Grade 7 Orchestra

Avon Lake City Schools 

Curriculum Framework

7th Grade Orchestra

Course Overview:

7th Grade Orchestra focuses on continuing content instruction for students from the Grade 6 Orchestra level, engaging students in a wide variety of experiences in musical performance, musical literature, and musical concepts commonly used at the middle school level.

Textbook (Title and Publishing Company): 

Method Book: Habits of a Successful Middle Level String Musician- A Comprehensive Orchestra Curriculum For Years 3,4 and Beyond by Christopher Selby and Scott Rush

Online/Supplemental Materials:

Google Classroom

Assessments: 

Quarterly Playing Assessments

Content/Topics/Learning Goals

Subject to Pacing and Schedules

1st Quarter- 

  • Developing appropriate tone quality for the individual instrument

  • Development of proper instrument-specific technique - instrument position, bow hold, and left hand posture

  • Comprehension and application of the different parts of a time signature and a key signature

  • Refining the use of up bows and down bows

  • Reading/performing music in simple meters

  • Reading/writing/performing music notation: whole, half, quarter, eighth, dotted quarter, dotted half notes and rests

  • Identifying and performing the C, G, D, A, and F Major one octave scale

  • Performance at Fall Festival

2nd Quarter- 

  • Continued review and refining of the first quarter goals

  • Reading/writing/comprehension of music symbols commonly found in middle school level orchestra literature

  • Comprehension and technique development of the various dynamic levels, crescendo and decrescendo

  • Historical background of musical selections, the composer’s thoughts and intents in creating a musical work

  • Introduction to shifting to different positions on the violin, viola, and cello

  • Introduction to two octave scales

  • Introduction to tuning instruments using fine tuners

  • Performance at the Holiday Concert

3rd Quarter- 

  • Continued review and refining of the first and second quarter goals

  • Continuing to refine C, G, D, and A major two octave scales

  • Introduction to B flat major one octave scale

  • Continuing to refine tuning abilities using fine tuners

  • Performance at Winter Concert

4th Quarter -  

  • Continued review and refining of the first, second, and third quarter goals

  • Performance at the Spring Concert

Last Updated:

September, 2023