Greenwich Music ObjectivesGrade 5—General Music

*Connecticut Arts Curriculum Framework—Content Standards in Music Copyright ©2002 Greenwich Public Schools and Policy Studies in EducationApril, 2002 1

All students are required to take general music one hour per week. All students may elect to take band,orchestra or chorus. The annotations (e.g. *6c, *1d) in the curriculum are based on theNational/Connecticut Standards. For example, *6c indicates content standard number 6, achievementstandard number 3.

Elements and Styles1. Names grade-level pitches (i.e., eight pitches on the extended pentatonic scale) as

sol|–la|–do–re–mi–sol–la–do| (*5b)

2. Identifies given intervals as a third or a fifth (*6c)

3. Defines descant and identifies a descant when heard in a song (*6c)

4. Defines coda and identifies a coda when playing music (*6c)

5. Explains the role of sharps and flats in altering pitch (*6c)

6. Recognizes the purpose of and notation for a fermata (*6c)

7. Defines syncopation and identifies syncopated rhythms aurally (*6c)

8. Identifies (e.g., by clapping) the second and fourth beat of a measure as the strong beats in jazz music rather than the first and third beats as in other styles of music

(*6c)

9. Distinguishes among the forms of sections of vocal or instrumental pieces with combina-tions of A, A1, B, and C parts, including rondo form (*6a)

10. Identifies the bass clef

11. Identifies melodic and rhythmic variations (*6c)

12. Defines chord as two or more sounds heard at the same time and identifies chord symbolsin his or her music book: C, F, and G and/or I, IV, and V (*6c)

Notation1. Identifies single eighth notes, eighth rests, triplets, and dotted quarter note–eighth note

combinations individually and in patterns (*5a)

2. Writes quarter notes, two attached eighth notes, quarter rests, half notes, half rests, wholenotes, whole rests, dotted half notes, sixteenth notes, single eighth notes, eighth rests,triplets, and dotted quarter note–eighth note combinations in staff notation (notes andrests representing pitches and rhythms on a five-line staff ) (*5d)

3. Writes dotted quarter notes, dotted quarter rests, and three attached eighth notes in staffnotation in 6/8 meter (*5d)

2

4. Reads notes and rests in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8 meters (*5d)

5. Counts rhythms using number syllables for whole notes and rests, half notes and rests,dotted half notes and rests, quarter notes and rests, dotted quarter notes and rests, eighthnotes and rests, and sixteenth notes in 4/4 time

6. Reads grade-level pitches (sol|–la|–do–re–mi–sol–la–do|) from staff notation using atreble clef (*5b)

7. Reads patterns of grade-level pitches from staff notation using a treble clef and handsigns (*5b)

8. Reads the notes in a song from staff notation, using the letter names: A, B, C, D, E, F,and G (*5b)

9. Writes patterns of grade-level rhythms in stick notation and staff notation from dictation(*5d)

10. Writes patterns of grade-level pitches in staff notation from dictation (*5d)

11. Conducts in 3/4 meter (*5a)

Vocal Performance1. Sings patterns of grade-level pitches (sol|–la|–do–re–mi–sol–la–do|) through solfege

(voice exercises) and following hand signs (*1a)

2. Echoes vocally short melodies using grade-level pitches (*1a)

3. Echoes vocally short rhythm patterns using grade-level rhythms (*1a)

4. Sings songs in major and minor tonalities (*1a)

5. Sings songs in different meters (*1a)

6. Sings in various tempi from notation or the conductor’s cues: andante, allegro, adagio,accelerando, and ritardando (*1a, 5c)

7. Sings in groups while blending vocal timber and matching the dynamics of pianissimo,piano, mezzo piano, mezzo forte, forte, fortissimo, crescendo, and decrescendo fromnotation or the conductor’s cues (*1e, 5c)

8. Sings with accented beats, staccato, and legato from articulation symbols in notation(*1b)

9. Sings 16-beat phrases, with correct pitch and rhythm (*1b)

10. Sight-reads songs, by counting with number syllables (*5b)

3

11. Sight-sings melodic phrases and songs, using sol|–la|–do–re–mi–sol–la–do| (*5b)

12. Sings major and minor scales from hand signs (*1a)

13. Sings expressively, with accurate intonation, clear head tone, proper musical phrasingand breathing, and clear diction (*1b)

14. Sings with correct posture (*1a)

15. Sings songs from memory, using neutral syllables (e.g., bah, loo, ah) andsol|–la|–do–re–mi–sol–la–do| (*1c)

16. Sings rounds (*1d)

17. Sings partner songs (two different songs that fit together harmonically being sung at thesame time) (*1d)

18. Sings one part in a two-part song from memory (i.e., a song in which the two contrastingparts are being sung at the same time) (*1d)

19. Sings one part in a two-part song from staff notation, using grade-level pitches andrhythms (*1a, 5a)

20. Sings descants and ostinati while others sing the melody (*1d)

Instrumental Performance1. Plays downbeats and upbeats from the conductor’s cues (*2e)

2. Plays rhythmic patterns in duple and triple meter, using grade-level rhythms on pitchedand unpitched instruments (*2a)

3. Plays with an understanding of first and second endings and fermatas (*2b)

4. Plays melodic patterns on Orff instruments (pitched percussion instruments, such as thexylophone), using grade-level pitches and rhythms (*2b)

5. Matches the dynamics of piano, forte, pianissimo, fortissimo, mezzo piano, mezzo forte,crescendo, and decrescendo from notation or the conductor’s cues, using pitched orunpitched instruments or body percussion (clapping, tapping, or patting parts of the bodyto produce sound) (*2a, 5c)

6. Plays on pitched or unpitched instruments or with body percussion in various tempi fromnotation or the conductor’s cues: vivace, largo, andante, allegro, adagio, accelerando,and ritardando (*2a, 5c)

4

7. Plays one part in a two-part rhythmic exercise (i.e., an exercise in which the two contrast-ing parts are being played at the same time), using grade-level rhythms and pitches (*2f)

8. Plays an instrument, using the proper position (e.g., holding mallets correctly)

9. Plays or accompanies a diverse repertoire of songs, using appropriate dynamics andarticulations (*2c)

10. Echoes melodies of grade-level pitches, using pitched instruments (*2d)

11. Echoes rhythmic patterns of grade-level rhythms, using pitched and unpitched instru-ments (*2d)

12. Plays melodic pieces in unison on pitched instruments (*2e)

13. Plays melodic pieces in two-part arrangements (*2f)

14. Plays a simple melody while others are playing or singing ostinati (*2f)

15. Plays rhythmic pieces in unison (*2e)

16. Plays simple rhythmic pieces in two-part arrangements (*2f)

17. Plays simple rhythmic pieces in rounds (*2e)

Improvisation1. Improvises vocal or rhythmic musical questions and answers, using grade-level rhythms

and pitches (*3a)

2. Improvises to complete a missing section of a song in a given form (*3d)

3. Improvises simple melodies to I, IV, and V accompaniments (*3b)

4. Improvises variations on given familiar pentatonic melodies (using do–re–mi–sol–la)(*3c)

Composition1. Composes an eight-beat melody, using grade-level rhythms and pitches (*4b)

2. Creates rhythmic or speech accompaniment to familiar songs (*4c)

3. Composes melodies in major and minor tonalities (*4b)

5

4. Composes a short song for voice, body percussion, or pitched or unpitched instruments,using grade-level pitches and rhythms (*4b)

5. Uses notational software to represent their compositions (*4b)

Evaluation1. Explains why he or she likes or dislikes given vocal or instrumental pieces or given styles

of music, by referring to the specific music elements of form, pitch, tempo, dynamics,rhythm, and/or timbre (*7b)

2. Evaluates his or her own vocal and instrumental performances, using criteria establishedby the teacher (*7a)

3. Evaluates classroom vocal and instrumental performances, using criteria established bythe teacher, and discusses the peer evaluations (*7a)

4. Evaluates the quality of the student and/or professional concerts he or she attends atschools in the district or in facilities outside the district, using criteria established by theteacher and giving his or her own individual reactions (*7a)

Connections1. Improvises accompaniments to literature, using voice, body percussion (clapping, tap-

ping, or patting parts of the body to produce sound), or pitched or unpitched instruments(*3b, 8b)

2. Explains how music can help create the setting of works of historical fiction (*8b)

3. Compares tone color, as produced by the sounds of various musical instruments, withcolors used in art (*8b)

4. Discusses the importance and characteristics of spirituals to African-American slaves ofthe 18th and 19th centuries (*8b)

5. Discusses the musical and emotional connections between spirituals and dance, afterseeing Alvin Ailey’s ballet Revelations, set to the vocal and instrumental music of tradi-tional spirituals (*8b)

6. Discusses the dance interpretations of the music from West Side Story, after seeing danceexcerpts from the movie (e.g., the dance in the gym) (*8b)

History and Cultures1. Describes how certain elements of music (e.g., rhythm, pitch, tempo, dynamics, form) are

used in vocal and instrumental pieces representing diverse cultures (*9b)

6

2. Match instruments to their country of origin (e.g., marimbas, bongos) (*9b)

3. Sings songs representing diverse cultures from memory, including some in a languageother than English, using correct pronunciation (*9b)

4. Plays music representing diverse cultures (*9b)

5. Discusses the characteristics of opera and explains how an opera performance uses avariety of the arts in addition to vocal and orchestral music (e.g. acting, scenery, andcostumes, and often dance) (*9a)

6. Discusses the characteristics of spiritual and gospel music (*9a)

7. Sings and explains the meaning of the words of The Star-Spangled Banner and YankeeDoodle (*9a)

8. Discusses the characteristics of American jazz and describes the beginnings of its popu-larity (*9a)

9. Discusses the role of improvisation in jazz concerts (*9d)

10. Identifies Duke Ellington (1899–1974) as an American jazz composer, musician,songwriter, and bandleader, who was the first to compose long jazz works that featuredindividual jazz musicians in his band (*9a)

11. Identifies George Gershwin (1898–1937) as an American composer and pianist, who isfamous for his Broadway musicals with their memorable songs (e.g., I Got Rhythm,‘S Wonderful); his orchestral masterpiece Rhapsody in Blue; the most popular Americanopera ever written, Porgy and Bess; and the lyrical An American in Paris (*9a)

12. Views an excerpt from Porgy and Bess and discusses the qualities of its music (*9a)

13. Identifies Leonard Bernstein (1918–1990) as an American composer and conductor of theNew York Philharmonic Orchestra, who is perhaps best known for composing Broadwaymusicals, including On the Town and West Side Story, and for his television appearancesdiscussing music in simple language (*9a)

14. Describes proper behavior when listening to performances of jazz music and Broadwaymusicals (e.g., audience members clap after solos in jazz performances and songs inBroadway musicals) (*9e)

Aesthetic Appreciation1. Chooses to attend concerts outside school in his or her free time (*9c)

2. Appreciates the contribution of music to plays and movies

7

3. Appreciates the role of jazz in the cultural history of African Americans

4. Appreciates the contributions that American musicians have made to the world, includingjazz and the Broadway musical

5. Enjoys listening to a variety of 20th century American music

6. Appreciates the contribution that music made to the lives of the slaves in 18th and 19thcentury America (*8b)

7. Enjoys improvising movement to music (e.g., dance to spirituals) (*8b)

8

Singing and Playing/Accompanying Repertoire

KINDERGARTEN

Singing Repertoire:AmericaAutumn Leaves are Falling (American)Bow Wow Wow (American)Charlie Over the Ocean (American)Engine Engine #9 (American)Kite Song (Japanese)This Little Light of Mine (African American)La Pin!ata (Mexican)Tak For Maden (Danish)Ushkana (Native American)Wontu Dwon (Gha)

Playing/Accompanying Repertoire: "Music and Movement"Debussy - "Children's Corner Suite"Dukas - "Sorcerer's Apprentice"Mussoursky - "Pictures at an Exhibition Ballad of Unhatched Chicks"Vivaldi - "Four Seasons"

FIRST GRADE

Singing Repertoire:All Around the Kitchen (African American)Ambos (Puerto Rican)Hunt the Cows (Scandinavian)Ndafua Edzin (African)Nikosi (Native American)Paw Paw Patch (American)A La Rueda (South American)Sail Silver Moon (Chinese)Yankee Doodle Dandy (American)You're a Grand Old Flag (American)

Playing/Accompanying Repertoire: "Program Music"Prokofiev's - "Peter and the Wolf"Saint-Saens - "Carnival of Animals"Sousa - "Stars and Stripes" "Washington Post March"Star-Spangled Banner

9

SECOND GRADE

Singing Repertoire:Bate Bate (South American)Button You must Wander (American)Frere Jacques (French(Kye Kye Kule (African)Pizza Pizza Daddy-O (African American)Sailor went to Sea Sea Sea (American)Sally Go Round the Sun (American)See See See (Japanese)The Shepherd Song (Israeli)This Land is Your Land (American

Playing/Accompanying Repertoire: "Ballet"Greig "Hall of the Mountain King"Tchaikovsky - "The Nutcracker"Guthrie - "This Land is Your Land"

THIRD GRADE

Singing Repertoire:America The Beautiful (American)Au Clair de La Lune (French)Canoe Song (Native American)Lullaby (Sioux Indian)Obwisana (Ghana)Pop Goes the Weasel (American)Sakura (Japanese)Seneca Stomp Dance (Native American)There's a Hole in the Bucket (American)El Tren (Venezuelan)

Playing/Accompanying Repertoire: "Native American & Baroque"Anonymous - "Hopu Lullaby" "Land of Silver Birch"Bach - "Brandenburg Concerto #2"Handel - "Hallelujah Chorus"Jimerson - "Seneca Stomp Dance"

10

FOURTH GRADE

Singing Repertoire:Battle Hymn of the Republic (American)Bollweevil (American - Southern)The Cat Came Back (American)Come and Sing Together (Hungarian)Erie Canal (American - Northeast)Four White Horse (Caribbean)I's the By (New Foundland)Michie Banjo (American - Creole)My Darling Clementine (American West)Old Carrion Crow (Nova Scotia)Old Joe Clark (American)Simple Gifts (American)Suk San Wan Pi Mai (Laotian)Sweet Betsie from Pike (American West)Take Time for Life (Liberian)

Playing/Accompanying Repertoire: "Classical"Beethoven - "Symphony #5" "Symphony #9"Copland - "Appalachian Spring"Mozart - "Marriage of Figaro" (overture)Mozart - "Rondo alla Turca" "Sleigh Ride"

"Variations of Twinkle Twinkle"

FIFTH GRADE

Singing Repertoire:Arirang (Korean)Dancing on the Rooftop (American Scat)Everybody Loves a Saturday Night (Ghana)Joyful Joyful (German)Lift Every Voice and Sing (African American)Old Abraham Brown (European)Sing for Your Supper/Mango Walk/Rue (Caribbean)The Star-Spangled Banner (American)Swing Low/Saints Go Marching (African American)Zum Gali Gali (Israeli)Wade in the Water (African American)

11

Playing/Accompanying Repertoire: "20th Century/Jazz Music"Bernstein - "West Side Story"Ellington - "Don't Mean a Thing"Gershwin - "I Got Rhythm" "Fascinating Rhythm"

"Summertime"