Grade 8 Choir

Avon Lake Curriculum Framework

Content Overview:

Vocal development and music literacy are the fundamental focus of the curriculum. Students will be expected to learn solfege, rhythmic elements, and other relevant music theory fundamentals (such as note names, key signatures, intervals, etc.) Vocal pedagogy will be taught and instilled throughout the year and students will be expected to know and apply the components of healthy vocal technique (good posture, breath support, vowels, etc) to the repertoire they sing.

Beyond musical elements, we will be performing pieces from a diverse array of languages, cultures, and genres. Time will be spent learning about the piece(s) we are performing and how we can contextualize the piece to be relevant for each student. We will focus on community building and getting to know each other in the classroom, as well as trying to collaborate with others in and out of our discipline.

Resources:

Sight-reading Factory, Jensen Book for Sight-Singing

Assessments:

Each quarter, students will complete a rhythm and sight-reading assessment via Flipgrid. Students must complete a sight-reading example or count and clap an 8 measure musical example. Multiple attempts will be allowed to achieve student growth. Daily participation points will be assessed as well (5 points a day) based on having materials and positively participating to the choir classroom (singing out, not disrupting class, actively trying when completing activities or songs in class). Additional in-class assignments/assessments may be given for completion to evaluate student growth.

Standards/Learning Goals

1st Quarter-

Students will be developing the fundamentals of vocal technique and learn about the physiological changes happening to their voices.
Students will review how to sing and sight-read in two parts using solfege.
Students will be review how to read, count, and perform rhythms in simple meter from whole notes to sixteenth notes (including dotted rhythms).
Students will review note names of the treble and bass clef staves.
Students will begin learning and singing a diverse array of developmentally appropriate music.

2nd Quarter-

Students will continue developing healthy vocal technique, proper singing posture, and proper diction/vowel formation.
Students will be able to sight-read in diatonic major and sing in intervals up to an octave.
Students will review rhythms within compound meter (dotted half notes through sixteenth notes).
Students will perform a winter concert of the repertoire they have been learning.

3rd Quarter-

Students will continue developing healthy vocal technique, proper singing posture, and proper diction/vowel formation.
Students will practice sight-singing with intervals up to fifths.
Students will review how to identify key signatures.
Students will begin learning and singing a new diverse array of developmentally appropriate music.

4th Quarter -

Students will continue developing healthy vocal technique, proper singing posture, and proper diction/vowel formation.
Students will perform a winter concert of the repertoire they have been learning.
Students will practice intervals of 6ths and 7ths within their sight-reading.