Singing Goal/Scale

Standard: Artistic Process-Performing, Common Anchor Standard #5

Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation. , Music-Rehearse, Evaluate, and Refine(NCCAS)

BIG IDEA/Essential Question : Why is singing an integral part of the human experience?

Learning Goal: I can sing in tune using my Head Voice.

4.0 / I am able to connect singing in tune, starting on a given pitch, using the full range of my voice, including Head Voice.
3.0 / I can sing in tune and in my Head Voice.
2.0 / I am beginning to sing in my Head Voice with a few phrases that are in tune.
1.0 / With help, I can identify my Head Voice, and I can sing notes going up and down.
0.0 / I do not yet understand the difference between my Talking Voice and my Head Voice.

Tasks for common assessments (to show student growth and to inform teaching)

Teacher will prepare students by singing songs for the class, with the indicated solfege and assessment songs during at least 3 class periods.

Teacher will teach by rote songs in small segments (parts, chunks) having students echo.

Student will sing teacher modeled songs after listening for a period of three weeks in large and small groups, progressing in confidence to solo singing

*Many of the examples provided are singing games which will allow the class to be playing while you are listening to solo singing.

  • Kindergarten (assess every 2 to 4)
  • Aurally identify singing voice vs talking voice
  • Teacher sings examples of music using his/her singing voice alternating with talking voice to the class asking students to stand up when they hear an example of singing voice.
  • The Student echos the teacher’s phrase (ie: Oh My!).
  • Simple Songs with s-m
  • A student echos the teacher’s s-m pattern (ie: Who has the?).
  • A student sings alone and unaccompanied all or part of a s-m song (ie: The Counting Song, Cuckoo).
  • 1st Grade (assess every 4 to 6 weeks)
  • Aurally identify singing voice vs talking voice
  • Student echos the teacher’s phrase (ie: Johnny on the woodpile).
  • Simple songs with s-m-l
  • A student sings alone and unaccompanied all or part of as-m-l song (ie: Star Light).
  • 2nd Grade (assess every 6 to 8 weeks)
  • Simple Songs with d
  • A student sings alone and unaccompanied all or part of as-d, d-s, s-m-d and a d-m-s song (ie: Ring Around the Rosy, Curfew Song, I See the Moon, Rocky Mountain).
  • Simple songs with r
  • A student sings alone and unaccompanied all or part of a song with m-r-d or d-r-m (ie:Hot Cross Buns, Closet Key, Frog in the Meadow, Grandma Grunts ).
  • A student sings alone and unaccompanied all or part of a song with s-m-r-d (ie: Who’s that?, Merrily We Roll Along).
  • A student sings alone and unaccompanied all or part of a song with l-s-m-r-d (Here Comes a Bluebird, Button).
  • 3rd Grade (assess every 6 to 8 weeks)
  • songs with low l, (d and l based tonal centers)
  • A student sings alone and unaccompanied all or part of a low l song with a do based (major)tonal center (ie: Old Mr. Rabbit, The Bell Cow).
  • songs with low s
  • A student sings alone and unaccompanied all or part of a song with low s (Shanghai Chicken, I’ve been to Haarlem)
  • 4th Grade (assess every 6 to 8 weeks)
  • songs with fa
  • A student sings alone and unaccompanied all or part of a song with
  • songs with ti
  • A student sings alone and unaccompanied all or part of a song with
  • A student sings alone and unaccompanied all or part of a song with
  • 5th Grade
  • singing in canon

Key Experiences - (Declarative Knowledge that lead to understanding)

High and Low

Loud and Soft

Singing voice and Speaking Voice

Defining, experiencing, demonstrating Singing Voice

  • Singing Activities K-2 (See the book “First Steps” by John Feierabend for further explanation, discussion and resources.)
  • Listening to Teacher demonstrated talking voice vs singing voice
  • Have students echo teacher, “I TALK LIKE THIS”; sing “I sing like this”
  • Suggested activities: Teacher demonstrates two different puppets, one demonstrating speaking, one singing, followed by students exploring with puppets, vocal explorations, short echo songs, simple songs, and improvised songs
  • Formative Assessment suggestions: Teacher alternates between talking and singing voice in a given song, students are instructed to stand when teacher is using singing voice, students sit when teacher is using talking voice,have students echo teacher as solos, students sing simple songs as solos, students solo improvise a song
  • Singing Activities 2-5

CAAP assessments current and past practice

Students sing the following selections both in an ensemble and as solo:

Grades K-1“Who has the…” in F (Sol Mi La Sol Mi)

Grades 2 - 3“Liza Jane” refrain in E-flat

Grades 4 - 5“America the Beautiful” refrain in C

Listen to students informally at the beginning, middle and end of year to measure student growth/progress. The “formal” assessment can also occur in an unannounced manner - or just like all the informal assessments, it’s just the specific rubric number is assigned for that specific “formal” assessment.