Elementary Music Kindergarten

Segment One 

Module One: Introduction to Beat Buddies 

• music classroom and performance behaviors 
• steady beat and non-steady beat 
• rhythm 
• body movements 
• music notation 
• songs such as Che Che Kule and La Raspa 

Module Two: Melody Magic 

• melody 
• pitch 
• head voice 
• melodic contour 
• solfege 
• songs such as The Itsy Bitsy Spider and Hickory Dickory Dock 

Module Three: Whispers and Roars 

• dynamics (loud and soft) 
• body movements 
• conductors 
• feelings and colors 
• songs such as Eine Kleine Nachtmusic and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star 

Module Four: Tick-Tock Tempo 

• tempo (fast and slow) 
• clapping rhythms at different speeds 
• comparing performances 
• feelings 
• songs such as Symphony No. 5 and Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes 

Segment Two 

Module Five: Playful Patterns 

• patterns in songs 
• form 
• Franz Joseph Haydn 
• echo and question and answer songs 
• iconic notation 
• songs such as Surprise Symphony and Going on a Bear Hunt 

Module Six: Tone Time 

• timbre 
• tone 
• voice types 
• percussion instruments 
• The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra 
• environmental sounds 
• songs such as Five Little Monkeys and The Wheels on the Bus 

Module Seven: Lively Listening 

• listening 
• comparing songs 
• types of music 
• Mozart 
• music from around the world 
• songs such as If You’re Happy and You Know It and A Ram Sam Sam 

Module Eight: Curious Creators 

• composition 
• rhythm 
• pitch 
• dynamics 
• tempo 
• song arrangement 
• iconic notation 
• rhythmic and melodic response 
• songs such as The Beat Buddies Song 

Students will need the following materials: printer, cell phone or scanner, headset or earbuds, notebook, pen, pencils, erasers, scissors, coloring materials (markers, crayons, colored pencils), glue, tape, stapler, ruler, printer paper, lined paper, colored paper, and general household objects for activities. 

Besides engaging students in challenging curriculum, the course guides students to reflect on their learning and evaluate their progress through a variety of assessments. Assessments can be in the form of practice lessons, multiple-choice questions, writing assignments, projects, oral assessments, and discussions. Core courses will use the state-approved grading scale and Special Area courses will use an S or U grading scale.  

To achieve success, students are expected to submit work in each course weekly. Students can learn at their own pace; however, “any pace” still means that students must make progress in the course every week. To measure learning, students complete self-checks, practice lessons, multiple choice questions, projects, discussion-based assessments, and discussions. Students are expected to maintain regular contact with teachers; the minimum requirement is monthly. When teachers, students, and parents work together, students are successful.