| Foundational Objectives At A
Glance |
In grade six, students will:
1. Explore, recognize and discuss sounds of every
kind.
The purpose of this objective is to encourage students to
explore their own environment -- those sounds and music they are
exposed to in their lives. By becoming more aware of the
multitude of sounds around them, students will be better able to
discern how these sounds can be used for expression, by both
themselves and others. This should help students begin to
understand some of the ways musicians and composers get ideas
for musical works.
Students should continue the process of "sound exploration" begun in the earlier grades. As a result of sound exploration, students will be in a better position to grasp musical concepts and acquire musical understanding. Students should use their growing knowledge of sounds as inspiration for some of their sound compositions. Activities should continue to include exploration with found and homemade instruments, the students' own voices, and traditional classroom instruments where available (e.g., recorder, ukulele, etc.). Students in grade six should also be developing the ability to discuss the sounds and music they hear and create. This will help them make more informed decisions about the music they listen to. All students should be encouraged to create, reflect upon and discuss their sound exploration activities. Students should be allowed to hold contrary views on sound and encouraged to explain their views.
Students should continue to discover the variety of sounds available to them from many sources. Instruments from musical ensembles, both those familiar and those unfamiliar to the students, should be investigated. They should explore and discover how these instruments create their characteristic sound. As well, different ways of creating sounds (conventional and unconventional) on these instruments might be explored. How groups and individuals use the voice in traditional and unusual ways should also be investigated. Students should begin to distinguish different voice types (e.g., soprano, baritone) at this level.
In grade six, the students will:
When evaluating students' creative explorations, teachers should pay attention to both the end product and the processes that led the students to reach their unique conclusions. It may be that students will occasionally "stray" from the initial source or idea. These diversions should be viewed and evaluated on their own merits and discussed with the class. Often these departures will allow the students to discover many of the concepts that the teacher is trying to teach in a way that will have even greater meaning for them.
When assessing the individual student's ability to achieve this objective, teachers might ask questions such as the following:
For the purposes of this curriculum, the elements of music are rhythm, pitch, timbre, dynamics and texture.
Students should continue their exploration of the elements of music begun in the earlier grades. They should become aware of how the different elements interact to create musical ideas and thoughts. Students should also continue to discover how the various elements of music are organized into a musical composition (form). They should begin to discover how changing, inverting, leaving out or adding different elements can change the intent or effect of a musical thought in their own compositions and those of others. The understanding of this type of manipulation will lead students to better understand how musicians and composers are able to express their ideas in music.
Principles of composition are methods or devices which help organize sounds and the elements of music into cohesive works. Learning about the principles offers opportunities for the student to explore different ways musicians and composers create interest in and add personal expression to their music. Not all principles will be found in every piece of music but changing, inverting, leaving out or adding different principles will allow the student to explore various ways they and others can express themselves in music. Middle years students should investigate such principles of composition as variety, repetition, balance, acoustics, tension and resolution, transition and unity. In the grade six curriculum, the focus is on variety, balance, repetition and unity.
The elements of music and principles of composition should be taught within a context of interest to the students. Students need to realize it is the interaction, not the isolation, of individual elements and principles that is important in music. Students should be encouraged to learn about them as they are encountered in their ongoing musical experiences. What the students discover about the elements of music and principles of composition should be reinforced and applied throughout the year. It is important for students to hear and see them used in meaningful contexts so that they can understand and apply knowledge in both listening and creating activities.
In grade six, the students will:
| Teacher Note Detailed learning objectives and definitions specific to each element of music and principle of composition can be found in Appendix A. |
Evaluation
When assessing this foundational objective, the teacher should pay attention to students' discussions, sound explorations, compositions and other activities. Teachers might ask questions such as the following:
The purpose of this objective is to develop the students' ability to use a variety of sounds as a means of expressing themselves. Through the process of creating, students will have a better understanding of the expressive powers of music. The middle years student should be challenged to discover how to transfer his or her ideas into sound. Students should continue to develop notation skills so that they can recreate what they and others have produced. The students will begin to see that they are creative individuals and that the process of making music need not be viewed as the exclusive domain of a few particularly talented individuals.
This objective is concept-oriented; therefore, performance should be of an informal nature. Musical understanding is the desired outcome. The process of sound creation and organization should be viewed as a way to develop the students' problem-solving skills. Sound exploration should lead students to an understanding of the expressive qualities of music and help them discover innovative responses to musical problems. Although performance may be incorporated into this exploration, it should not be the focus of this foundational objective.
The students should use a wide variety of sound-creating instruments, including the voice and traditional, found and homemade instruments. Through exploring the expressive qualities of many different types of instruments, the students will begin to comprehend the enormous resources available to a composer or musician.
Criteria for sound exploration should be jointly developed by the teacher and student, where possible. This might include establishing organizational guidelines about form, length of the composition, variety of instruments and/or elements to be explored. It is important for the teacher to realize that when the students are creating they may gradually move away from the original idea or sounds. This is to be expected as a natural outcome in the creative process. Wherever possible, the teacher should encourage students to explore their digressions and discuss the processes that led to them. Many times this deviation may prove more exciting and lead to a greater understanding of how music is created in the world.
In grade six, the students will:
When assessing an individual student's achievement of this objective, teachers should observe the student's commitment and contributions to his or her explorations. The final composition may or may not demonstrate the processes the student used and the understanding gained. The teacher should use discussion and the student's own evaluation in addition to the final product when evaluating. Teachers might ask such questions as the following:
Music has always served humankind as a method to transmit societal and cultural attitudes and values, is addition to being a vehicle for personal expression. This objective is designed to have students look at the different functions music has for various groups of people throughout the world. Music can fulfill different roles; it can convey or evoke feelings, support other art forms, promote consumer goods, evoke awareness, revitalize the listener, express personal musical ideas, instill patriotism, communicate messages, reinforce religious beliefs, and entertain.
Through their explorations, students will learn how music has and continues to have the ability to influence people. They should begin to discover how a society or culture is often reflected in its music. Therefore, students can begin to explore societies and cultures through their music. Students will begin to see the common threads which exist in the music of various cultures and begin to identify ways specific societies have used music to express or challenge ideas, traditions and beliefs.
Students should continue to look at the various roles music has in their own community. They should continue to discover how their lives are influenced by the music they hear in the mass media, stores, various ceremonies and events. Students' explorations should lead them to discover the role music has played historically in their own and other communities. Investigating other societies and cultures, they will discover how the function of music varies. This will enable them to begin to discover how music can act as a catalyst for change and how music often reinforces or questions values or confronts issues in a society.
Music is intrinsically related to many other art forms. Students should begin to discover the inter-relatedness of the four strands in the Arts Education program. The students should also discover that the inspiration for one composition, whether in dance, drama, music or visual art, can often inspire expression in a different art form. Examples could include famous composers who were inspired by visual art works, and drum groups that use dance as a basis for their work.
In grade six, the students will:
Projects related to this foundational objective are likely to include visits to the classroom by people in the community. They are also likely to include research and discussion. Involve the students in the planning of projects where possible. Teachers might ask such questions as the following:
One of the goals of the Arts Education program states that students should come to understand the contributions of the arts and artists to societies and cultures, past and present. To achieve this goal, students should listen to and discuss a wide variety of musical selections, and study the music of many cultures and time periods. Consequently, the music of European choral and instrumental composers should be included, but should not be the only cultures/styles explored. Students should investigate the history of individual artists and, in doing so, begin to discover some of the many reasons that musical artists create music.
Students need to understand that the context in which music is created is important in understanding the work. Considerations such as geographic location, time period, role of musicians in society, resources available and function need to be researched and discussed. Styles, unique musical techniques used, trends, trademark characteristics and instruments used by different composers and musicians should also be discussed by the students. Local resources such as composers, musical groups, cultural organizations, etc. should be used whenever possible. Contemporary musical artists of all styles (pop, experimental, cultural, classical, etc.) should be included; it is important that students realize that music is still being created today in many different ways and styles.
When investigating musicians and composers, students will experience the dilemma involved in classifying music and musical artists. Attempts to classify music and musicians will reveal that the categories often overlap and that the classifications in many cases are arbitrary and artificial.
In order to achieve this objective, students need to use factual information about the musician, composer or musical composition. Therefore, research becomes a vital part of the process of this type of learning. Encouraging students to discover relevant information helps make the learning process meaningful. Magazine articles and liner notes from audio recordings, as well as local Elders and community members, may help the teacher develop resources for music research.
In grade six, the students will:
A person's awareness and understanding of music is closely connected to his or her cultural background or perspective and previous musical experiences. Peer groups may also influence immediate reactions to various musical works. It takes time for students to develop an understanding of the music of cultures other than their own and styles of music unfamiliar to them. Teachers might ask such questions as the following:
The purpose of this objective is to lead students to respond to music in an increasingly thoughtful and meaningful way. A procedure such as the one described in "Listening to Music" in this document will help the teacher guide students to think about and respond to music, both live and recorded. Students should be challenged to go beyond their initial reactions and to suspend judgment while they describe, analyse and further investigate music. By developing their aural perceptual abilities and critical thinking skills, students will be in a better position to make decisions about their own sound environment.
Students should be encouraged to talk about music they hear in the classroom and in their homes. They will need to be assisted in developing an increased vocabulary to describe their perceptions and reactions to music. The teacher can encourage vocabulary development by incorporating appropriate vocabulary in all activities throughout the year.
Students should be allowed to hold different opinions on musical compositions they hear; this presents an excellent forum for discussion. Emphasis should be placed on supporting, not just stating, their opinions regarding a variety of music. The middle years student is often very peer conscious. This is a time when many students are involved in a teen sub-culture that influences what and how they listen to music. Teachers should remember that students bring different cultural and personal perspectives to their listening. They should be encouraged to discover and reflect on how this affects their reactions to music.
The students should be encouraged to apply critical thinking to their own musical compositions, as well as to pre-recorded and live performances by practicing musicians. Reflection of this nature will lead to a practical understanding of concerns and problems all musicians and composers encounter in music.
In these grades, students should be encouraged to research different aspects of the music they listen to. Resources should include magazine articles, videos, liner notes from audio recordings, newspaper clippings, resource people in the community, and books and materials in resource centres and libraries. This gathering of information will provide a greater understanding of the work being listened to. After this type of research, the students should come back to the music with a greater ability to discuss critically what they are listening to.
Music chosen for the year should represent a broad spectrum of styles and tastes. Representative music from various areas of the world, music the students hear at home, and Western European "art" music should all be included. Through a range of listening experiences, students will begin to understand how music is a living, creative art form.
In grade six, the students will:
When assessing the individual student's ability to achieve this objective, the teacher should observe the student's contribution to discussions. The teacher should observe the student's awareness of his or her own responses to various music and interpretation of what in the music evoked those responses. Teachers might ask such questions as the following: