Backwards planning and identifying subskills for elementary music skills
Overwhelmed with starting to plan! I’m a second year teacher - how would you start?
There are two documents that I find to be incredibly valuable as we construct a curriculum based on our own student groups. Those are a curriculum outline, and a scope and sequence. The third documents are concept plans.
Values
What is your mission statement?
This might be a statement that starts
“In this music class……”
“Music is a place where…..”
“Students in music learn…..”
What’s the whole point of what we’re doing here?
Curriculum Outline
We’ll camp here for a while.
This is one of the most helpful references we can have if we’re unsure of where to start! A curriculum outline is where we look at the big picture of our entire program, from a consciously learned concept standpoint. This isn’t the only time students will experience these concepts, but this is the time they’ll be highlighted with conscious vocabulary.
Google “Boler Curriculum Outline” to find some possible examples.
When we start planning with a curriculum outline instead of the activities, we get a more grounded sense of where we’re going.
We don’t need to search for anything on the internet that looks like a fun game - our lessons have a specific purpose because we know exactly what each grade will accomplish from a musical standpoint.
This is broken down by musical concept, rather than by things like how to play instruments, holiday themes, or music genres. This framing is about the structure of music, so students can apply that knowledge to any instrument they want, any genre, or any other musical experience.
Vertical Streams and Horizontal Streams:
Vertical streams - musical elements
Horizontal streams
Musical skills: sing, speak, play, move, read, write, improvise, arrange, compose, aurally identify
Social and emotional competencies (from CASEL): self-awareness, self-management, responsible decision-making, relationship skills, social awareness
Dispositions (from NCAS): Collaboration, flexibility, goal-setting, inquisitiveness, openness and respect for the ideas and work of others, responsible risk taking, self-reflection, and self-discipline and perseverance
There is a specific year students will consciously engage with a specific rhythmic pattern, but there’s not a specific year they’ll improvise. We improvise at every grade level, in every class.
Where to Begin:
Find a curriculum outline and adapt it for your specific situation. If you’ve been at a school for several years, write down what you know you’ve taught, then move on to the next logical thing.
If you’re new at a school, you might be prepared to start everyone at the beginning of the sequence. That’s totally fine!
Having a Progression Matters - Choose One for You
This is a common misconception about the curriculum planning process.
It’s not about whether you start with sol and mi or do re mi. It’s not about how we’re supposed to introduce notation in 2nd grade. It’s about a logical progression of musical concepts that students can build upon year after year.
If you choose to start with do re mi, know there is a lot of research behind that choice! Start with do re mi and then look for the next logical step.
Scope and Sequence
Once we know the big picture, we can break it down throughout the year. The scope and sequence is like our pacing guide for what we’ll teach and when.
Breaking down a Scope and Sequence
It’s not about sticking to the plan. It’s about having a framework.
Concept Plans
Songs to teach the concept and teaching strategies.
How will we move students through experience-based musical learning? This is where all the actual activities happen.
Resources:
Of course I need to mention The Planning Binder here.
“Boler curriculum outline” to find resources you can use
Closing Thoughts:
“I make all these plans but I don’t stick to them”
This is not about making a plan that you have to stick to. This is about having a framework for the year.
The framework is moving from the known to the unknown.