Unit # :

Grade: 4

Subject: Music

Creative Expression and Production

Knowledge and Skills / Time Frame: Year-long / Prior Knowledge:
SC Indicator:
Students will:
Develop the ability to improvise music through experimentation with sound.
Develop readiness for composing and arranging by experimenting with sound.
SC Objectives:
Use instruments or voices to improvise simple rhythmic and melodic ostinato accompaniments. (3.1.a)
Improvise vocal or instrumental music using at least three traditional sounds. (3.1.b)
Compose and notate graphically a sound composition using environmental sounds. (3.2.a)
Create simple melodies in forms which show contrast: whole notes and whole rests, half notes and half rests, quarter notes and quarter rests, two eighth notes connected, tied notes (2 measures). (3.2.b)
Compose and use traditional notation to preserve descants which enhance given melodies. (3.2.c)
Assessment Limits:
Use instruments or voices to improvise simple rhythmic and melodic ostinato accompaniments. (3.1.a)
Improvise vocal or instrumental music using at least three traditional sounds. (3.1.b)
Compose and notate graphically a sound composition using environmental sounds. (3.2.a)
Create simple melodies in forms which show contrast: whole notes and whole rests, half notes and half rests, quarter notes and quarter rests, two eighth notes connected, tied notes (2 measures). (3.2.b)
Compose and use traditional notation to preserve descants which enhance given melodies. (3.2.c)
VOCABULARY
improvise
rhythm
melodic ostinato
compose
descant / Enduring Understanding
Creative Expression and Production
Through the arts, we can express our personal vision of the world and understand the vision of others.
Essential Questions
Creative Expression and Production
How do visual and performing artists develop creative solutions in the arts?
How and why do we create and participate in the arts?
UNIT ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS:
Structure creates order and clarity in music.
The main idea of most musical compositions is expressed through the melody.
Layering two or more simultaneous sounds creates harmony.
Producing a series of sounds of repeated or varied duration creates rhythm.
Timbre adds color and variety to sound.
Good tone quality is created by correct technique.
Everyone can perform, create, and respond to music in meaningful ways.
Creating and performing music are forms of self expression.
UNIT ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
How is sound organized to make music?
How does the structure of a musical piece create its order and clarity?
How is melody created?
What does harmony add to music?

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Baltimore City Public Schools Office of Humanities SUBJECT Unit XX , Indicator XX- GRADE XX DRAFT

Unit # :

Grade: 4

Subject: Music

Creative Expression and Production

Suggested Learning Plan / Learning Activities and Strategies
Essential Question: How is sound organized to make music?
SC Objective: / Activity / Description / Materials/Resources
Use instruments or voices to improvise simple rhythmic and melodic ostinato accompaniments. (3.1.a) / Improvisation
Performance / Students will perform a melody of a song and then add an improvised ostinato to the song. Students discuss how two different musical parts are organized together to create a song. / Adopted text Spotlight on Music, Grade 4, page 36-37: I’ll Rise When the Rooster Crows.
Spotlight on Music, Grade 4, page 74-75: Old Joe Clark
Improvisation
Performance / Students will use words from a poem or a song to create a rhythm ostinato. / Adopted text Spotlight on Music, Grade 4, page 98-99: A modern Dragon
(train, train, wriggles his tale, 2 dotted quarters, 3 eighths, quarter, eighth rest).
Essential Question: How does the structure of a musical piece create its order and clarity?
SC Objective: / Activity / Description / Materials/Resources
Compose and notate graphically a sound composition using environmental sounds. (3.2.a) / Composition
Performance / Students will create a rhythm to perform between verses in a song. / Adopted text Spotlight on Music, Grade 4, page 74-75: Old Joe Clark.
Spotlight on Music, Grade 4, teacher resource masters, page 28: Old Joe Clark.
Composing
Performing / Students will compose an ostinato to accompany the B section of an AB song. / Adopted text Spotlight on Music, Grade 4, page 210-211: Sarasponda.
Composing
Performing / Students will work in groups to compose and notate a step routine (stomping -rectangles, clapping-circles and snapping- x’s). / Use adopted text Spotlight on Music, Grade 5, page 27: Eka Muda as a guide.
Essential Question: How is melody created?
SC Objective: / Activity / Description / Materials/Resources
Create simple melodies in forms which show contrast: whole notes and whole rests, half notes and half rests, quarter notes and quarter rests, two eighth notes connected, tied notes (2 measures). (3.2.b) / Composition
Performance / Students will compose a 16 beat rhythm in 4/4 meter and perform the composition for class. / Adopted text: Spotlight on Music, Grade 4, teacher resource masters, page 7.
List of predetermined rhythms: whole notes and whole rests, half notes and half rests, quarter notes and quarter rests, two eighth notes connected, tied notes
Composition
Performance / Students will use the above rhythm and add pitches from the C pentatonic scale. / Student created rhythms.
Pitches: C, D, E, G, A
Improvise vocal or instrumental music using at least three traditional sounds. (3.1.b) / Improvisation
Performance
Listening / Teacher will play a call and students will improvise a four beat response. After students are comfortable with improvising as a class, break them down into smaller groups and then individuals. / Pitched classroom instruments.
See examples: adopted text Spotlight on Music, Grade 4, page 72: Day-o
Spotlight on Music, Grade 4, page 70: Oh Won’t You Sit Down.
Improvisation
Performance
Listening / Teacher will play a call and students will improvise an eight beat response. After students are comfortable with improvising as a class, break them down into smaller groups and then individuals. / Pitched classroom instruments.
Improvisation
Performance
Listening / Students will work in small groups, improvising call and response patterns with pitched classroom instruments. / Pitched classroom instruments.
Essential Question: What does harmony add to music?
SC Objective: / Activity / Description / Materials/Resources
Compose and use traditional notation to preserve descants which enhance given melodies. (3.2.c) / Composing
Performing / Students will compose a descant to accompany a familiar song. / Examples: Frère Jacque, Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, or Hey Ho Nobody’s Home.
DIFFERENTIATION
Accommodations / Arts Integration / Classroom Management / G.A.T.E./Enrichment / Graphic Organizers
Library Integration / Reading Strategies / Teacher Definitions / Technology Integration / Vocabulary Activities

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Baltimore City Public Schools Office of Humanities SUBJECT Unit XX , Indicator XX- GRADE XX DRAFT