5th Grade
Central Idea:
The articulation of beliefs and values can prompt a reaction.
Lines of Inquiry:
* Conditions conducive to conflict
* Reacting and responding
* Choosing the best method of persuasion for a specific situation
The Central Idea and Lines of Inquiry will be explored through the lens of music.
About the Unit:
The unit aims to show students the way music can impact society both in positive and negative ways. They will listen to and analyze a variety of music that supports rebellious causes or raises awareness of a situation. The focus will become on the positive rebellions especially that of Nelson Mandela's rebellion against Apartheid. They will learn about 2 songs – Free Nelson Mandela and Something Inside So Strong. They will analyze the music that supports different types of rap in order to understand the key elements of a successful rap.
During this unit, students will gain an understanding and appreciation for the positive way music can be used as a persuasion tool in responding to a world issue. They will choose a cause they feel strongly about and write lyrics for a rap to persuade the audience to change their opinion. Students will learn how to write lyrics (connecting with poems) and compose the musical accompaniment using BandLab.
Lesson 1 Objective: To investigate how music and rebellion are linked.
Lesson 2 Objective: To create lyrics for a persuasion/influencing song.
Lesson 3 Objective: To complete the lyrics for the persuasion song.
Lesson 4 - 6 Objective: To create a backing track for their rebellion song and rehearse it.
Lesson 7 Objective: To perform and evaluate the success of the songs.
Key Concepts – Form, Perspective, Connection.
Related Concepts – Rebellion, conflict, action, influence, tonality, lyrics, poem
1st Unit of Inquiry: Who We Are
Central Idea:
Relationships influence identity.
Lines of Inquiry:
* Social interactions
* Environmental influences
* Developing self-awareness
The Central Idea and Lines of Inquiry will be explored through the lens of music.
About the Unit:
The unit will expand students’ knowledge and understanding of the role music has in influencing many things. Students will be introduced to new music terminology so that they can better express opinions and correctly identify music elements they hear. Students will develop their listening and analysis skills to analyze music and explain the relationship of how it influences the audience. They will explore a variety of film music from the general background music to the character themes known as Leitmotifs.
During this unit, students will compose both an underscore for a short action scene (video). They will use accents and dynamics to create the additional atmosphere in the underscore. They will also compose a short leitmotif (time permitting) for an Oddbod character using a combination of loops and original music within BandLab.
Lesson 1 Objective: To identify and define the relationship between moving images and music.
Lesson 2 Objective: To understand tonality and its impact on the expression in a piece of music.
Lessons 3 - 5 Objective: To create an action underscore composition.
Lesson 6 Objective: To share the completed underscores.
Lesson 7 Objective: To understand the role of leitmotifs and the influences that impact them.
Lesson 8 Objective: To create a short leitmotif.
Key Concepts – Perspective, Change, Causation.
Related Concepts – Influence, environment, identity, Expression
