Topic outline

  • Virginia Middle School Music Educators – General Music

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  • Lesson Overview

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    Topics Covered:

      • What is a standard of learning (SOL)?
      • How are the SOL organized?
      • What are the SOL goals?
      • How do I navigate this course?
      • How do I complete this course?

    • What is a standard of learning (SOL)?

      The Board of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia established standards of learning to solve problems, communicate effectively, work collaboratively, and help understand historical and cultural perspectives, while fostering creative thinking with originality, flexibility, and imagination.

      How are the SOL organized?

      The Music Standards of Learning are organized into five areas called strands: 

      Fine Arts Strands Graphic

      1. Creative Process
      2. Critical Thinking and Communication
      3. History, Culture, and Citizenship
      4. Innovation in the Arts
      5. Technique and Application.

      These strands outline the skills and attributes every Virginia graduate should exemplify to prepare them for a modern workplace. Although the strands are presented separately for clarity, they are integrated across all instruction regardless of individual learning actives or objectives. 

      What are the SOL goals?

      The Music Standards of Learning support the following goals for students:

      • Develop understanding of music through experiences in creating, singing, playing instruments,listening, and moving.
      • Think and act creatively to transform ideas and emotions into distinct forms of musical expression.
      • Understand and apply a creative process for developing ideas for creating and performing music.
      • Develop the ability to read and notate music.
      • Develop and apply the technical skills necessary to engage deeply with music.
      • Develop critical thinking skills through the analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of the work of self and others.
      • Articulate personal responses to musical works, and recognize diverse responses and opinions of others.
      • Identify and apply collaboration and communication skills for creating, developing, rehearsing, and performing music.
      • Demonstrate understanding of cultural and historical influences of music.
      • Develop a lifelong community engagement with music as a performer, listener, audience member,supporter, advocate, and consumer.
      • Identify and adhere to ethical and legal standards for the use of intellectual property, and for the safe and ethical use of materials, equipment, and technologies.
      • Connect knowledge, skills, and personal interests in music to college and career opportunities, and to skills for the 21st Century workplace.
      • Understand and explore the impact of current and emerging technologies, tools, and innovations on music.
      • Cultivate authentic connections between music skills, content, and processes with other fields of knowledge to develop problem-solving skills (2020).

      How do I navigate this course?

      There are three sections below, one for each grade level, with examples of at home resources to support your blended learning environment. Keep in mind, with a blended model, resources are used to reinforce learning topics previously introduced in the classroom and are not designed to be a comprehensive fully-online pedagogy. The Resources section above includes an abridged version of the nine SOL standards for general music. A course glossary Middle School Music SOL Glossary is active across this course with popup descriptions available.

      How do I complete this course?

      Review the content below and fill out a quick Exit Ticket to let us know how we did!

  • Grade 6, 7, 8 General Music Standards

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    Topics Covered:

      • Sixth Grade General Music Standards
      • Grade Seven General Music Standards
      • Grade Eight General Music Standards

    • Sixth Grade General Music

      The standards for Grade Six General Music enable students to continue acquiring musical knowledge and skills through singing, playing instruments, performing rhythms, moving to music, composing and improvising. Emphasis is on the development of fundamental skills in reading and notating music and in personal expression through music. Students explore components of a creative process as they define, organize, and share music ideas. Students examine a variety of musical styles and works from periods of music history. Students identify ways in which culture and technology influence the development of music and describe connections between music and other fields of knowledge (Board of Education Commonwealth of Virginia, 2020, p. 21).

      Grade Seven General Music

      The standards for Grade Seven General Music build upon students’ musical knowledge and skills through increasingly complex experiences in singing, playing instruments, performing rhythms, moving to music, and creating music through processes such as composition, improvisation, and arranging. Exploration of music theory continues as students read and write increasingly complex music notation. Students use critical thinking to compare and contrast the functions of music and investigate the impact of musicians, music consumers, and music advocates on the community. Students define, organize, and share personal ideas, investigations, and research of music ideas and concepts as part of a creative process. Students respond to, describe, interpret, and evaluate music and experience music from a variety of cultural influences, styles, composers, and historical periods. They compare and contrast career pathways in music and identify relationships between music and other fine arts (Board of Education Commonwealth of Virginia, 2020, p. 23).

      Grade Eight General Music

      The standards for Grade Eight General Music enable students to use critical thinking skills to gain a deeper understanding of music. Students explore and evaluate a variety of music styles and develop personal criteria to be used for describing and analyzing musical performances. Students use a creative process to develop individual solutions to creative challenges through independent research, investigation, and inquiry of music ideas and concepts. Students investigate connections between music skills and college, career, and workplace skills, and analyze connection between music and other fields of knowledge. Students examine historical and cultural influences of music and the value of music in society. Students are prepared for further instruction at the high school level (Board of Education Commonwealth of Virginia, 2020, p. 25).

  • Composition (6.1, 7.1, 8.1)

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    Topics Covered:

      • SOL Requirements
      • Finding Resources
      • Sample Resources

    • SOL Requirements

      SOLs 6.1, 7.1, and 8.1 focus on music composition and increase as the student progresses. The minor changes to the SOL across grade levels are underlined below. Since the requirements for each grade are similar, one at-home or online activity may be sufficient across all grade levels with modification.

      6.1 The student will demonstrate creative thinking by composing and improvising original music.

      a) Improvise four-measure melodic and rhythmic phrases.
      b) Compose four-measure melodies and rhythms.
      c) Arrange an existing musical phrase.

      7.1 The student will demonstrate creative thinking by composing and improvising original music.

      a) Improvise eight-measure melodic and rhythmic phrases.
      b) Compose eight-measure melodies and rhythms.
      c) Arrange an existing musical phrase and consequent phrase.

      8.1 The student will demonstrate creative thinking by composing and improvising original music.

      a) Improvise sixteen-measure melodic and rhythmic phrases.
      b) Compose sixteen-measure melodies and rhythms.
      c) Arrange an existing musical tune.

    • Websites Resources

      The options are almost unlimited when seeking activities and ideas to support the SOL requirement for composition. Here is a list of sites that provide resources to reinforce composition.

       

      (Carr, 2022b)

    • Sample Resources

      Listed below are additional activities and resources to review that will satisfy the requirements of SOL 6.1, 7.1, and 8.1 for blended learning.

    • url icon
      Compose Your Own BAG Composition URL
      Compose Your Own Bag Graphic.

      This free resource is a way to engage your students in beginning composition. The resource is intended for use in the recorder classroom but is not recorder-specific and can be used in other classes (Compose Your Own BAG Composition, n.d.).

    • url icon
      Key Signature Match Up URL
      Key Signature Match Up graphic.

      Use extensions in apps like PearDeck in Google Slides (Carr, 2021a).

    • url icon
      Video Game Music Project Template URL
      Video Game Music Project Template Graphic.

      Sharing Projects with others – Collaboration is key to success! (Carr, 2021a).

  • Read & Notate Music (6.12, 6.15, 7.12, 7.15, 8.12, 8.15)

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    Topics Covered:

      • SOL Requirements
      • Grade Seven General Music Standards
      • Finding Resources
      • Sample Resources

    • SOL Requirements

      SOLs 6.12, 6.15, 7.12, 7.15, 8.12, and 8.15 focus on reading and notating music and increase as the student progresses. 

      6.12 The student will read and notate music.

      a) Identify tonal, rhythmic, and melodic patterns containing steps, skips, and leaps.
      b) Recognize diatonic intervals.
      c) Identify and notate melodies on the musical staff.
      d) Read and notate rhythmic patterns that include whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and corresponding rests.
      e) Identify the meaning of the upper and lower numbers of time signatures.

      6.15 The student will read, count, and perform rhythmic patterns.

      a) Use a counting system.
      b) Include patterns that suggest duple and triple meter.
      c) Use instruments, body percussion, and voice.
      d) Include whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and corresponding rests.

      7.12 The student will read and notate music.

      a) Identify tonal, rhythmic, and melodic patterns containing steps, skips, and leaps.
      b) Recognize diatonic intervals.
      c) Identify and notate melodies on the musical staff.
      d) Read and notate rhythmic patterns that include whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighth notes, and corresponding rests.

      7.15 The student will read, count, and perform rhythmic patterns.

      a) Use a counting system.
      b) Include patterns that suggest duple and triple meter.
      c) Use instruments, body percussion, and voice.
      d) Include sixteenth notes, dotted notes, and corresponding rests.

      8.12 The student will read and notate music.

      a) Identify and perform melodic patterns using specific interval names (e.g., third, fifth).
      b) Read and notate rhythmic patterns of increasing complexity, including tied rhythms, eighth note triplets, syncopation.

      8.15 The student will read, count, and perform rhythmic patterns.

      a) Use a counting system.
      b) Include patterns that suggest duple and triple meter.
      c) Use instruments, body percussion, and voice.
      d) Include sixteenth notes, dotted notes, and corresponding rests.

    • Website Resources

      Once again, the internet is an excellent starting place, and these sites provide activities and ideas to support the SOL music requirement for reading and notating music.

      (Carr, 2022c)

    • Sample Resources

      Listed below are additional activities and resources to review that will satisfy the requirements of SOL 6.12, 6.15, 7.12, and 8.12 for blended learning.

    • url icon
      Winter Treble Clef Note Name Practice URL

      Winter Treble Clef Note Name Practice graphic.(Carr, 2021c)

    • url icon
      Intro to Rhythm - Parking Lot Notes URL
      Intro to Rhythm - Parking Lot Notes graphic. 

      Slides to introduce basic rhythmic notation, quarter notes, half notes, whole notes, quarter rests, 4/4 time signature. Includes link for a student worksheet (Intro to Rhythm - Parking Lot Notes, n.d.).

    • url icon
      Video Game Treble Practice URL
      Video Game Treble Practice graphic.

      Make it authentic by connecting with student interests (Carr, 2021b).

    • url icon
      Note Name Games and Videos URL
      Note Name Games and Videos graphic.

      Music note names, instruction videos, and games (Carr, 2021e).

  • Course Evaluation

    Virginia is for Learners Logo.

    Topics Covered:

      • Exit Interview

  • Course Resources

    Virginia is for Learners Logo.

    Topics Covered:

      • References
      • Gloassary
      • Abridged SOL Document
    • resource icon
      Virginia Fine Arts Standards of Learning Chart File
      View
      Bisogno, K. (n.d.). Virginia Fine Arts SOL General Music Secondary. Virginia Department of Education. Retrieved December 5, 2022, from https://doe.virginia.gov/instruction/fine_arts/prog-charts/fasol-m-gmchart.pdf

    • References

      Board of Education Commonwealth of Virginia. (2020, May). Music Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools. https://doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/standards_docs/fine_arts/2020/2020fasol-music.pdf

      Carr, T. (2021a, February). Key Signature Match Up. Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vRTmLFbLqL1k9_52B7MINSQYRh5IUEy1H1FZ8tlGLzR6ad01iA6hpI-dpjHeyA9YW1aiB6r3Bft8N72/pub?start=false

      Carr, T. (2021b, June 2). Video Game Treble Practice. Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KpTzV4tJvlASlGRzr6Q2dX3YW1xcnjTdygk7Riu-fPM/edit

      Carr, T. (2021e, December 12). Note Name Games and Videos. Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qt98yGPno5jqwfiwhprQc3k1IhFH2BMdkZZRCoE0t8A/edit

      Carr, T. (2021c, November 9). Winter Treble Clef Note Name Practice. Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/14NB7ErmwujfZ_BCR78Y_yVDQKoIcI-TKuHlyy9w46fw/edit

      Carr, T. (2020, December 10). Video Game Music Project Template. Google Docs. https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1E-YBz5mc3yxgbvAgnPXYYf3b5Ywu8z1fwLWaMr-gg8M/edit

      Carr, T. (2022b, December 7). Composing Websites. Wakelet. https://wakelet.com/wake/u0C575cIdHp6LxWcps3BH

      Carr, T. (2022c, December 7). Read & Notate Music. Wakelet. https://wakelet.com/wake/UxESrDZblUorp2vi3_Kck

      Compose Your Own BAG Composition. (n.d.). Teachers Pay Teachers. Retrieved December 6, 2022, from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/FREE-Compose-Your-Own-BAG-Composition-1774696?st=27f8102e9c44f8415cc36fe4e4eedbb5

      Intro to Rhythm - Parking Lot Notes. (n.d.). Teachers Pay Teachers. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Intro-to-Rhythm-Parking-Lot-Notes-8539364?st=7c86cda5a0ed6690b46b8f2e747bb639

      Teachers Pay Teachers. (n.d.). Teaching Resources & Lesson Plans | Teachers Pay Teachers. Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com

      Search Result. (2022, December 7). Teachers Pay Teachers. https://www.teacherspayteachers.com


    • glossary icon
      Middle School Music SOL Glossary

      The Music Standards of Learning identify the essential knowledge and skills required in the music curriculum for each grade level or course in Virginia’s public schools. The standards outline the minimum criteria for a sequential course of study within a comprehensive music education program. The standards are designed to be cumulative, progressing in complexity by grade level from kindergarten through several sequences of high school courses. (Board of Education Commonwealth of Virginia, 2020)


    • resource icon
      Abridged Music Standards of Learning File

      (Board of Education Commonwealth of Virginia, 2020)