3rd-4th Grade
April 2017 Update
Students had 3 days of music this month where they had an abbreviated world drumming unit. They explored improvisation, and the multi-layered patterns of African and Latin American drumming. May will be spent doing some drumming as well as exploring how music and sounds affect mood through our end of year technology unit.
Overview of Music Class
The 3rd/4th grade Fine Arts block is shared between Music and Visual Arts, with students visiting each in 3-week rotating sessions throughout the year. During each music session, students have music class three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for 45 minutes at a time. This schedule is a great opportunity for students to engage in an in-depth study of musical concepts.
Learning the recorder is a highlight of the 3rd/4th grade music curriculum. After beginning to read music in first and second grade, students fine tune these skills when they learn the recorder. They develop an understanding of the lines and spaces of the musical staff, and where the notes can be placed. Then they move on to identify specific notes (A-G) on the staff. In addition to reading music, students spend a lot of time learning the fingerings specific to each note, note articulation, breath support and control, and how to play multi-part music as an ensemble. In addition to recorder, composing original music and a music technology project are other highlights of the curriculum.
Please visit the Curriculum Maps page to view a more detailed outline of the 2016-2017 3rd-4th grade music curriculum.
Students had 3 days of music this month where they had an abbreviated world drumming unit. They explored improvisation, and the multi-layered patterns of African and Latin American drumming. May will be spent doing some drumming as well as exploring how music and sounds affect mood through our end of year technology unit.
Overview of Music Class
The 3rd/4th grade Fine Arts block is shared between Music and Visual Arts, with students visiting each in 3-week rotating sessions throughout the year. During each music session, students have music class three times per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, for 45 minutes at a time. This schedule is a great opportunity for students to engage in an in-depth study of musical concepts.
Learning the recorder is a highlight of the 3rd/4th grade music curriculum. After beginning to read music in first and second grade, students fine tune these skills when they learn the recorder. They develop an understanding of the lines and spaces of the musical staff, and where the notes can be placed. Then they move on to identify specific notes (A-G) on the staff. In addition to reading music, students spend a lot of time learning the fingerings specific to each note, note articulation, breath support and control, and how to play multi-part music as an ensemble. In addition to recorder, composing original music and a music technology project are other highlights of the curriculum.
Please visit the Curriculum Maps page to view a more detailed outline of the 2016-2017 3rd-4th grade music curriculum.