Music

Pre-Kindergarten
Students are introduced to basic music elements such as pitch, steady beat, rhythm, and tempo. Students use unpitched percussion instruments such as hand drums, tambourines, maracas, and other sound-effect instruments. Students participate in directed movement activities using bean bags, scarves, and other props. Cross-curricular approaches are integrated into music lessons in cooperation with the homeroom teachers. Performance opportunities occur in class and during the December Holiday Program and Assembly Programs.

Kindergarten
Students further explore basic music elements such as pitch and tempo with the introduction of basic rhythmic and melodic notation. They also continue to learn about unpitched percussion and practice playing with different dynamics and inflection. Students are exposed to different music genres through daily listening examples of classical and multicultural music. Students continue directed movement activities with props, and perform simple folk dances and play parties. Cross-curricular approaches are integrated into music lessons in cooperation with the homeroom teachers. Performance opportunities occur in class and during the December Holiday Program and assembly programs.

1st Grade
Students continue to explore basic music elements such as pitch, tempo and steady beat. They begin to use manipulatives, pencil, and paper to notate basic rhythm patterns using quarter notes, eighth notes, half notes, and quarter rests. Students begin to play the Orff instruments; xylophones, metallophones, and glockenspiels. They study the four major instrument groups and are exposed to different music genres through daily listening activities. Creative movement and folk dance is incorporated into each unit. Cross-curricular approaches are integrated into music lessons in cooperation with the homeroom teachers. Performance opportunities occur in class and during the December Holiday Program and Assembly Programs.

2nd Grade
Students continue to explore basic music elements such as pitch, tempo, rhythmic patterns and basic music notation. Students use manipulatives, pencil, and paper to notate longer rhythm patterns using quarter notes, eighth notes, half notes, and quarter rests. They continue to develop proficiency on the barred instruments with an emphasis on the pentatonic scale. They also begin to learn two-part songs and rounds. Students are exposed to different music genres through daily listening activities. Creative movement and folk dance is incorporated into each unit. Themes in music may coordinate with themes in the homeroom class. Performance opportunities occur in class and during the December Holiday Program and through Assembly Programs.

3rd Grade
Soprano recorder is introduced, and students begin to read and write melodic notation as well as rhythmic notation. Students continue to be exposed to different music genres through daily listening activities. Creative movement and folk dance is incorporated into each unit. Themes in music may coordinate with themes in the homeroom class. Performance opportunities occur in class and during the December Holiday Program and through Assembly Programs.

4th Grade
Students begin to focus on ensemble playing. Most songs combine barred instruments, unpitched percussion, and soprano recorder. Students learn to perform, read, and notate rhythm patterns using sixteenth notes. Students are exposed to different music genres through daily listening activities. Creative movement and folk dance is incorporated into each unit. Performance opportunities occur in class, during the December Holiday Program and through Assembly Programs.

5th Grade
Alto recorder is introduced, and most of the music learned has multiple instrument parts. Students learn to read, write, and perform music in compound meter. Students are exposed to various genres of music through daily listening activities. Creative movement and folk dance is incorporated into each unit. Performance opportunities occur in class, during the December Holiday Program and through Assembly Programs.

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