District Overview
The goal of the Brandywine Heights Areas School District Music Department is to enable students to become lifelong participants in music, to
learn the skills necessary for continued enjoyment in music, and to see the many connections between music and other subjects. Music, an
important subject in itself, brings all subjects together in a united whole.
The study of music encourages critical thinking in our students, fosters participation in groups, broadens students’ education by encouraging the
artistic proponent of development, and promotes problem solving skills which will carry with students throughout their lives and further
education. Music curriculum scaffolds to build skills from Kindergarten through high school, with students constantly building on prior
knowledge. More than a “special” subject, the study of music allows students to discover what it means to be human by allowing expression of
their artistic nature. The study of music should be thorough, rigorous, and comprehensive.
Grade 5 Description
The overarching goals of 5th Grade Music Appreciation is that students will further skills in standard notation, perform alone and with others a
varied repertoire, study the music of Beethoven, be able to play the piano at a beginning level, and be able to appreciate a wide variety of music
styles, even if they differ from the students’ personal preferences.
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Students will build on previous note reading instruction to increase knowledge in treble clef notation.
Students will comprehend the bass clef and how it relates to playing the piano.
Students will gain competency in standard notation and apply knowledge to more difficult music.
Students will piano in treble and bass clef simultaneously.
Students will apply knowledge of standard notation to compose their own compositions.
5th Grade music allows students to build on previous knowledge of standard notation. Students will perform the music of others, compose their
own music, understand the life and music of Ludwig van Beethoven, and learn to play the piano at a beginning level.
Grade 5 Units:
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Unit 1: Music Theory
Unit 2: Beethoven
Unit 3: Piano
Subject: Music Appreciation
Grade: 5
Suggested Timeline: Ten weeks
Unit Title: Music Theory. This unit developments skills from previous music instruction and focuses on standard notation—reading, writing,
playing, and composing.
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
Students will gain fluency in note and rhythm reading and be able to apply knowledge to playing and composing. The culminating activity is a
composition project where students synthesize their knowledge of standard notation to writing their own compositions and playing them for
the class. Essential questions include: Why is it necessary to use standard notation while writing music? How does my knowledge of standard
notation add to my success in music?
Unit Objectives:
1) Students will demonstrate competency in the identification of treble clef notes.
2) Students will demonstrate the ability to write notes on the musical staff on the correct line/space and the correct stem direction.
3) Students will demonstrate the ability to apply counting to rhythmic samples and apply this knowledge to playing.
4) Students will synthesize knowledge of standard notation to create a new composition.
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit:
Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Arts and Humanities:
9.1 Production, Performance, and Exhibition of Dance, Music, Theater, and Visual Arts.
9.2 Historical and Cultural Contexts.
Important Standards Addressed in this Unit:
9.2 Critical Response
9.4 Aesthetic Response
Misconceptions:
 While learning standard notation, students tend to get frustrated easily and overcomplicate the system.
 Composing is difficult for 5th grade students and some struggle to put their ideas into notational form.
 During composition, students will attempt to copy an existing composition rather than writing their own.
Concepts/Content:
Competencies/Skills:
Description of Activities:
Opportunities to play a variety of musical pieces.
Students should be able to synthesize
Students will be able to demonstrate the Group practice in class both with paper and pencil and
their knowledge of musical notation to
ability to read, write, and perform notes
with the Learn Sheet Music program on their laptops.
become beginning music readers, to
in treble clef. Students will be able to
Group composition writing.
apply knowledge to playing, to create
synthesize knowledge of standard
Analyzing the work of themselves and others.
something new.
notation to create a new work.
Assessments:
There are two assessments in this unit:
1) A summative assessment consisting of identifying notes and rhythms in treble and bass clef and writing notes on the staff.
2) Completing a composition, bringing together total knowledge of standard notation.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
Math (note values),
English (meaning of Italian musical terms),
Social Studies (connections between music and society).
Additional Resources:
Learn Sheet Music free app
Subject: Music Appreciation
Suggested Timeline: Two weeks
Grade: 5
Unit Title: Beethoven
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
Students will gain understanding of the music and life of Ludwig van Beethoven. Essential questions: How did Beethoven learn to play the piano?
Why is it important that we recognize the music of Beethoven hundreds of years past his death? How does the music of Beethoven relate to the
music of today?
Unit Objectives:
1) Students will understand the early life of Beethoven and how he came to be a musician.
2) Students will understand Beethoven’s deafness and the effect it had on his life.
3) Students will experience the music of Beethoven, especially Symphony no. 5, Symphony no. 9, and Für Elise.
4) Students will play Ode to Joy on Boomwhackers.
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit:
Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Arts and Humanities:
9.2 Historical and Cultural Contexts.
9.3 Critical Response
9.4 Aesthetic Response
Important Standards Addressed in this Units
9.1 Production, Performance, and Exhibition of Dance, Music, Theater, and Visual Arts.
Misconceptions:
 Students believe all “classical” music sounds the same and are surprised they recognize many of Beethoven’s compositions.
Concepts/Content:
Competencies/Skills:
Description of Activities:
Students should be able to understand
Students will be able to demonstrate the Reading a short biography of Beethoven and writing
and articulate the life and music of
ability to articulate their understanding
Beethoven’s resume.
Beethoven and the effect his music had
of the music Beethoven.
Watching Beethoven Lives Upstairs video.
on future generations.
Analyzing the work of Beethoven.
Performing Ode to Joy on Boomwhackers.
Assessments:
There are two assessments in this unit:
1) A summative assessment on Beethoven’s early life (writing a resume)
2) Successfully performing Ode to Joy.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
English (meaning of Italian musical terms, grammar and spelling)
Social Studies (connections between music and society)
Additional Resources:
Subject: Music Appreciation
Suggested Timeline: Ten weeks
Grade: 5
Unit Title: Piano
Unit Overview/Essential Understanding:
Students will be able to play the piano at a beginning level. Students will transfer their knowledge of standard notation to playing the piano.
Essential questions: How is playing the piano different than playing a band instrument, such as the flute or trumpet? What can the piano do that
other instruments cannot? What other instruments share characteristics of the piano?
Unit Objectives:
1) Students will be able to transfer their knowledge of standard notation to the piano.
2) Students will use correct fingering techniques to play music in the treble clef (right hand).
3) Students will begin to incorporate the left hand into their playing, alone at first and then in combination with the right.
4) Students will present a song to the class in recital fashion.
Focus Standards Addressed in this Unit:
Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Arts and Humanities:
9.1 Production, Performance, and Exhibition of Dance, Music, Theater, and Visual Arts.
9.4 Aesthetic Response
Important Standards Addressed in this Unit:
9.2 Historical and Cultural Contexts.
9.3 Critical Response
Misconceptions:
 Students fail to make the connection between notation and playing the piano.
 Students believe they are unable to play an instrument, sometimes due to previous failure.
Concepts/Content:
Competencies/Skills:
Description of Activities:
Students should be able to understand
Students will be able to demonstrate the Playing various exercises on piano which increase in
the connection between notation and
increasing competency on the piano.
difficulty.
playing the piano and demonstrate
Playing various songs on piano which increase in
increasing facility on the piano.
difficulty.
Playing in a class recital.
Assessments:
There are two assessments in this unit:
1) Mastery of exercises and songs on piano.
3) Presentation of song in class recital.
Interdisciplinary Connections:
Physical education: Kinesthetic ability and muscle memory.
Math (rhythmic values)
Additional Resources: