MYP Course Outline: Grade 10

Interdisciplinary Essential Questions for the Year:

Music and Cultural Expression

Unit Title, Length / Area(s) of Interaction / Essential Questions / Activities / Assessment(s)
MYP Course Objectives
September
Latin musical forms - Salsa / Environment / What are some of the most obvious results of cultural assimilation? / Students will listen to the music of Celia Cruz and note the similarities/differences to African, Jazz, and Reggae musical forms / Criterion A
October
Native American / Environment
Community and
Service / Can you describe some of the early methods of long distance communication? / Students will listen to examples of Native American drumming and compare the style to African and Japanese
drumming styles.
Students will research and write about the musical characteristics and purposes of Native American music
/ Criterion A
Criterion B
November
African American sacred music / Community and
Service / What rituals have taken on a universal significance in the global sacred practices around the world. / Students will view a film on the History of Gospel music and note the importance of this musical type in the sacred ritual of the black Church.
Students listen and compare how music plays an important part in the sacred ritual of the
Jewish and Islamic faiths. / Criterion A
Criterion B & C
December
European classical music / Homo Faber / How do different creative genres impact on the creative expression of different cultures. / Students will discuss how European classical music has influenced Hip Hop music and other musical genres.
Students will learn and perform classical and gospel versions of Beethoven’s “Ode
To Joy” / Criterion B
Criterion A & B
January
Civil Rights Freedom songs / Community and
Service / How has human oppression served as the impetus for human creative expression? / Students will compare the slave work songs of 1400-1600’s to the anthems of the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s. / Criterion B & C
February
African American secular
musical forms / Environment
Homo Faber / What has been the global impact of African American secular musical genres? / Students will listen and compare/contrast the following musical genres:
a)  Spirituals d) jazz
b)  Ragtime e) rock & roll
c)  Blues f) rap / Criterion B & C
March
Women in Music / Homo Faber / Why does musical training
and practice play such an important role in the grooming of young women in so many cultures around the world?. / Students will compose a song for or about an influential female in their life. / Criterion B & C
April
Nature in Musical forms / Homo Faber / How have the sounds of nature been imitated and incorporated into different musical genres? / Students will listen to samples of New Age, Oriental, and
American composers such as Joni Mitchell, Pharoah Sanders, and Stevie Wonder and analyze how the sounds of nature have been incorporated into their musical compositions. / Criterion B & C
May
Hip Hop music / Environment / What impact does environment and location have on creative expression? / Students will identify the similarities and differences between the musical genres that develop in different locales in the U. S. / Criterion B & C
June
Songs of Social
Change / Environment
Homo Faber / How does contemporary music differ from the musical compositions of 10, 20, 30, or 40 years ago? / Students will listen and compare the musical compositions and lyrics of contemporary songs to the “protest” songs of the past. / Criterion B & C