Pr4.2.5c
Explain how context (such as social, cultural, and historical) informs performances.
Enduring Understanding
Analyzing creators’ context and how they manipulate elements of music
provides insight into their intent and informs performance.
Essential Question
How does understanding the structure and context of musical works
inform performance?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Performing
Students will perform music from a variety of cultural and historical
contexts and discuss meanings and purposes of music within those
contexts
Context
Social, cultural and historical
Evaluation Criteria
Students engage in play along activities, adding typical rhythmic stinato to
world music examples.
Creating
Students tie together musical ideas to create an advertisement jingle, tying
it to the context of influencing consumers and attracting attention to an
identified product
Students compose “in the style of” compositions to tie in with unit activities
Aural & notational skills
Students listen and identify purposes and meanings of listening examples
Vocabulary
Social, cultural and historical context
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 9
Interpret
Develop personal interpretations that consider creators’ intent.
Standard: MU:Pr4.3.5a
Demonstrate and explain how intent is conveyed through interpretive decisions and expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo,
timbre, and articulation/style).
Enduring Understanding
Performers make interpretive decisions based on their understanding of
context and expressive intent.
Essential Question
How do performers interpret musical works?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Tempo
Dynamics
Musical expression
Performer and composer intent
articulation
Performing
Perform on instrument musical expression within a piece
Context
Historical
Cultural
Social
Evaluation Criteria
Perform at sight dynamic and articulation markings added to known
pieces.
Creating
Students experiment with dynamics and articulation and discus how it
changes the impact of a piece.
Students experiment with instrumentation to explore the impact on a
known piece.
Aural & notational skills
Students add dynamic and articulation markings to indicate their intent as
a composer.
Vocabulary
Structure
Tempo
Dynamics
Musical expression
Performer and composer intent
articulation
timbre
Instrumentation
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 10
Rehearse, Evaluate, Refine
Evaluate and refine personal and ensemble performances, individually or in collaboration with others.
Standard: MU:Pr5.1.5a
Apply teacher-provided and established criteria and feedback to evaluate the accuracy and expressiveness of ensemble and personal
performances.
Enduring Understanding
To express their musical ideas, musicians analyze, evaluate, and refine
their performance over time through openness to new ideas, persistence,
and the application of appropriate criteria.
Essential Question
How do musicians improve the quality of their performance?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Performing
Student will record a solo performance for self-reflection.
Context
Creating
Students will identify areas for improvement based on listening to
recordings and create a work plan to improve performance.
Evaluation Criteria
Aural & notational skills
Evaluation
Students will evaluate performances using teacher-developed rubrics.
Vocabulary
rubric
feedback
criteria
ensemble
performance
self-reflection
Self-reflective practice
Self-regulation
MU:Pr5.1.5b
Rehearse to refine technical accuracy and expressive qualities to address challenges, and show improvement over time.
Enduring Understanding
To express their musical ideas, musicians analyze, evaluate, and refine
their performance over time through openness to new ideas, persistence,
and the application of appropriate criteria.
Essential Question
How do musicians improve the quality of their performance?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Performing
Context
Performing rehearsed music, showing technical accuracy
Evaluation Criteria
Creating
Students will identify particular strategies to solve problems in
performance.
Aural & notational skills
Evaluating:
Students will discuss recordings to identify mistakes and improve
performance.
Vocabulary
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 11
Technical accuracy
Rehearsal
Expressive qualities
Articulation
Dynamics
Tempo
Self-regulation
Practice strategies
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 12
Present
Perform expressively, with appropriate interpretation and technical accuracy, and in a manner appropriate to the audience and context.
Standard: MU:Pr6.1.5a
Perform music, alone or with others, with expression, technical accuracy, and appropriate interpretation.
Enduring Understanding
Musicians judge performance based on criteria that vary across time,
place, and cultures. The context and how a work is presented influence
the audience response.
Essential Question
When is a performance judged ready to present? How do context and the
manner in which musical work is presented influence audience response?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Performing
Performing expressively on instrument, alone or with others
Context
Creating
Evaluation Criteria
Aural & notational skills
Vocabulary
Musical interpretation
Expression
Technical accuracy
Standard: MU:Pr6.1.5b
Demonstrate performance decorum and audience etiquette appropriate for the context, venue, genre, and style.
Enduring Understanding
Musicians judge performance based on criteria that vary across time,
place, and cultures. The context and how a work is presented influence
the audience response.
Essential Question
When is a performance judged ready to present? How do context and the
manner in which musical work is presented influence audience response?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Style
genre
Performing
Perform on instrument in appropriate, style
Context
Creating
Aural & notational skills
Evaluation Criteria
Vocabulary
Concert etiquette
Venue
Genre
Style
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 13
RESPONDING
Select
Choose music appropriate for a specific purpose or context.
Standard: MU:Re7.1.5a
Demonstrate and explain, citing evidence, how selected music connects to and is influenced by specific interests, experiences, purposes,
or contexts.
Enduring Understanding
Individuals' selection of musical works is influenced by their interests,
experiences, understandings, and purposes.
Essential Question
How do individuals choose music to experience?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Performing
Context
Historical, social, political context
Creating
Aural & notational skills
Evaluation Criteria
Vocabulary
Historical, social, political context
Analyze
Analyze how the structure and context of varied musical works inform the response.
Standard: MU:Re7.2.5a
Demonstrate and explain, citing evidence, how responses to music are informed by the structure, the use of the elements of music,
and context (such as social, cultural, and historical).
Enduring Understanding
Response to music is informed by analyzing context (social, cultural, and
historical) and how creators and performers manipulate the elements of
music.
Essential Question
How does understanding the structure and context of music inform a
response?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Form
Articulation
Tempo
Dynamics
Performing
Context
Social, cultural, historical context
Creating
Aural & notational skills
Evaluating
Discuss and/or write about the impact of the music and its meaning or
purpose in its authentic context.
Evaluation Criteria
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 14
Vocabulary
Structure
Form
Articulation
Tempo
Dynamics
Interpret
Support interpretations of musical works that reflect creators’/performers’ expressive intent.
Standard: MU:Re8.1.5a
Demonstrate and explain how the expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, timbre, and articulation) are used in performers’
and personal interpretations to reflect expressive intent.
Enduring Understanding
Through their use of elements and structures of music, creators and
performers provide clues to their expressive intent.
Essential Question
How do we discern the musical creators’ and performers’ expressive
intent?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Dynamics
Tempo
Tibre
articulation
Performing
Perform, on instrument, expressive qualities with expressive intent
Context
Creating
Aural & notational skills
Evaluation Criteria
Vocabulary
Dynamics
Tempo
Tibre
articulation
expressive intent
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 15
Evaluate
Support Evaluation Criterias of musical works and performances based on analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.
Standard: MU:Re9.1.5a
Evaluate musical works and performances, applying established criteria, and explain appropriateness to the context, citing evidence
from the elements of music.
Enduring Understanding
The personal Evaluation Criteria of musical work(s) and performance(s) is
informed by analysis, interpretation, and established criteria.
Essential Question
How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performance(s)?
Knowledge:
Skills:
Structure
Form
Tempo
Dynamics
Articulation
phrasing
Performing
Context
Historical social context
Creating
Aural & notational skills
Evaluating
Write reviews of performances
Evaluation Criteria
Ability to accurately evaluate works
Vocabulary
Rubric
Assessment
Evaluate
Knowledge and Skills
Grades 3-5
page 16