Vision

Music is an essential component in the development of the whole child.  Participation in and appreciation of the arts enable students to develop and apply the skills and knowledge necessary to become productive, creative and innovative members of society.

Mission

The Todd School General Music program offers an outstanding curriculum for students K – 5 that is intellectually stimulating, aesthetically enriching, and personally relevant. The program provide opportunities for all students to explore their creative potential, develop critical standards, and demonstrate their skills, while framing these goals within an inspiring, historical and cultural context. Music teachers strive to cultivate in the students a lifelong appreciation of the arts and guide students of all levels as they develop musically, emotionally, and intellectually. 
 

Curriculum Outline by Grade Level

Through singing, playing, creating, and listening students experience and learn the following concepts:

Elementary Band

The Elementary Band Program offers students an opportunity to learn music through performance on a wind or percussion instrument.  Students learn fundamental instrument skills and become musically literate individuals in small homogenous lesson groups.  As students become more proficient on their instruments, they participate in band where they learn how to create music with their peers.  Overall, the Elementary Band Program strives to develop musical knowledge, technique and appreciation, as well as a variety of life skills such as organization, goal setting and time management, which can be applied to activities both in and out of music.   

TECHNICAL SKILLS: 

•  Proper Instrument Assembly
• Parts of the Instrument
• Instrument Care and Maintenance
• Good Posture
• Proper Hand/Arm Position
• Level Appropriate Tone Quality
• Level Appropriate Range
• Correct Embouchure Formation (Winds)
• Articulation (Winds)
• Use of Fingering Chart (Winds)
• Basic Rudiments (Percussion)       
• Self Evaluative Listening

MUSICAL LITERACY: 
Upon completion of Grade 5, students will be introduced to the function and/or meaning of the following rhythms, terms, and symbols.  In addition, students will 
explore how to figure out rhythms on their own using the traditional counting system.

Rhythmic Notation (Note & Rest Equivalents)
Whole, Half, Quarter, Eighth, Dotted Half, Dotted Quarter, Ties

Time Signatures 
2/4, 3/4, 4/4

Terminology
-Tempo Markings:  
Moderato, Allegro, Andante, Vivo, Largo, Maestoso, Allegretto

Articulation and Expression:  
Slurs, Accents, Staccato, Legato, 
Forte, Piano, Mezzo Forte, Mezzo Piano, Crescendo, Diminuendo

Symbols:  
Accidentals, Sharps, Flats, Natural Signs, Fermata, Measure Repeat, Crescendo, Diminuendo,        Long Rests

Music Vocabulary: 
Staff, Lines/Spaces, Bass or Treble Clef , Bar line, Double bar line, Measure, Time Signature, Key Signature, 1st and 2nd Ending, Ledger Lines, Breath Mark, Duet, Round, Repeat Signs, Internal Repeat, Variation, Ritardando, Pick-up, D.S. al Fine,D. C. al Fine, Divisi, Common Time

Elementary Strings

At the completion of Grade 5, the student will display competency in the requisite skills for proficient musical performance as follows:

I    Proper Position
     A.  Stance
          1.  Rest position
          2.  Playing position
     B.  Seated
          1.  Playing position for ensemble work
     C.  Body position/coordination
          1.  Head
          2.  Arms
          3.  Hands
          4.  Fingers
          5.  Shoulders
          6.  Torso
          7.  Legs

II    Proper instruction position
      A. Right hand
      B. Left hand
      C. Balance
      D. Comfort

III   Study of Sound Production (Vibration)
      A.  Pizzicato (plucking) technique
          1.  With bow in hand
          2.  Without bow in hand
          3.  Left hand pizzicato (plucking)
          4.  Strumming
      B.  Arco (bowing) technique
          1.  String level
          2.  Angle of the bow
          3.  Placement of the bow
          4.  Speed of the bow
          5.  Box pressure
          6.  Bow distribution

IV   Comprehension of the basic concepts of music
      A.  Rhythm
          1.  Whole note
          2.  Half note
          3.  Quarter note
          4.  Eighth note
          5.  Triplet
          6.  Corresponding rests to the above
      B.  Meter
          1.  2-4 time
          2.  3-4 time
          3.  4-4 time
      C.  Tempo
          1.  Slow - Lento
          2.  Medium - Andante, Moderato
          3.  Fast - Allegro
          4.  Ritardando
          5.  Accelerando
      D.  Intonation/Tuning
          1.  Importance and need
          2.  Ear Training - introductory Solfege
          3.  Identification of sharpness and flatness through proper finger placement
          4.  Appropriate corrections for proper intonation
          5.  Introduce self-tuning using fine tuners
      E.  Musical Form
          1.  Melody
          2.  Harmony - Introduction of 4 part harmony in the orchestra
          3.  Introduction to Phrasing
          4.  Structure
                a.  ABA (binary form)
                b.  Canon
                c.  Minuet and Trio
                d.  Rondo
      F. Tonality/Scales
          1.  Major - D Major, G Major, introduce C Major
          2.  Introduce minor mode
      G. Articulation   
          1.  Legato
          2.  Staccato
          3.  Slurred
          4.  Introduction to detached slurs
          5.  Accents
          6.  Reset bow
          7.  Introduction to tremolo
          8.  Symbolic Notation - Down Box Up Bow
      H. Dynamics/Expression marks
          1.  Loud, f, ff
          2.  Soft, p, pp   
          3.  Crescendo
          4.  Diminuendo

V    Comprehension of Musical Notation
      A. Staff - lines and spaces
      B. Clefs
          1.  Treble
          2.  Alto
          3.  Bass
      C.  Measures
      D.  Bar lines
      E.  Ledger lines
      F.  Note names
      G.  Time values
      H.  Rhythmic patterns
      I.  Time Signature
      J.  Key Signature
      K.  C (Common time)

VI   Interpretation of Musical Terms, Symbols and Abbreviations
      A.  Repeat sign
      B.  D.C. al Fine
      C.  Dal Segno
      D.  Coda
      E.  Measure repeat
      F.  Fermata
      G.  Pizzicato
      H.  Arco
      I. Tutti
      J.  Cut-off

Elementary Art

All students at Todd elementary school participate in the art program twice in a six day schedule for 45 minutes.

Art at the elementary school level initiates, develops, and encourages: 

• Individual expression
• Imaginative expression and sharing
• Students' aesthetic awareness
• Learning to "see" as an artist and become a visual learner
• Knowledge and use of various media
• An introduction significant artists throughout art history
• An introduction to different genres and movements throughout art history
• An introduction to an artist's glossary of terms
• An integrated curriculum through the visual arts

The emphasis in art classes is on student experience in visual art in studio, appreciation, and through multiple mediums including technology based art and photography. Students shall learn to utilize qualities, and familiarize themselves with, various mediums, technical skills, subjects, artists, and genres.

Materials, media, and subjects listed here may be introduced but are not limited to student experience throughout their career in art at Todd School:

DRAWING: 
pencils, crayons, markers, colored pencils, pastels, chalk, oil pastels, pen and ink, contour line, shading, cross hatching, perspective, overlapping, scale, positive-negative drawing space, figure drawing, still life.

PAINTING: 
Watercolor, acrylic painting, painting sculpture, portrait painting, painting a mural

PRINTMAKING: 
Mono print, stamp making, Styrofoam etching, roll and press

PAPER: 
Drawing paper, construction paper, sketchbooks (4th and 5th grades), metallic paper, tissue paper, tracing paper, watercolor paper, cutting, folding, paper manipulation, paper weaving, paper mosaics, collage, paper Mache, paper sculpture, masks

TEXTILES: 
Weaving, fabrics, felt, masks, jewelry 

SCULPTURE: 
Paper, additive sculpture, pinch, wedging, figurines, relief sculpture, slab construction, architecture, 

ARTIST PROFESSIONS: 
Architect, graphic designer, animation artist, 

ART GENRES: 
Impressionism, op-art, pop-art, abstract, cartoonist, cubist, realist, surrealism

ARTISTS THROUGH HISTORY: 
* Artists such as : Georgia O'Keeffe, Jackson Pollack, Piet Mondrian, Mary Cassat. Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, Keith Herring, Vincent Van Gogh, Katsushika Hokusai, Joan Miro, Alexander Calder, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagal, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Norman Rockwell have been introduced in various years at Todd Elementary School.

 

Objective Goals, Scope and Sequence for grades K-5

Kindergarten:
Introduction to all media; including proper manipulation, coordination and use of all tools and materials.  Fundamentals of line/ line confidence are addressed and reinforced. Lexicon of art room instructions and management flow is introduced. Emphasis is placed on utilizing student's prior knowledge of the alphabet in order to access previous hand-eye articulation. Art history is introduced.

1st Grade:
Concepts of previous year are reinforced using new age-appropriate projects. With prior knowledge of basic art room routines and management as well as an additional year of development, 1st grade can revisit and gain comfort level and proficiency with fundamental line concepts. Text and sentences to label or describe artwork become developmentally appropriate.
* Lessons will focus on sensory experience, pulling from personal life experiences with visual representation through art. Students are asked to use their imagination as a resource and express through multiple mediums.
* Visual elements such as color, line, shape, and texture shall be introduced.
* Terms and concepts such as: art, artists, symmetry, cool colors, warm colors, draw, paint, sculpture, collage, folding, lines, shapes, masks, murals, portraits, patterns, clay, and pinching may all be introduced
* Students' goals include: basic folding, tearing, cutting, basic paper manipulation (such as folding, curling), pasting, holding writing utensils, and coloring tools such as markers, crayons, and paint brushes.
* Mediums such as drawing, coloring, painting, collage, modeling compound/clay, sculpture (including paper sculpture) will be introduced through experimental exploration…
* At this level there is often great opportunity for teachers to create and utilize adaptive learning opportunities for young children with developmental differences.
* Art History and genre: Artists have included but are not limited to: Georgia O'keeffe, Jackson Pollack, Piet Mondrian, Mary Cassat.

2nd Grade:  
Concepts of previous years are reinforced using new age-appropriate projects. With the high level of enthusiasm unique to 2nd grade development, students can begin to show muscle dexterity as well as complex imaginative skill along with their quickly growing vocabulary to recreate their environment and realize their thoughts. Integrating the writing of multiple sentences with or within their artwork becomes age appropriate.

* Students shall continue to broaden their vocabulary in art class.
* Terms and concepts include but are not limited to: landscape, texture, rubbings, collage, mosaics, relief sculpture, resists, and self portraits.
* Portraiture and other examples of drawing from experience are produced.
* Construction of art through an additive process (for example drawing using types of line or types of shapes pieces by piece building can be prevalent). 
* Art experience through imitation or modeling can be used with a large margin for success for our students, and will teach students to "see as artists" and use basic elements to construct their own works of art.
* Students will use art from their environment as a resource for there own art experiences. Clothing, nature, architecture, and indoors inspirations all enter the realm of topics for student work
* Skills can include changing marks using pressure on paint brushes/drawing tools, use
* Drawing in themes becomes prevalent. Students begin to look for seasonal and yearly themes as topics for their artwork.
* History and genre: Artists included have been but were not limited to: Henri Matisse, Wassily Kandinsky, Keith Hearing.

3rd Grade: 
Concepts of previous years are reinforced using new age-appropriate projects. Students are becoming proficient in storyboarding and are able to facilely create narratives and epics. Hand-eye coordination is developed to the point where many complex drawings can be achieved on grade level by a series of simple steps. 

* Vocabulary and concepts expands: Terms and concepts such as positive/negative spaces, cells, story boards, cityscape, details, and perspective: near and far (large and small), overlapping, imaginative, and background is introduced.
* Skills such as sculpting become more advanced (i.e. free form sculpture), drawing people, animals, places.
* Students enjoy the "narrative process" and grand use of imagination in the process of creating at this time.
* Creating in themes becomes continues with much enthusiasm. Students continue to look for seasonal and yearly themes as topics for their artwork.
* Art History, genre, and artists: Artists introduced have included but were not limited to: Vincent Van Gogh, Katsushika Hokusai, Joan Miro.

4th Grade: 
Concepts of previous years are reinforced using new age-appropriate projects. Students are gaining mastery with language and therefore more abstract concepts become capable for consideration and creation. The enthusiasm unique to 4th grade development allows for the introduction of higher-order thinking concepts that will be revisited for years to come.

5th Grade:  
Concepts of previous years are reinforced using new age-appropriate projects. Student's use of language is fluent and are now revisiting abstract concepts. Reflecting upon meaning and higher-order thinking becomes second nature. Conceptual thinking is integrated into the Elementary mastery of a wide range of media, and understanding the importance of the process as well as the product in art-making is accessible for the student to articulate by a broad spectrum of approaches.   

* Art genres, art history, and art appreciation are a focus as the historical curriculum in the students' classroom becomes more prevalent. 
* Genres include impressionism, pop art, art from other cultures
* Terms and concepts include but are not limited to still life, pose, gesture drawing, composition, architecture, construct, photography, graphic design, advertising, animation, caricature, cartoon, clay: wedging, coiling, slip, pinch, firing, and ceramics,  
* Concepts such as art as function, art in cultures, and art professions is explored. Students become more aware of the value of art in their own worlds.
* Art in popular culture (such as television, film, and technology) are all more recognizable by students and their peers.
* Rendering still life realistically is a goal. Also topics such as gray scale, perspective, composition, one and two point perspective, and abstract art may be thoroughly explored. 
* Artists such as Alexander Calder, Pablo Picasso, Claude Monet, Salvador Dali, Marc Chagal, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, and Norman Rockwell have been introduced in various years at Todd Elementary School.

Library Media Center

The Todd Library curriculum contains skills aimed at building, expanding, and reinforcing each child’s knowledge of library organization, and ability to use resources independently. The instructional program that begins in kindergarten is broadened each year as students apply learned skills in pursuit of new skills. The learning and practicing of skills is integrated with the regular classroom curriculum. Instruction is given to the students in all grades as needed for research purposes.  By integrating skills with the classroom and promoting reading, the library program works toward its ultimate goal: helping children develop into enthusiastic readers and life-long users of information.

Students participate in the Author Visit Program that is coordinated through the library and PTA. Each grade level is exposed to two author or illustrator visits per year. Beforehand students are introduced to the books by that visiting author or illustrator. Preparatory lessons often incorporate media and technology skills, through activities such as reviews, reading promotion, writing contests, on line information searches and more.


Kindergarten
Library Information Skills:

• How to check out a book (hold barcode properly, putting in date due card)
• How to return a book (returning book to circulation desk, not to shelf)
• Book browsing: introduction of use of shelf marker and self-selection
• Research nonfiction topic and create group end product
• Introduction to the Online Public Access Catalog

Reading and Understanding Texts:

• Read-aloud story sessions: develops and demonstrates listening and responding skills
• Story structure: circular stories
• Author study: visiting author/illustrators, as well as lessons about Eric Carle

Learning Library Vocabulary:

• Book pocket
• Return, renew, checkout
• Shelf marker
• Author, Illustrator
• Circular story

First Grade
 Library Information Skills:

• How picture books are shelved (alphabetically by author’s last names)
• How spine labels reflect organization and call numbers
• Continue lessons about using the Online Public Access Catalog
• Researches nonfiction topic and creates group end product

 Reading and Understanding Texts:

• Develops increased attention span, and demonstrate more mature listening and responding skills
• Differentiates between fiction and nonfiction
• Uses nonfiction text to understand sequence and create small-group end products
• Parts of a book: table of contents, copyright

Learning Library Vocabulary:

• Title, title page
• Table of contents
• Book spine, spine label
• Copyright

 
Second Grade
Library Information Skills:

• Identification of the call number
• Identification and location of nonfiction, using the subject area map
• Continue lessons about OPAC, focusing on call numbers

Reading and Understanding Texts:

• Participates in discussions and listen well
• Learns about and utilizing databases
• Databases vs. websites: understands there are types of sources
• Learns about authors and illustrators: an author’s unique style of writing, identifiable characteristics of an illustrator’s art; is able to recognize the work of a particular author; develops preferences and being able to make discerning choices among books

Third Grade
 Library Information Skills:

• Further exploration of the Online Public Access Catalog, including logging in and writing reviews
• Exploration through biographies of parts of a book: cover, title page, table of contents, index, chronology, index, captions (for illustrations, photos) -- internal organization of information
• Further understanding of the shelf arrangement of Fiction, Nonfiction and Biographies and the identifiable characteristics of spine labels for each
• Introduction to the Dewey Decimal System
• Researches nonfiction topics of interest using a database and vetted websites in OPAC     
• Uses simple notetaking techniques to record while researching
• Credits sources from research

Building Literature Experiences:

• Participates in discussions and listens well
• Librarian shares a variety of chapter books, nonfiction books and biographies that encourage students to be comfortable in reading a variety of books, including audio books.  The whole library is theirs to explore.

 
Fourth Grade
Library Information Skills:

• Further exploration of online databases
• Instruction in locating and using sources when doing research
• Initial exploration of strategies for website evaluation, recognizing that the Internet offers information that may be inaccurate
• In-depth instruction in specific use of the Online Public Access Catalog to locate books and information available in this system (e.g. call number, publisher, copyright date, page number, book summary
• Introduction to creating Works Cited with online databases and websites
• Practice in using learned skills to become independent library users

Building Literature Experiences:

• Participates in discussions, listens well, and respects others’ ideas 
• Librarian shares a variety of chapter books, nonfiction books and biographies that encourage students to be comfortable in reading a variety of books, including audio books.  The whole library is theirs to explore.

Fifth Grade
Library Information Skills:

• Instruction in strategies for web site evaluation:  check for accuracy, currency, relevance, reliability of source (information creator)
• Review of plagiarism and the need to cite sources
• Instruction in organizing and creating a Works Cited list of resources to complement research projects
• Further exploration of databases
• Independent practice in using library skills to navigate the library media center

Building Literature Experiences:

• Participates in discussions, listens well, and respects others’ ideas 
• Researches an author of personal interest, using multimedia tool, and shares with fellow students, which promotes reading
• Reading guidance presents a wide variety of fiction, nonfiction, and biographies to meet students’ interests, to complement classroom curriculum, and to aid in personal problem solving

Physical Education

The physical education program helps each student to:
 
a. develop and maintain a suitable level of physical fitness
b. attain competency in body management and develop useful physical skills
c. acquire needed safety skills and habits
d. motivate expression and communication, verbal and non-verbal
e. appreciate both individual and group performance
f. gain knowledge and appreciation of physical education activities
g. become aware of the effect of physical activity upon the body
h. exercise initiative, leadership, and responsibility
i. reinforce learning in other areas of the school curriculum


Participation in the physical education program is required of all students K-5.Medical excuses must be verified by a doctor's note and brought to the Todd School nurse.

Sneakers are a must to ensure the students safety and everyone around them. 
 

CURRICULUM

I.    Movement Concept Development

1.    Space Awareness: Directions, Levels, Pathways, General & Self Space
2.    Effort Concepts: Time, Force and Flow
3.    Relationships: Of Body Parts, With Objects & People
 

II.    Skill Theme Development

1.    Locomotors Skills: Walking, Running, Hopping, Skipping, Galloping, Sliding, Jumping, Chasing, Fleeing and Dodging. 
2.    Non-Manipulative Skills: Turning, Twisting, Rolling, Stretching, Balancing, Transferring Weight, Jumping/Landing and Coordination
3.    Manipulative Skills: Throwing underhand and overhand, Catching with one and two hands, Dribbling with one and two hands, kicking and dribbling with feet, Striking with rackets and paddles, Basketball Shooting, Striking with long-handled Implements, Volleying, Catching with short-hand implements, Throwing with short-handed Implements
4.    Games: Low Organized, Running, Lead Up, Ball Handling, Relays, and Novelty
5.    Team Sports: Soccer, Basketball, Floor Hockey, Tee Ball, Mat/Kick Ball
6.    Individual: Physical Fitness: Pulse Reading, Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular Strength, Flexibility
7.    Educational Gymnastics: Low Balance Beam, Climbing Ropes, Travel Rings
8.    Lifetime Sports: Fitness, Jumping Rope, Bowling and Climbing Wall
 

III.    Evaluating the Students

Self-Testing, Problem Solving, Teacher Observation, Peer Evaluation and Guided Discovery