Victorian Essential Learning Standards
Sample Unit
Asian Perspectives
Level 3
The Arts (Music/Dance), as part of a Humanities unit
Contents
Introduction
Learning focus
Victorian Essential Learning Standards
Teaching and learning activities
Activity 1: China – ribbon dancing, Chinese opera, Mongolian Pop
Activity 2: India – Sitar music and instrument making
Activity 3: Japan – games and Sakura
Activity 4: Indonesia - explore Gamelan music
Assessment
Unit Resources
Teacher materials
Student materials
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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Asian Perspectives
Introduction
In generalist classes, students chose a number of Asian countries on which to
focus. They researched language, traditions, ceremonies, culture, costumes,
food, religions, family structures, etc. and presented individual projects at an
Asian Exhibition (end of unit).
In classroom Music, we adopted a different Asian culture each week (or
two) based on the countries chosen by the children on which to present
their projects.
Asian Perspectives was a 10 week unit for all grade 4 students at the school.
In Music, we visited the unit many times across the term, but also maintained
a sequential developmental music program using Kodaly-based content and
pedagogy as well as an instrumental program (Guitar and Keyboard).
This unit provides opportunities for students to demonstrate achievement against the
standards in The Arts (Music and Dance), Thinking Processes (Creativity),
Interpersonal Development (Working in Teams)
Learning Focus
This unit addresses learning focus statements from all three strands. These include:
Physical, Personal and Social Learning
Interpersonal Development
…. develop their skills and strategies for getting to know and understand others within
increasingly complex situations.
… In teams, students work towards the achievement of agreed goals within a set
timeframe. With teacher assistance, they develop awareness of their role in the team
and responsibilities in various situations, and interact with others accordingly.
Students begin to be aware that different points of view may be valid. Using provided
criteria, they reflect on the effectiveness of the teams in which they participate.
Discipline-based Learning
The Arts
Creating and Making
… apply and develop their arts knowledge by exploring arts processes and ways to
communicate concepts ... Through … Music … both individually and in combination,
they communicate ideas, observations and feelings using a range of media, materials,
equipment and technologies to make arts works; for example, a class presentation
could feature the performance of a song from another culture in combination with a
traditional dance and/or accompanied by a slide-show presentation featuring paintings
and carvings which explore the theme of the song.
Students select, combine and experiment with ways of using a range of arts elements,
principles and/or conventions, skills, techniques and processes, to explore arts ideas
sourced from their imagination and from their own and other cultures. With guidance
they record the development of ideas; for example, in a visual diary or a digital (audio
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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or screen) journal with records of rehearsals and conversations about the ideas/work
they are developing. Students consider the purpose and audience of their arts works as
they experiment with various ways of presenting works in a range of arts forms, and
begin to evaluate and refine their work in response to feedback.
Exploring and Responding
As they explore and respond to their own and others’ arts works, students develop
skills, techniques and processes for expressing emotions and ideas, and signifying
purpose. Using appropriate arts language they begin to identify and describe ways
they and others use specific elements, principles and/or conventions, skills, techniques
and processes and discuss how ideas, feelings and purpose are conveyed. They reflect
on their own and other people’s arts works and ideas, identifying key features of
works and performances from their own and other cultures, and discuss the function
of the Arts in their community.
Interdisciplinary Learning
Thinking Processes
Students participate in a variety of investigations and activities involving problem
solving that encourage them to experiment with a range of creative solutions. They
begin to reflect on the approaches they use them to assist them to form their solutions.
They explore ideas creatively; for example, by engaging with new ideas and other
perspectives.
Students give reasons for changes that may occur in their thinking. They begin to
recognise that others may have different opinions and understand that reasoning can
be influenced by strong feelings. They begin to question arguments presented to them;
for example, those based on the assertion that ‘everybody knows’ or ‘I just know’.
Students develop language to describe specific thinking processes and, with support,
use thinking tools to assist them to complete a given task. They continue to reflect
regularly on their thinking, learning to describe their thinking processes verbally.
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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Victorian Essential Learning Standards
Asian Perspectives can be used to assess a range of Victorian Essential Learning
Standards.
The table below is an example of how this unit might be used to assess some Level 3
standards.
Strand
Domain
Dimension
Key elements of standards
Physical,
Personal and
Social Learning
Interpersonal
Development
Working in teams
Discipline-Based
Learning
The Arts
Creating and making
Exploring and
responding
Interdisciplinary
Learning
Thinking
Creativity
Reflection,
Evaluation &
Metacognition
Students:
 students cooperate with others in teams for
agreed purposes, taking roles and
following guidelines established within the
task. They describe and evaluate their own
contribution and the team’s progress
towards the achievement of agreed goals.
 create and present works in a range of arts
forms that communicate experiences,
ideas, concepts, observations and feelings.
 show evidence of arts knowledge when
planning arts works for different purposes
and audiences and identify techniques and
features of other people’s works that
inform their own arts making.
 identify and describe key features of arts
works from their own and other cultures,
and use arts language to describe and
discuss the communication of ideas,
feelings and purpose in their own and other
people’s arts works.
 apply creative ideas in practical ways and
test the possibilities of ideas they generate.
 identify strategies they use to organise their
ideas.
For further advice see the Assessment section (page 10)
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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Teaching and learning activities
This unit supports a generalist classroom unit in Year 3/4. It is student-centred, and
activities may change depending on student choices and areas of interest. The
resources listed at the end of this unit offer ideas for other countries of study.
At regular intervals during the term, students add to their Music journal, with entries
of what they have experienced, enjoyed and learned during Music classes. They also
choose pieces of work to add to their learning Portfolios, displayed at Parent-Teacher
interviews each semester.
Where possible, members of the school community should be sourced to offer firsthand knowledge of a culture, through story-telling, singing, folk dancing, etc.
Refer to Unit resources (see page 12) for materials required throughout the unit and
other student and teacher support materials.
Activity 1 – CHINA
Discuss the origins of ribbon gymnastics, as presented at the Olympics . This
dance form is known as Traditional Chinese Ribbon Dancing and is usually
accompanied by a traditional Chinese orchestra.
Inform the class that today is a creativity session, and they will develop and fill
out a self-assessment rubric during the class. Read out the green column –
what they should all aspire to today. (See Rubric for Chinese Ribbon
Dancing, page 11)
 Play traditional Chinese folk music, hand out 1 or 2 fabric ribbons, and
ask students to copy a number of the teacher’s ribbon movements.
 Show pictures / videos from the internet as inspiration
(www.youtube.com)
 Talk about using music to inspire visual art (ribbon movements) and
dance
 Allow time for children to invent their own ribbon movements. DANCE,
DRAMA
 As a class, develop a self-assessment rubric, using the rubric on page
11 as a starting point.
 In groups of three, share the invented movements with one another,
and combine to present to the class … also to be videoed
 Ask children to be “critical friends” after each performance to the class
– offering constructive verbal peer assessment. PEER ASSESSMENT
 highlight use of pentatonic scales, (identify as the basis of much folkmusic)
[end of lesson: journal entry and self-assessment rubric on creativity &
group skills]
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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Chinese Opera
- Introduce Chinese Opera by drawing on students’ prior knowledge
o has anybody seen/heard, heard about Chinese opera?
o If so, what do they know about typical stories, costumes, sets,
action on stage, sounds, similarities and differences between
Beijing Opera and the music they listen to at home?
o if not, look at pictures and CD covers, listen to sections from a
famous Beijing Opera to develop awareness about typical stories,
costumes, sets, action on stage, sounds
-
On paper or in Word, ask students to reflect on their responses to and
personal observations on:
costume,
story-line,
similarities and differences between Beijing Opera and the music they
listen to at home
*NB The terms “Chinese Opera” and “Beijing Opera” are interchangeable.
[written work for collection and use in portfolio] DRAMA, WRITTEN
COMMUNICATION & COMPARISON
Chinese Pop / Mongolian Pop
– listen to examples of contemporary Chinese music, and discuss the many
similarities between it and contemporary US/UK/Australian rock/pop. Ask the
children to suggest why there are so many similarities
- students then write a short journal entry of observations about the
similarities and differences [running records – participation in discussion]
CULTURAL COMPARISON
*NB The terms “Chinese Pop” and “Mongolian Pop” are interchangeable. Both
are pop music styles written to a stereotypical recipe – catchy hook tune,
soppy lyrics, etc. Easily compared with “Boy Band” music!
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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Activity 2 - INDIA
Without any explanation or introduction, play excerpts from a CD of sitar
music and
- Model slow movements that represent patterns in the music for the
children to copy (while the music is playing)
- Ask students to identify other instruments (type or specific name) heard in
the excerpts (Tabla Drums have a range of different sounds, and maintain
a steady rhythm).
- Afterwards, the children brainstorm what country the music originates from
(India), its purpose and characteristics, sharing their previous knowledge
and building upon it. (primarily music for meditation, melody is very
important, often accompanied by a drone + drum rhythms) [brainstorm,
listening & sharing ideas]
Extension activity: As a whole class activity, make a mini-sitar, using a stiff
box (sound-box), a strip of timber (bridge) and 10 elastic bands (strings).
Elastic band tension can be tightened using paddle pop sticks or tile spacers.
Experiment with the position of the bridge and different sizes of elastic band.
Ask students to write down the class experiments and discoveries in their
journals. [scientific discovery] CREATIVITY & DESIGN
 Sitar player
Indian Tabla Drums
Activity 3 - JAPAN
 Play “Sona Macadora” (my version of a children’s circle game where the
beat is passed around the circle, and someone is ‘caught’ at the end) (see
page 13 for instructions/melody). Ask the class for suggestions about
where the song might come from and who might usually sing it. Tell the
children the game is played by children in a number of Asian countries,
with slightly different words. Try to guess what the words might mean.
 Teach the folk-song “Sakura” both as a song and using 5 notes of
xylophones/glockenspiels. Depending on experience level of students,
pair more/less experienced readers/players/singers so that they can teach
each other all or part of the song. If using notation, talk about important
information – time-signature, starting note, look for repeating patterns and
other clues like, do phrases begin on the same note?
 Discuss the title, structure and subject of the song (Weeping Cherry
Blossom … repeated motif … nature) and make correlations with other folk
music about nature [hands-on performing].
 Create an ABA piece, using Sakura melody as the A section, and the B
section allowing pentatonic improvisation [improvisation using a pentatonic
framework]
 “Itchigomichi” – a song with repetitive movement depicting the farming of
rice in Japan. As students learn the song and actions, brainstorm what
part of farming each movement depicts. [dramatic movement]
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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Activity 4 - INDONESIA
This activity focuses on imitation and improvisation.
Students imitate teacher performed gamelan music using tuned percussion
(pentatonic music with syncopation). Stop and discuss the way repetition is
used, [almost to the point of meditation], and the way music is shared – the
melody requires 2 overlapping parts to make the whole. Ask students to copy
more teacher improvised phrases, and ask if a few students would like to ‘take
the lead’ or add in some gong sounds. [Instrumental skill/discipline]
WORKING IN A TEAM
Other interesting points (from “Music Worldwide” Roy Bennett & Elizabeth
Sharma):
 Traditionally, Gamelan music was only played by boys and men, but
that is changing today!
 A Gamelan orchestra usually consists of tuned gongs and
metallophones.
 Two of the most common scales in Gamelan music are Slendro and
Pelog. They are written in numbers (or memorised) and do not have
exact Western pitch equivalents.
 Filling 6 bottles with water to give a 5 notes octave comes close to
gamelan pitching. Homework fun???
 The Slendro scale is approximately C D E G A – 1 2 3 4 5. The
Balinese names for these 5 notes are: ding dong deng dung dang
 Gamelan instruments are believed to have spiritual powers, and so are
treated with great respect. A naming ceremony takes place when a
new instrument is created for a Gamelan orchestra. Stepping over an
instrument is believed to break the link between the instrument and
Heaven.
 Gamelan music is used for dance, poetry, shadow puppet plays and
drama performances.
 Music is learned by imitation and memorisation.
Write a journal entry about qualities of gamelan music (repetition, meditation,
number of pitches used) and how each student felt during and after the
gamelan session/s.
Repetition is used in many other cultures as well (including Pop music riffs
and African chants).
As a class, brainstorm a Concept Map (see examples at
http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/support/teaching.html#graphic) using
use of repetition and the feelings expressed as the central ideas and
gamelan music, meditation, pop music, African chant as secondary boxes.
Ask students to copy their own onto paper, take it home, discuss it with
parents, and add any links or extend ideas. Advise the class that this will be
added to their assessment Portfolio. [thinking skills & portfolio piece]
THINKING
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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Here is an excerpt from “Music Worldwide” page 54 – the first riff in “Rearing
Horse” arranged for gamelan orchestra. The excerpt shows how two parts are
required to interweave and create a melody in Gamelan music.
4 crotchets per bar. Most notes are semi-quavers. Notes with a dash are
quavers. 7 indicates semi-quaver rest. Crotchet = 72
1: CDC-DCD-CD-CD-DC
2: 7G-AG-GA7GAC7GAC
7D-CD-DC7D-CDCDA-AC7A-CAG-AG-GA
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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Assessment
The Victorian Essential Learning Standards supports a combination of assessment
practices:
 Assessment of learning (summative)
 Assessment for learning (formative)
 Assessment as learning (ongoing)
Further information on these can be found at:
http://www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/blueprint/fs1/assessment.asp
When assessing student achievement, assessment criteria can be developed from
relevant standards and associated tasks or activities. The table below shows a range of
assessment criteria, tools and strategies applicable to this unit. Teachers could choose
to use some or all of these or use the unit to assess other standards.
Standards
Interpersonal
Development
Working in teams
The Arts
Creating and
making
Exploring and
responding
Thinking
Creativity
Reflection,
Evaluation &
Metacognition
Assessment Criteria
(Examples)
Ability to:

cooperate with others in teams for
agreed purposes, taking roles and following
guidelines established within the task. They
describe and evaluate their own
contribution and the team’s progress
towards the achievement of agreed goals.
Ability to:

create and present works in a
range of arts forms that communicate
experiences, ideas, concepts, observations
and feelings.

show evidence of arts knowledge
when planning arts works for different
purposes and audiences and identify
techniques and features of other people’s
works that inform their own arts making
(improvisation).

identify and describe key features
of arts works from their own and other
cultures, and use arts language to describe
and discuss the communication of ideas,
feelings and purpose in their own and other
people’s arts works.
 apply creative ideas in practical ways
and test the possibilities of ideas they
generate.
 identify strategies they use to organise
their ideas
Evidence
 Chinese Ribbon Dancing
Rubric & Journal Entry
(Activity 1) & Gamelan activity
(Activity 4)
 anecdotal notes on playing
Sakura on tuned percussion &
Gamelan activity (Activities 3
and 4)
 pentatonic improvisations on
Sakura (Activity 3)
 Chinese Opera
Characteristics sheet;
Brainstorming – teacher’s
running records (Activity 2);
Activity 1 Discussion - running
records
 teacher to take notes on
student journal entries – minisitar making (all activities)
 Concept Map linking many
cultures’ use of repetition
(Activity 4)
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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Rubric for Chinese Ribbon Dancing
RED
ORANGE
Copying teacher’s I sat on the
I watched the
actions
floor and
teacher most of the
stared out the time, talked a bit to
window
my friend, and
copied some of the
ribbon movements
Inventing my own I flicked the
I tried to do some of
ribbon movements ribbon around the movements I
in a knot
saw the teacher
without much and video do,
thought
making them a bit
different, and trying
not to tangle the
ribbon
Class Discussions I had trouble
I listened to the
staying ondiscussion and
task. I
thought about some
sometimes
answers. I sat
chatted to my quietly and
friend instead. answered
questions directed
at me, using
whatever
vocabulary came to
mind.
Group
I couldn’t think I made some
Improvisation and of any ideas,
creative
Performance
so I let the
suggestions, and
others tell me happily took part in
what to do.
the group
performance.
Peer assessment I giggled and
I observed one or
said “It was
two things I liked. I
good”
used kind words. I
tried to give
reasons for my
opinions.
Journal entry
I couldn’t find I copied someone
my journal
else’s journal entry
into my own book,
making a few
changes.
GREEN
I watched the teacher, and tried to
copy every aspect of the ribbon
movements, thinking about how I
could change and combine them later
I drew pictures in the air and made
ribbon patterns, using ideas from the
teacher and video to help me. I
thought hard about which movements
would go well together, and tried to
match them to the music
I listened to all that was said (by
teachers and peers), thought carefully
about answers to every question, and
put up my hand to offer lots of
answers and suggestions. I tried to
find correct vocabulary and use
accurate descriptions
I worked well in the group of three,
sometimes listening to my peers and
sometimes leading. Our performance
was creative, fun and used a variety of
movements
I offered kind constructive, sincere
observations and helpful suggestions
for next time. I included reasons for
my suggestions. I attempted to note
unique differences from other
performances
I tried hard to describe the way my
creative ideas came about, noting
which ideas were totally different to
everyone else’s. I attempted to put
musical ideas into writing. I included a
sentence about how well I worked in a
small group.
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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Unit Resources
CDs & Music Samples
Samples of Chinese Opera and Chinese/Mongolian Pop are easy to find in
Melbourne’s CHINA TOWN (Little Bourke St)
“Music Far & Wide” Rixon & Merrick (secondary textbook with CDs)
“World Music: Cultural Traditions” Glencoe/McGraw-Hill (double CD with teaching
notes) http://www.glencoe.com/media_tech_catalog/wgeo_multi.html#music
SITAR & TABLA MUSIC – go to iTunes http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/
… type in « sitar tabla » and at least three pieces are listed for purchase
GAMELAN MUSIC – iTunes has many titles to choose from
CHINESE POP – iTunes has at least one album of Chinese Pop
THAILAND « From Bangkok and Beyond »
http://www.worldbeatlearning.com/ProductsFromBangkokandBeyond.htm
China, India, Korea, Japan, Malaysia « Roots and Branches »
http://www.worldbeatlearning.com/productsRootsandBranches.htm
Websites for teacher information
Gamelan
http://www.seasite.niu.edu/Indonesian/Budaya_Bangsa/Gamelan/Javanese_Gamela
n/music/music.htm
http://alek.zipzap.ch/gamelan/ind2_eng.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balinese_music
www.youtube.com
Sakura http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakura_(folk_song) – includes English translation
Concept Maps (teacher information)
http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/dept/d43/glg/Study_Aids/concept_maps/conceptmaps.h
tml
World Music links
http://www.bluemountain.ws/creditclssup/mhl143links.htm
Teacher materials
Teaching and learning resource
This document provides information about teaching and learning strategies referred to in this
unit. It is available at:
http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.lau/support/teaching.html
http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/support/teaching.html#graphic
ITCHIGOMICHI - “Off the Wall Dances for young children Vol.2” Gary & Carol Crees
– available through VOSA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Sakura.song.png provides sheet music for
“Sakura”
“Music Worldwide” Elizabeth Sharma, ed. Roy Bennett (Cambridge assignments in
music) Cambridge Uni Press
“Music Far & Wide” Rixon & Merrick
“Terrific Topics: Integrated units of popular themes” [Upper Primary] Blake Education
“World Music: Cultural Traditions” Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
World Beat Learning books and CDs
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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SONA MACADORA [mostly quavers … crotchets marked with dash afterwards]
Sona Macadora
[s s m l s – m -]
Ay oh malia malia
[s – m – d r m – d r m - ]
Ay oh ay oh cha cha cha [s m s m d d d - ]
Ay oh ay oh cha cha cha [s m s m d d d - ]
123…
Sit cross legged in a circle … lay left hand (with palm up) on your own left knee …
lay right hand (palm up) on your right-hand neighbour’s left palm … elect person to
start … starter makes an arc from right to left with their right hand, the end of which
claps the right palm of the left-hand neighbour (just one clap, except on “cha cha
cha”)… as each student receives the beat clap on their right palm, they pass it to the
left-hand neighbour in the same way.
The aim of the game is to pull your hand away before the number “3” - right at the
end. This number can be changed as an extension to the game.
On “cha cha cha” the person holding the beat must tap THREE quavers on the leftneighbour’s palm. If they forget, the game starts again!
Assessment resource
This document provides information about assessment strategies referred to in the
unit. It is available at:
http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/support/assessment_resources.html
Student materials
Chinese Ribbon Dancing Rubric (sheet)
Chinese Opera Characteristics (sheet)
Asian Perspectives, Level 3, The Arts: Music [Pru Borgert]
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CHINESE OPERA CHARACTERISTICS
After discussing Chinese Opera in class, please fill in your own observations below.
Use the language of music where possible.
You may include this sheet in your Portfolio.
OR
turn the page over and create a Y-chart with the headings:
- elements that sound similar to the music I listen to at
home
- elements that sound different to what I’m used to
- things I find interesting about Chinese Opera
In Chinese Opera, the costumes are ________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
In Chinese Opera, the storyline is often about ________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Some elements of Chinese Opera sound SIMILAR to the music I usually listen to, for
example:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Other aspects of Chinese Opera sound totally new to me. For example:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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