Grade 6 Music
Course Description
Students will explore the creative process of composing, performing, and sharing music, using digital tools and understanding the role of rhythm, meter, and musical history. They will also learn how to protect their vocal and hearing health while developing a deeper appreciation for how music evolves and influences different cultures and styles.
Course Big Ideas
- Foster creativity and expression through music by exploring the process of generating, refining, and sharing original works.
- Develop a deeper understanding of how music evolves over time.
- Learn the importance of maintaining both physical and vocal health in musical practice.
Course Essential Questions
- How can the elements of rhythm, melody, and technology shape the creation and interpretation of music across different genres?
- In what ways can learning different instruments, technologies, and musical styles enhance our understanding and appreciation of music?
Course Competencies
- Develop creative skills by generating original musical ideas, exploring various sources of inspiration, and using digital tools to produce music.
- Understand the evolution of musical styles over time, recognizing how cultural and technological changes influence music.
- Learn to interpret and perform music by focusing on rhythm, meter, and the integration of melody, deepening their understanding of musical structure.
- Practice safe listening habits, maintain vocal health, and understand the importance of protecting their hearing while engaging with music technology.Students need to play ukulele and sing in a group setting
- Play ukulele chords: C, F, G7, am and transition from chord to chord
- Play the ukulele and sing with the proper technique.
- Create music of a certain genre using digital technology.
- Clap, sing and play with the correct rhythms when reading from a piece of music or when performing by rote.
- Demonstrate knowledge of musical meter in 2/4, ¾ and 4/4.
Course Assessments
- Observation of student performances
- Class discussions
- Worksheets
- Oral questioning
- Question style games and activities
Course Units
Unit 1: Ukulele II
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
Standards
PA Standards for 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.H. Demonstrate and maintain materials, equipment and tools safely at work and performance spaces.
- 9.2.8.A. Explain the historical, cultural and social context of an individual work in the arts.
- 9.2.8.D. Analyze a work of art from its historical and cultural perspective.
- 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 genre within art forms.
Know
Understanding/Key Learning
- Students will understand the importance of playing in sync with others, focusing on coordination, listening skills, and timing in group performances.
- Students will develop the ability to read and interpret various styles of chord charts to guide their playing.
- Students will understand how blues music has affected the whole scheme of music styles in America.
Do
- Students will position their hands to create various musical chords.
- Students will be able to play a 12 bar blues song.
- Students will create a melody to a 12 bar blues song.
- Students will create lyrics to rhythms in phrases.
- Students will discuss the historical context and social context of the blues era.
- Students will build on skills learned in Ukulele I continuing to play songs from chord charts in various meters and genres.
- Students will be able to read and follow chord charts independently to play songs on the ukulele.
Unit Essential Questions
- How does playing in sync with others enhance musical performances and develop coordination, listening skills, and timing?
- How can reading and interpreting different types of chord charts improve your ability to play music on the ukulele?
- What are the key features of blues music, and how has it influenced other music styles in America?
- How do rhythmic and chordal choices in a song affect the overall musical feel and group performance?
- Why is it important to understand the historical and cultural context of music genres like blues in order to appreciate their influence on modern music?
Lesson Essential Questions
- In what ways can melody and lyrics interact to enhance the storytelling in a 12-bar blues song?
- What historical and social factors contributed to the development of the blues genre, and how do they manifest in the music?
- How can you maintain good timing and coordination when playing the ukulele with others?
- What are the steps to properly read and interpret a chord chart for a new song on the ukulele?
- How do the C, F, G7 and am chords contribute to the overall sound of a song?
- How does playing the ukulele in a group setting improve your listening and collaboration skills?
- What characteristics define blues music, and how can you incorporate them into your ukulele playing?
- How can understanding the influence of blues music help you recognize its impact on other musical genres?
Materials/Resources
Vocabulary
Assessments
Unit 2: Music Technology II
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
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.H. Demonstrate and maintain materials, equipment and tools safely at work and performance spaces.
- 9.3.8 C. Identify and classify styles, forms, types and genre within art forms.
Know
- Students will know the causes of hearing damage from high decibel levels.
- Students will know how to use their voice to prevent vocal health issues.
- Students will know how to make songs on a digital music platform.
- Students will know what technology can be used for in music creation.
- Students will know that copyrighted music is illegal to copy and put in their own compositions.
- Students will learn about the structure of the inner ear and how humans hear sound.
- Students will learn how high decibels cause damage to the structures of the ear.
Understanding/Key Learning
- Students will understand that using a digital music platform allows them to create many different types of projects.
- Students will understand how technological sound devices can harm their hearing.
- Students will understand how proper vocal health impacts their music making.
- Students will understand that it is illegal and immoral to use other people’s copyrighted work in their own compositions.
Do
Unit Essential Questions
- How can we leverage digital music platforms to enhance our creativity and produce diverse musical projects?
- What are the potential impacts of technological sound devices on our hearing, and how can we use them safely in our music practice?
- How does maintaining vocal health influence our ability to perform and create music effectively?
Lesson Essential Questions
- How can a digital music platform enhance our creative process and enable us to explore various types of music projects?
- What features of digital music platforms can we utilize to effectively express our musical ideas?
- In what ways can the use of technological sound devices pose risks to our hearing health, and how can we mitigate these risks?
- What are the key practices for maintaining vocal health, and why are they important for effective music-making?
- How can understanding the impact of sound technology on our hearing inform our choices as musicians?
- What strategies can we implement to balance creativity with health considerations in our music practice?
Materials/Resources
Vocabulary
Assessments
Unit 3: Genres
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessment
Standards
PA Standards for the Arts and Humanities
- 9.2.8.A. Explain the historical, cultural and social context of an individual work in the arts.
- 9.2.8.B Relate works in the arts chronologically to historical events.
- 9.2.8.C. Relate works in the arts to varying styles and genre and to the periods in which they were created.
- 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.
- 9.4.8.B. Compare and contrast informed individual opinions about the meaning
- of works in the arts to others.
Know
- Students will know the four main eras of Western music: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionist.
- Students will know the progression of blues developing into jazz and rock-n-roll.
- Students will know about the main influential genres of American popular music.
- Students will know the attributes of American Musical Theater.
Understanding/Key Learning
- The students will understand how time periods in art and music change due to social and historical impact.
- Students will understand what musical elements are present in genres of American music.
- Students will understand the elements of musical theater.
- Students will understand that genres of American music have distinct sounds and are relatable to different social groups.
Do
- Students will listen to and describe blues music.
- Students will listen to and describe jazz music.
- Students will listen to and describe Rock-n-roll music.
- Students will listen to and describe American Pop music.
- Students will listen to and describe American Folk music.
- Students will listen to and describe songs from American Musical Theater performances.
- Students will listen to and describe music from the 4 periods of European classical music.
Unit Essential Questions
Lesson Essential Questions
- How do different musical genres reflect the cultural and historical contexts in which they were created?
- In what ways do the elements of rhythm, melody, and harmony contribute to the emotional impact of various music styles?
- How can listening to diverse musical genres enhance our understanding of artistic expression and creativity?
- What are the common themes and narratives found in American music genres compared to European classical music?
Materials/Resources
Vocabulary
Assessment
Unit 4: Rhythm and Melody III
- Standards
- Know
- Understanding/Key Learning
- Do
- Unit Essential Questions
- Lesson Essential Questions
- Materials/Resources
- Vocabulary
- Assessments
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.
Know
- Students will understand the beat value of different note types and how they affect rhythm in music.
- Students will recognize how rhythm influences the way lyrics are pronounced and fit within a song.
- Students will interpret the meaning of the numbers in a time signature and how they guide the structure of a piece of music.
- Students will understand the role of rhythm in shaping the mood and flow of music.
- Students will define a measure of music and explain its importance in organizing musical phrases.
Understanding/Key Learning
- Students will understand how rhythm, note values, and time signatures work together to create structure and flow in music, helping them perform accurately and expressively.
- Students will learn how rhythm influences the pronunciation and placement of lyrics, allowing them to better sync their singing with the musical accompaniment.
- Students will gain an understanding of how measures and time signatures organize music, helping them interpret and perform songs with a strong sense of timing and rhythm.
Do
- Students will accurately identify and play different note values to maintain proper rhythm in their performances.
- Students will practice syncing rhythm with lyrics to ensure clear pronunciation and proper phrasing in songs.
- Students will interpret and apply time signatures to organize their playing and understanding of musical structure.
- Students will demonstrate a steady beat while playing and singing in both solo and group settings.
- Students will identify and explain the purpose of measures in music to understand song structure.
- Students will collaborate with others in ensemble settings, focusing on listening and maintaining timing.
- Students will experiment with different rhythmic patterns to enhance their musical expression and creativity..
Unit Essential Questions
- How does accurately identifying and playing different note values help you maintain proper rhythm and timing in music?
- In what ways does syncing rhythm with lyrics improve your vocal performance and song phrasing?
- How do time signatures influence the structure of a song, and why is it important to interpret and apply them correctly?
- Why is maintaining a steady beat crucial for performing both solo and in group settings?
- How do measures in music organize a song, and how can understanding them improve your overall performance?
Lesson Essential Questions
- How can you identify different note values and apply them to maintain a consistent rhythm while playing?
- What techniques can you use to ensure your rhythm matches the lyrics for clear pronunciation and phrasing in a song?
- How do time signatures affect the way you organize and play music, and how can you apply this knowledge to your performances?
- How can practicing rhythmic patterns and collaborating with others help you improve your musical expression and timing in ensemble settings?