| Term 1 | Rhythm | |
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| Students will explore ways of reading and writing music, using graphic scores and traditional notation. Students will learn about African percussion instruments and perform polyrhythms in groups using djembes.
Composition: Whole class and group rhythmic composition. Whole class singing.
Performance: Rhythmic performances using "circles and boxes" and standard notation
Application: Learn about the African musical tradition. A study of pulse, tempo and rhythm. |
| Assessment: Rhythmic performances using percussion instruments | Key Words and Terms |
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| Term 2 | Find Your Voice | |
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| Students will learn to use their voices in a variety of ways, including call and response singing, canons and multi-part harmony pieces. They will learn different vocal styles including SATB and beatboxing. They will learn to analyse and vocally recreate pieces of music.
Composition: Small group vocal arrangements of popular songs.
Performance: Vocal performances in a range of styles.
Leading up to whole class singing in the Christmas concert
App: Critical listening to a variety of vocal music.
ICT: Using mobile technology for recording and looping vocal sounds. |
| Assessment: Vocal perfomance assessment in groups | Key Words and Terms |
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| Term 3 | Melody and the Keyboard | |
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| Students will learn to read and perform melody lines by reading musical notation in the treble clef. They will learn about the structure of the keyboard, and how melody lines are composed.
Performance: Whole class and paired keyboard performances. Whole class singing of well known melody lines.
App: Analyse the use of melody in pieces from different styles and contexts. |
| Assessment: Performance assessment of a piece of keyboard music | Key Words and Terms |
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| Term 4 | Elements of Music and the Orchestra | |
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| Students will learn about the building blocks of music; pitch, duration,
dynamics, timbre, tempo, structure, texture and silence. They will develop critical listening skills and build their musical vocabulary. They will learn about the instruments of the orchestra and it’s role in classical music
Composition: Short composition to demonstrate use of the elements of music
App: Students will explore the elements of music by studying a wide variety of classical musical extracts, culminating in a critical listening assessment task. |
| Assessment: Listening assessment focussing on the elements of music | Key Words and Terms |
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| Term 5 | Chinese Music (and the Pentatonic Scale) | |
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| A look at Asian instruments and the development of various Asian musical styles. Students will focus on the characteristics of Chinese music (including the pentatonic scale) and compose a piece influenced by the Chinese style.
Composition: Students will compose a piece using music technology for traditional instruments using the pentatonic scale.
Performance: Students will perform several traditional vocal and keyboard pieces.
App: Through a study of Asian music students will deconstruct the musical processes involved in its composition, and develop vocabulary and understanding of music outside the Western tradition.
ICT: Composition using Logic Pro, focusing on composing pentatonic melodies with drone accompaniment. |
| Assessment: Pentatonic composition using Music Technology | Key Words and Terms |
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| Term 6 | Musical Chords | |
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| Students will learn how chords are constructed, and learn sequences
common to popular music. They will develop their ensemble performing skills through group work.
Performance: Small group and whole class singing with a chordal accompaniment. Performing in ensembles.
App: Ear training listening exercises to recognise common chord patterns, and analysis of their use in popular music. |
| Assessment: Performance using keyboard chords, percussion and vocals. | Key Words and Terms |
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