PK  -  K  -  1st  -  2nd  -  3rd  -  4th  -  5th  -  6th  -  7th  -  8th

Pre-Kindergarten

In Pre-Kindergarten, students experience music with stories, singing games, and rhythmic percussion instruments.  Students focus on finding their singing voice and keeping the steady beat.  The Core Arts Standards and National Standards are considered when planning lessons.

In the lesson titled "We're Going on a Bear Hunt,"  students are listening to a story called "We're Going on a Bear Hunt."  The students experience keeping a steady beat, exploring different vocal timbres, improvising sound effects, and moving through a scene inspired by the story. 

Below, you will find a listening sample and the lesson plan for "We're Going on a Bear Hunt."

Kindergarten

In Kindergarten, students experience music with stories, singing games, and rhythmic percussion instruments.  Students focus on finding their singing voice, keeping the steady beat, improvising simple rhythms, and performances.  The Core Arts Standards, National Music Standards, and Missouri General Learning Expectations are considered when planning lessons.

 In the lesson titled "Jungle Walk," students are learning a chant called "Jungle Walk."  Students first learn the difference between beat and silent beat.  Then they move on to experience an integrative lesson using art and improvisation on various percussion instruments.  Students also learn to notate the chant using iconic notation.

Below, you will find a listening sample and lesson plan for "Jungle Walk."

COMING SOON: Jungle Walk

First Grade

In 1st Grade, students experience music with stories, singing games, rhythmic and melodic percussion, and music analysis.  Students focus on developing their singing voice, keeping the steady beat, improvising simple rhythms and melodies, and performances.  The Core Arts Standards and Missouri General Learning Expecations are considered when planning lessons.

Here is a sample lesson plan at the 1st Grade Level.  This lesson is more of a unit plan on Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Ballet."  Students are guided to hear musical elements and express them through movement and art.  In one example, students dance the "Chinese Dance" with paper fans they made. 

Below, you will find the lesson plan for "Nutcracker Ballet."

Second Grade

In 2nd Grade, students experience music with stories, singing games, rhythmic and melodic percussion, and music analysis.  Students focus on developing their singing voice, improvising simple rhythms and melodies, notation, and performances.  The Core Arts Standards, The National Music Standards, and Missouri General Learning Expectations are considered when planning lessons.

Here is an example of a lesson at the 2nd Grade Level.  Students learn a chant called "Time to Clap" using voices, hand drums, and xylophones.  This lesson gives students practice in timbre, improvisation, instrumental technique, and form. 

Below, you will find the lesson plan for "Time to Clap."

Third Grade

In 3rd Grade, students experience music with rhythmic and melodic percussion, voices, and recorder.  Students continue with developing their singing voices, improvising simple rhythms and melodies, learning notation, and performing.  The Core Arts Standards and Missouri General Learning Expectations are considered when planning lessons.

Here is a sample of a unit plan for recorder.  Students learn recorder technique, read notation on the treble staff, and perform simple melodies on a wind instrument.  Below, you will find a lesson plan describing the recorder unit for third grade students.

Fourth Grade

In 4th Grade, students experience music with rhythmic and melodic percussion, voices, and recorder.  Students continue developing their singing voices, improvising rhythms and melodies, notating, playing xylophone accompaniments, and performing.  The Core Arts Standards and Missouri General Learning Expectations are considered when planning lessons.

In this 4th Grade Level lesson, students sing a song called "Skin and Bones."  Students sing, act, move, create sound effects with percussion instruments, and play a simple accompaniment on xylophones.  

Below, you will find a listening sample and lesson plan for "Skin and Bones."

Roll on Clouds Composition

Roll On Clouds

Fifth Grade

In 5th Grade, students experience music with rhythmic and melodic percussion, voices, and recorder.  Students sing, improvise rhythms and melodies, expand notation, play xylophone accompaniments, and perform.  The Core Arts Standards and Missouri General Learning Expectations are considered when planning lessons.

Here is a sample lesson plan at the 5th Grade Level.  In this lesson, students are understanding notation, and using it to dictate and compose rhythms.  Students may also compose melody.

Sixth Grade

In 6th grade, students begin the "World Drumming Curriculum."  Using this curriculum, students still sing and play instruments, but they are involved in more advanced ensembles using solo and ensemble drum playing, harmonic accompaniments on xylophones, and singing more complex harmonies.  The Core Arts Standards and Missouri General Learning Expectations are considered when planning lessons.

In this lesson, sixth grade students created original compositions in collaboration with the STEM and Art teachers for a "Food Truck" unit.  In STEM (in our school, it's called "STREAM" to include reading, religion, and the arts) and Art class, the students designed a food truck using the elements of STEM to create their very own food truck using food from a country of their choice.  Our students were visited by a food truck called "Walkaway Waffles."  The musical component involved students using their knowledge of musical elements and composition to create a "jingle" for their food truck.  The words and music are entirely original.

Below, you will find the lesson plan for the "Food Truck" unit.

Seventh Grade

In 7th grade, students continue the "World Drumming Curriculum."  Using this curriculum, students still sing and play instruments, but they are involved in more advanced ensembles using solo and ensemble drum playing, more complex meters, harmonic accompaniments on xylophones, and singing more complex harmonies.  Students are also more involved in creating original compositions.  The Core Arts Standards and Missouri General Learning Expectations are considered when planning lessons.

Below, you will find a seventh grade lesson plan called "Element Stations Adapted from Orff Workshop"

Eighth Grade

In 8th grade, students continue the "World Drumming Curriculum."  Using this curriculum, students still sing and play instruments, but they are involved in more advanced ensembles using solo and ensemble drum playing, more complex meters, harmonic accompaniments on xylophones, and singing more complex harmonies.  Students are also more involved in creating original compositions.  The Core Arts Standards and Missouri General Learning Expectations are considered when planning lessons.

Here is a clip of an original composition from 8th grade.  For a rubric of this lesson, please visit the "Assessments" page.