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

First 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

Second 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

Third 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

Fourth Quarter

  • Continued review and refining of the first, second, and third quarter goals
  • Performance at the Spring Concert

Updated: September, 2023