Curriculum Units for the 2014 Music Responding Standards
Created through the Teaching with Primary Sources program of the Library of Congress
Scroll down to access the curriculum units.
In July 2016, NAfME received a three-year project grant from the Library of Congress to participate in the Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) program. The project was focused on helping educators connect to the Library’s digitized archives, as well as learning how to incorporate primary sources into their classrooms. NAfME has used the TPS funds to create curriculum units connected to the Library’s vast resources in music, including audio, video, still images, and sheet music files. And through the largess of the Library, we were able to increase funding for an additional three years, so that all content strands of our Standards could benefit. All of the units are free to download and use, with credit given to NAfME if shared outside the music classroom (www.nafme.org).
In Year 1, teachers created curriculum units in General Music and Chorus. You can find these modules using the links below. Each unit contains multiple lesson plans based on an inquiry model of teaching, and with many opportunities to incorporate primary sources from the Library of Congress’ online collections such as the National Jukebox, featuring archival recordings. The units are based on the 2014 National Music Standards, featuring the Responding Artistic Process, where students are engaged in listening to, analyzing, and responding via written work, dialogue, research, composition, and performance to music.
Years 2 and 3 of the project focused on Responding as a catalyst for carrying out the Performing and Creating processes. After NAfME’s follow-up proposal to the Library was accepted for additional years of funding, more writing teams met to investigate the application of Responding understandings to songwriting in middle school general music and harmonizing instruments, and to the interaction of all of the artistic processes in traditional ensembles. With the completion of this now six-year project, units are available for all content strands and found in the links below. They include streamable links, sequential lessons and teaching prompts, classroom activities, and formative and summative assessments that are all aligned with their specific National Music Standards.
Responding to the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic, many of the units have been expanded to involve strategies for teaching in different venues and meeting frequencies. Particular notice should be given to the category below of “Instrumental and Vocal Ensembles for Various Sizes”; these units were designed to be taught in multiple contents and flexible groupings. Student worksheets and activity pages include fillable areas for use in online and individual use.
Click here to learn about the writing and leadership teams for this project.
General Music
The General Music units are available at the 2nd, 5th, and 8th grade levels. Teachers are welcome to modify up or down to fit the needs of their classroom.
- General Music—Grade 2, Responding to Music through Listening
- General Music—Grade 2, Responding to Music through Movement
- General Music Responding Unit—Grade 5
- General Music Responding Unit—Grade 8
The following General Music units are focused on using the Responding process to inform the Creating of new music.
- General Music Responding Unit—Kindergarten
- General Music Responding through Creating—Grade 2
- General Music Responding to and Creating Blues Music—Grade 5
- General Music Responding Playlist Unit—Grade 8
- General Music Responding through Creating Unit—High School, Proficient Level
Chorus
The Chorus units are arranged by each level in the Performing Ensembles standards – Novice, Proficient, Accomplished, Advanced.
- Chorus Responding Unit—Proficient Level
- Chorus Responding Unit—Novice Level
- Chorus Responding Unit—Accomplished Level
- Chorus Responding Unit—Advanced Level
Band
The Band units are arranged by each level in the Performing Ensembles standards – Novice, Intermediate, Proficient, Accomplished, Advanced. The first two levels are typically pre-high school, with the last three levels typically high school.
- Band Responding Unit—Proficient Level
- Band Responding Unit—Novice Elementary Level
- Band Responding Unit—Novice Secondary Level
- Band Responding Unit—Intermediate Level
- Band Responding Unit—Accomplished Level
- Band Responding Unit—Advanced Level
Orchestra
The Orchestra units are arranged by each level in the Performing Ensembles standards – Novice, Intermediate, Proficient, Accomplished, Advanced. The first two levels are typically pre-high school, with the last three levels typically high school.
- Orchestra Responding Unit—Proficient Level
- Orchestra Responding Unit—Novice Level
- Orchestra Responding Unit—Intermediate Level
- Orchestra Responding Unit—Accomplished Level
- Orchestra Responding Unit—Advanced Level
Instrumental and Vocal Ensembles of Various Sizes
District responses to the 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemic necessitated major changes to the traditional chorus, band, and orchestra organization, performance, meeting frequency, and membership. These units for ensembles of various sizes have been designed to provide flexibility in accommodating those changes, and they can be used with multiple-sized performing ensembles.
- Small Vocal Ensembles—Intermediate Level
- Small Vocal Ensembles—Accomplished Level
- Small Instrumental Ensembles—Intermediate Level
- Small Instrumental Ensembles—Accomplished Level
- Responding for Creative Performance, Choral—Proficient Level
- Responding for Creative Performance, Choral—Advanced Level
- Responding for Personal Creativity, Band—Proficient Level
- Responding for Personal Creativity, Band—Advanced Level
- Protecting Intellectual Property, Orchestra—Proficient Level
Harmonizing Instruments
District responses to the 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemic indicated a need to create units for multiple venues: in-person traditional classrooms as well as for students and teachers working virtually. The Harmonizing instrument Units have been designed to provide flexibility in accommodating diverse settings, with suggestions for online learning embedded in each unit.
- Harmonizing Instruments/Guitar Unit—Proficient Level
- Harmonizing Instruments/Guitar Unit—Intermediate Level
- Harmonizing Instruments/Guitar Unit—Advanced Level
High School Music Theory/Composition
The Composition/Theory units are organized by high school proficiency levels (Proficient, Accomplished, Advanced), and, while they focus on the language of those standards, are also appropriate for high school composition classes or lessons. They apply the tenets of the Responding process to personal Creating, and also include attention to Technology standards.
- Composition & Music Theory Responding Unit—Proficient Level
- Composition & Music Theory Responding Unit—Accomplished Level
- Composition & Music Theory Responding Unit—Advanced Level
Questions?
If you are interested in learning more about this project and its design processes, please contact Johanna Siebert, Project Director.
For More Information
Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.
