Elementary Choir

Course Description

In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of singing choral music, including proper technique, music reading skills, foundations of effective practice habits and essential performance/ensemble practices.

Course Big Ideas

Proper Singing: Healthy vocalization, vowel shaping, soft palate lift, head voice and mixed voice.
Music Literacy: Reading music notation, understanding rhythms, dynamics, and symbols.
Ensemble Skills: Collaborative singing experiences, emphasizing teamwork, listening, following a conductor and blending sound within a group.
Expressive Performance: Exploration of dynamics, phrasing, and interpretation to convey emotion in music.
Musical Exploration: Exposure to a variety of musical styles and genres, fostering a broad appreciation for music.
Performance Etiquette: Position for standing, ‘Singer’s Smile’, behavior in front of an audience, clear diction.

Course Essential Questions

How can we bring a piece of music from the printed page to a performance that exhibits style, dynamics and expression?
Why is it important to work as a team to make choral music?
What skills do we need to have to learn and perform a piece of choral music?

Course Competencies

Reading musical symbols
Finding your part in a score
Using healthy singing techniques
Singing with style and expression
Performing in front of an audience

Course Assessments

Teacher Observation - Individual and Ensemble Evaluations
Peer Evaluation
Journal/Reflection
Participation/Attendance/Preparedness

Course Units

Unit 1: Performance Etiquette

Standards

Know

Students will know how to stand properly on stage, with feet shoulder-width apart and their core engaged, ensuring stability and proper posture for performance.
Students will know the importance of keeping their feet planted firmly and shoulders relaxed to maintain balance and reduce tension during performance.
Students will know to maintain a focused and quiet presence when not actively performing, being mindful of others on stage and in the audience.
Students will know the value of avoiding unnecessary movements or noises while others are performing, ensuring respect and a smooth collaborative performance.

Understanding/Key Learning

Students will understand the importance of preparation, focus, and respect in choir performances.
Students will understand the need for punctuality, appropriate stage presence, following the conductor's cues, and maintaining discipline through-out the performance.
Students will understand the importance of being mindful of their fellow choir members to ensure a cohesive and professional performance.

Do

Students will demonstrate proper stage presence during performances.
Students will maintain focus and discipline while on stage.
Students will practice respectful listening and awareness of others' performances.
Students will follow conductor cues and instructions with attentiveness.
Students will exhibit appropriate posture and alignment while singing.
Students will respect the performance space and fellow choir members.
Students will remain engaged and prepared, avoiding distractions during the performance.

Unit Essential Questions

How does proper posture and body alignment contribute to vocal or instrumental performance?
In what ways can maintaining focus and quietness during a performance enhance the experience for both performers and the audience?
Why is it important to be mindful of your body movements and actions when others are performing, and how does this impact the overall performance?
How does stage presence, both physically and mentally, influence the success of a performance?

Lesson Essential Questions

How can proper posture and body alignment affect your ability to sing or play an instrument effectively?
What is the relationship between body tension and sound production, and how can we reduce tension during a performance?
How does maintaining a quiet and focused presence backstage contribute to a successful group performance?
Why is it important to stay mindful of your movements and actions while others are performing, and how can it impact the overall performance flow?
How can developing strong stage presence and professionalism improve audience engagement and the overall impact of your performance

Materials/Resources

Vocabulary

Assessments

Unit 2: Stylistics and Expression

Standards

PA Standards for the Arts and Humanities:

9.1.8.A Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities.
9.1.8.B Recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts.
9.1.8.C Identify and use comprehensive vocabulary within each of the art forms.
9.3.8 B. Analyze and interpret specific characteristics of works in the arts within each art form
9.3.8 C. Identify and classify styles, forms, types and genres within art forms.
9.3.8.D. Evaluate works in the arts and humanities using a complex vocabulary of critical response.
9.3.8.E Interpret and use various types of critical analysis in the arts and humanities.
9.4.8.D Describe to what purpose philosophical ideas generated by artists can be conveyed through works in the arts and humanities

Know

Students will know how to adjust their tone, dynamics, and phrasing to match the time period and cultural context of the piece, ensuring they honor the composer’s intentions and the tradition of the music.
Students will know the role of facial expressions, body language, and vocal color in bringing the piece to life, enhancing the connection with the audience.
Students will know how to interpret lyrics deeply, ensuring their delivery is not just technically accurate but also emotionally resonant.
Students will know the different articulation styles, such as staccato (short and detached) or legato (smooth and connected), and how these styles impact the overall sound and feel of the piece.
Students will know levels of dynamic articulation, such as emphasizing certain words or phrases for musical expression while maintaining proper vocal technique.

Understanding/Key Learning

Students will understand the importance of adapting their singing style to the genre of the music
Students will understand how to convey emotion through their voice, using dynamics, tempo, and phrasing to reflect the mood and meaning of the music.
Students will understand the importance of clear diction, ensuring that consonants are crisp and vowels are well-formed so that the audience can understand the lyrics, even when singing in foreign languages.

Do

Students will adapt their vocal technique to match the style of the music, whether it's classical, contemporary, or any other genre, ensuring their tone and phrasing reflect the unique characteristics of the piece.
Students will research and understand the historical and cultural context of the music, applying appropriate stylistic elements, such as vibrato or ornamentation, to stay true to the period or tradition of the composition.
Students will focus on clear enunciation of the lyrics, practicing proper diction to ensure that every word is understandable, even in challenging languages or fast-moving passages.
Students will master different articulation techniques, such as staccato (short, separated notes) and legato (smooth, connected notes), to enhance the musical expression and coherence of the piece.
Students will use dynamic articulation, adjusting the strength and timing of their notes (such as accenting certain words) to bring life and meaning to the performance.
Students will express the emotional intent of the music through variations in dynamics, tempo, and phrasing, ensuring that each piece resonates with the intended mood.
Students will engage their entire body—using facial expressions and posture—to reflect the emotion conveyed through the music, helping to connect with the audience.
Students will interpret the lyrics with personal meaning, allowing their voice and performance to communicate not just the words but the emotions behind them.

Unit Essential Questions

How can adjusting tone, dynamics, and phrasing help convey the time period and cultural context of a piece, and why is this important in honoring the composer's intentions?
In what ways do facial expressions, body language, and vocal color contribute to the emotional impact of a performance and enhance the connection with the audience?
How can a deeper understanding of lyrics influence your interpretation and delivery, and how can you ensure it is both technically accurate and emotionally resonant?
How do different articulation styles, such as staccato and legato, shape the overall sound and emotional expression of a piece, and how can you use them to create musical contrast?

Lesson Essential Questions

How does adjusting the tone and dynamics of your performance reflect the historical and cultural context of the piece you are performing?
What role do facial expressions and body language play in conveying emotion and connecting with your audience during a performance?
How can you analyze the lyrics of a piece to uncover deeper emotional meaning, and how does this influence your interpretation of the music?
What are the differences between staccato and legato articulation, and how do they change the mood and texture of the music?
How can you emphasize certain words or phrases with dynamic articulation to enhance musical expression, while still maintaining proper vocal technique?

Materials/Resources

Vocabulary

Assessments

Unit 3: Vocal Production

Standards

PA Standards for the Arts and Humanities:

9.1.8.A Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities.
9.1.8.B Recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts.
9.1.8.C Identify and use comprehensive vocabulary within each of the art forms.

Know

Students will know how to use proper posture and breath support to produce a strong, clear, and controlled singing voice.
Students will know how to warm up their voices using exercises that improve vocal flexibility, resonance, and pitch accuracy.
Students will know how to sing with clear diction and vowel shaping to ensure their words and melodies are easily understood.
Students will know how to maintain vocal health by avoiding strain, staying hydrated, and using proper vocal techniques.
Students will know how to blend their voices in a group by matching pitch, tone, and dynamics while following a conductor or musical cues.

Understanding/Key Learning

Students will understand that good posture and deep breathing help produce a strong and healthy sound.
Students will understand that warming up the voice prepares them to sing with better pitch, tone, and flexibility.
Students will understand that clear diction and proper vowel shaping make lyrics understandable and improve tone quality.
Students will understand that using head voice and chest voice appropriately expands their vocal range.
Students will understand that singing with expression and dynamics makes music more engaging and meaningful.
Students will understand that taking care of their voice by avoiding strain and staying hydrated keeps them sounding their best.
Students will understand that listening to others and adjusting volume and pitch helps them blend in a group and create harmony.

Do

Students will demonstrate proper posture and breath support while singing.
Students will perform vocal warm-ups to improve pitch accuracy, tone, and flexibility.
Students will articulate lyrics clearly using correct diction and vowel shaping.
Students will practice singing in both head voice and chest voice to develop vocal range.
Students will adjust their volume and tone to blend with others in group singing.

Unit Essential Questions

Lesson Essential Questions

Materials/Resources

Vocabulary

Assessments

Unit 4: Reading Choral Music

Standards

PA Standards for the Arts and Humanities:

9.1.8.A Know and use the elements and principles of each art form to create works in the arts and humanities.
9.1.8.B Recognize, know, use and demonstrate a variety of appropriate arts elements and principles to produce, review and revise original works in the arts.
9.1.8.C Identify and use comprehensive vocabulary within each of the art forms.
9.1.8 D. Demonstrate knowledge of at least two styles within each art form through
performance or exhibition of unique works.
9.1.8.G. Explain the function and benefits of rehearsal and practice sessions.
9.2.8.A. Explain the historical, cultural and social context of an individual work in the arts.
9.2.8.C. Relate works in the arts to varying styles and genre and to the periods in which they were created
9.2.8.D. Analyze a work of art from its historical and cultural perspective.

Know

Understanding/Key Learning

Do

Students will identify their vocal or instrumental part in the score using rehearsal markings, clefs, and part labels.
Students will follow the shape of the melody by tracing the melodic contour with their finger and using hand gestures.
Students will read and interpret musical symbols in their score by identifying notes, rhythms, dynamics, and articulation marks.
Students will understand and demonstrate the meaning of style words in their score through discussion, and performance.
Students will practice and perform using the dynamic and articulation markings in their score.

Unit Essential Questions

How can rehearsal markings, clefs, and part labels help you identify your role in a musical piece?
What is the significance of tracing the melodic contour, and how does it help you understand the shape of a melody?
How do musical symbols (such as notes, rhythms, dynamics, and articulation marks) influence the performance of a piece?
How can you demonstrate your understanding of a musical score by applying vocal techniques that correspond with the markings in the score?