Hello Odessa Wildcats!
We have been very busy diving deeper into learning about musical elements and singing and playing instruments this first quarter.

Each quarter of music class, each grade level will be working on anywhere from one to four different units. Your child may be very strong in some areas like creating and composing, where others may be stronger in performing. Both formative and summative assessments will be used to see where your child is on the learning scale. We will also use pre-tests and post-tests which help show growth.

Here are our new learning goals for the second quarter for kindergarten through 5th grade:

Kindergarten: I can identify sounds within a piece of music. (These may be instrumental, found sounds, or environmental sounds.)

First grade: I can read, match, create, and improvise rhythms. (Students will use quarter notes, quarter rests, and beamed eighth notes for this standard.)

Second grade: I can identify the form of a simple piece of music. (Forms students need to know are AB, ABA, and call and response)

Third grade: I can identify the form of a familiar song. (Forms students need to know are AB, ABA, ABABA, rondo (ABACA), verse/refrain, introduction/coda, and call and response)

Fourth grade: I can classify band/orchestra instruments AND identify and describe the four primary voice types. (Students may identify through video, image, or listening example)

Fifth grade: I can aurally identify band/orchestra instruments AND the four primary voice types. (Students must identify ONLY by listening)

Some of these learning goals will take MANY weeks. We will be finished with some rather quickly, and then I will update again when we begin a new one for a certain grade level. Please feel free to contact your child’s music teacher (or me personally) if you have any questions about how or what is being taught in the classroom, or how your child will be assessed.