Elementary Music Grade 1

Segment One 

Module One: Beat Blast 

• music classroom and performance behaviors 
• steady beat and non-steady beat 
• strong beats and weak beats 
• rhythm 
• body movements 
• music notation 
• songs such as In the Hall of the Mountain King and America the Beautiful 

Module Two: Melody Makers 

• melody 
• melodic contour 
• staff and treble clef 
• pitch 
• head voice 
• solfege 
• melodic patterns 
• songs such as You Are My Sunshine and Frère Jacques 

Module Three: Dynamic Duos 

• dynamics (forte and piano) 
• feelings 
• staccato and legato 
• body movements 
• songs such as John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt and Canon in D 

Module Four: Tempo Time 

• tempo (allegro and largo) 
• tempo changes 
• feelings and emotions 
• listening maps 
• songs such as Symphony No. 5 and Flight of the Bumblebee 

Segment Two 

Module Five: Building Blocks 

• patterns 
• form (AB, ABA, ABCA, ABAC, and AABA) 
• repeat sign 
• verse and chorus form 
• call and response form 
• songs such as This Old Man and Shoo Fly 

Module Six: Tone Adventures 

• timbre 
• tone 
• instrument families 
• percussion instrument technique 
• The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra 
• environmental sounds 
• voice types 
• vocal technique 
• solo vs. group of singers 
• songs such as Baa, Baa, Little Sheep and We’re Going on a Bear Hunt 

Module Seven: Red, White, and Music 

• listening 
• American Folk songs 
• comparing and contrasting songs 
• composers 
• composing songs 
• songs such as Home on the Range and Simple Gifts 

Module Eight: Music Makers 

• composition 
• music elements 
• classroom and performance behaviors 
• participating in music 
• enhancing poems and chants 
• improvising 
• rhythmic and melodic response 
• aural and written patterns 
• songs such as This is the Way We Brush Our Teeth and Che Che Kule 

Students will need the following materials: printer, cell phone or scanner, headset or earbuds, notebook, pen, pencils, erasers, scissors, coloring materials (markers, crayons, colored pencils), glue, tape, stapler, ruler, printer paper, lined paper, colored paper, and general household objects for activities. 

Besides engaging students in challenging curriculum, the course guides students to reflect on their learning and evaluate their progress through a variety of assessments. Assessments can be in the form of practice lessons, multiple-choice questions, writing assignments, projects, oral assessments, and discussions. Core courses will use the state-approved grading scale and Special Area courses will use an S or U grading scale.  

To achieve success, students are expected to submit work in each course weekly. Students can learn at their own pace; however, “any pace” still means that students must make progress in the course every week. To measure learning, students complete self-checks, practice lessons, multiple choice questions, projects, discussion-based assessments, and discussions. Students are expected to maintain regular contact with teachers; the minimum requirement is monthly. When teachers, students, and parents work together, students are successful.