James Gillespie’s High School Music Department

S2 COURSE OUTLINE

James Gillespie’s High School music department offers all pupils a broad and coherent learning experience throughout S2, adhering to all Curriculum for Excellence experiences and outcomes.

Through music, learners have rich opportunities to be creative and to experience inspiration and enjoyment.

Performing and creating music will be the prominent activities for all learners. Through these activities they develop their vocal and instrumental skills, explore sounds and musical concepts, and use their imagination and skills to create musical ideas and compositions.

They can further develop their understanding and capacity to enjoy music through listening to musical performances and commenting on them.

They use ICT to realise or enhance their composition and performance, and to promote their understanding of how music works.

(CfE statement: ‘Expressive Arts – Music’)

Throughout S2, all pupils work towards consolidating and making secure second level outcomes, and start to develop third level outcomes in all experiences.

Assessment and evidence is gathered through various ways:

1. Write – Pupils making notes in jotters , comments in their profiles and written

assessment

2. Say – Discussion on work, pupil feedback, ideas, peer/self assessment, co-operative

learning

3. Make – Recordings of work using technology, posters of concepts, end of topic tasks

4. Do - Performing in groups and individually, inventing tasks and listening activities

All significant pieces of learning are linked to Literacy and Health & Wellbeing experiences and outcomes. Numeracy experiences and outcomes can be linked later in the course where pupils are responsible for time-management of their NQ folios and are encouraged to participate in organizing and being responsible for handling money for the many concerts the music department offer.

CURRICULUM FOR EXCLLENCE EXPERIENCE AND OUTCOMES:

1. Expressive Arts:

Experiences in the expressive arts involve creating and presenting and are practical and experiential. Evaluating and appreciating are used to enhance enjoyment and

develop knowledge and understanding.

Pupils’ learning in, through and about the expressive arts:

• Enables them to experience the inspiration and power of the arts

• Recognises and nurtures their creative and aesthetic talents

• Allows them to develop skills and techniques that are relevant to specific art forms and

across the four capacities

• Provides opportunities for them to deepen my understanding of culture in Scotland

and the wider world

2. Music Experiences and Outcomes:

Outlined in the S2 course outline. Pupils are working towards the fourth level, although some may be working at the third level:

EXA 4-16a

I can give assured, expressive and imaginative performances of vocal and/or instrumental music from a wide range of cultures, using performance directions, musical notation, and/or playing by ear.

EXA 4-17b

I can use musical technology to compose, record and produce music, and to enhance performance.

EXA 4 – 18a

Having developed my ideas from a range of stimuli, I can create and present compositions using a broad range of musical concepts and ideas.

EXA 3-19a

I have listened to a range of music and can recognize features and concepts.. I can give constructive comment on my own and others’ work, including the work of professionals)

EXA 4-19a

Having reflected on my personal experiences, I can listen to a wide range of music and identify and analyse technical aspects, make informed judgements and express personal opinions of my own and others’ work.

3. Literacy Experience And Outcomes:

All pupils learn concepts and vocabulary specific to the music curriculum, thus developing an understanding of music literacy.

Within the music dept, pupils develop and extend literacy skills and have opportunities to:

• communicate, collaborate and build relationships

• reflect on and explain my literacy and thinking skills, using feedback to help me

improve and sensitively provide useful feedback for others

• develop understanding of what is special, vibrant and valuable and taking advantage of

the opportunities offered by ICT

• extend and enrich my vocabulary through listening, talking, watching and reading.

4. Health & Wellbeing Experience And Outcomes:

All pupils in the music department are encouraged to develop self-awareness, self-worth and respect for others, and the significant pieces of learning support them to:

• meet challenges, manage change and build relationships

• experience personal achievement and build resilience and confidence

• understand and develop physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing and social skills

• understand that adults in the school community have a responsibility to look after them,

listen to concerns and involve others where necessary

• learn about where to find help and resources to inform choices

• reflect on my strengths and skills to help me make informed choices when planning my

next steps

James Gillespie’s High School Music Department

S2 COURSE OUTLINE

1.  Significant Piece Of Learning: ‘World Music’ (August to December) / CfE Experiences & Outcomes
Performing / Pupils are encouraged to perform music in particular styles from around the world, and perform ‘Sway’ as a group performance in several parts (melody, harmony, bass guitar, drumkit, guitar chords and percussion)
Pupils are expected to give constructive comments on their own and others’ performances.
Pupils experience the excitement of performing to an audience. / EXA 3-16a
EXA 4-16a
HWB 4-11a
HWB 4-14a
EXA 3-19a
LIT 4-01a
LIT 4-02a
EXA 3-01a
Listening / Pupils are encouraged to listen to a range of world music and are encouraged to respond by discussing their thoughts and feelings.
Concepts covered:
Gamalan / Sitar/Tabla / Melody Repetition
Latin American / Indian Music / Harmony Tempo
Samba/Salsa / Syncopation / Adagio/Andante/Allegro
Steel drums / Ostinato / Ensemble
Ghanaian Drumming / Repetition / Question and Answer
/ LITERACY:
Pupils learn new concepts that are linked to literacy.
LIT 4-07a
LIT 4-28a
EXA 3-19a
EXA 4-19a
Use of Technology
Inventing (IDL link with Modern Languages) / Pupils are encouraged to use Garageband to compose a backing for a rap in German or French. Pupils are encouraged to use a drum loop and add three chords I, IV and V, over this. Pupils use a pentatonic scale for the melody, and syncopation in their rhythm and are encouraged to structure their ideas. Pupils then record their final work and save as an mp3 file and burn onto a CD, to be accessed in Modern Languages to add the rap.
Pupils are expected to give constructive comments on their own and others’ work. / LIT 4-25a
EXA 3-17a
EXA 4-17b
EXA 3-19a
EXA 4-18b
HWB 4-01a
HWB 4-05a
Assessment
and
Evidence / Peer and self-assessment of ‘Sway’ for group performance- feedback and discussion.
Peer and self-assessment of the final rap-discussion.
Use of technology - Garageband folder of work and discussion and Garageband recording of group performance, use of mp3 file/CD to access rap in Modern Languages.
Folder of work with mp3recordings of each rap.
End of unit listening assessment of concepts learned.
Pupils are encouraged to evaluate their activities in their CfE
profiles of work after each task.
Information written in pupil jotters. / EXA 3-19a
EXA 4-19a
EXA 3-17a/
EXA 4-17b
EXA 4-18b
HWB 3-44b
HWB 4-44b
HWB 4-19a
LIT 4-01a
LIT 4-02a
LIT 4-09a
Homework / Worksheet of listening concepts covered throughout the unit of work and/or individual presentations on a related topic.

James Gillespie’s High School Music Department

S2 COURSE OUTLINE

2. Significant Piece Of Learning: ‘Performing Arts Unit’ (January to March and rehearsed in May for the ‘Expressive Arts’ Concert) / CfE Experiences & Outcomes
Performing
(future IDL link to Drama/Media and Art) / Pupils are encouraged to give assured and expressive performances of instrumental music and practise these as a whole class, in pairs and individually.
Pupils are given the choice of instrument and piece from a folder of grade 2/3 pieces for keyboard, tuned percussion, drum kit, guitar and bass guitar.
Pupils are encouraged to perform confidently using performance directions, musical notation and/or by ear.
Pupils are expected to experience the energy and excitement of performing to an audience, and being part of an audience in a Performing Arts concert at the end of S2, featuring works from Drama/Media and Art.
Pupils are expected to give constructive comments on their own and others’ work. / EXA 4-16a
HWB 4-09a
EXA 3-19a
EXA 4-16a
EXA 4-01a
HWB 4-01a
HWB 4-05a
LIT 4-01a
LIT 4-02a
Assessment
and
Evidence / Peer and self-assessment of performances – continual feedback and discussion throughout rehearsal process.
Use of technology - recordings of each pupil using Photobooth or iMovie .and discussion of these.
Performing Arts concert at the end of May.
Pupils are encouraged to evaluate their activities in their CfE
profiles of work after each task.
Information written in pupil jotters. / EXA 4-19a
EXA 4-17b
EXA 4-16a
HWB 4-12a
HWB 4-01a
HWB 4-05a
HWB 4-11a
HWB 4-14a
LIT 4-09a
LIT 3-09a
Homework / Practise of instrument either at home or during the school day.
3.  Significant Piece Of Learning: ‘Instruments of the Orchestra’ (April/May) / CfE Experiences & Outcomes
Listening / Pupils are encouraged to listen to a variety of pieces featuring instruments of the orchestra, and then be able to successfully identify the sections of the orchestra and varying timbres, and some instrumental techniques.
Concepts covered:
Strings / Orchestra / Repetition / Mute
Woodwind / Ensemble / Ostinato / Register
Brass / Wind Band / Pizzicato / Piano/Organ
Percussion / Brass Band / Arco / Harpsichord/Celeste
/ LITERACY:
Pupils learn new concepts that are linked to literacy.
EXA 3-19a
EXA 4-19a
LIT 4-07a
LIT 4-28a
Inventing
(future IDL link to Media) / Pupils are encouraged to use Garageband to select and arrange a series of instrumental sounds and sound effects to a short film.
Pupils are encouraged to compose a series of chords and short melodic ideas to another film, using various instrumental sounds and concepts such as repetition, ostinato, inverted pedal and syncopation.
Pupils are expected to give constructive comments on their own and others’ work. / EXA 3-17a
EXA 4-17b
EXA 3-19a
EXA 4-19a
LIT 4-28a
HWB 4-01a
HWB 4-05a
LIT 4-01a
LIT 4-02a
LIT 4-25a
Assessment
and
Evidence / Peer and self-assessment of understanding Instruments of the Orchestra concepts.
End of unit listening assessment of concepts learned.
Pupils are encouraged to evaluate their activities in their CfE
profiles of work after each task.
Information written in pupil jotters. / EXA 3-19a
EXA 4-19a
LIT 4-01a
LIT 4-02a
LIT 4-09a
HWB 4-01a
HWB 4-05a
HWB 4-09a
HWB 4-11a
HWB 4-14a
Homework / Worksheet of instrumental concepts covered throughout the unit of work and/or individual presentations on a related topic.