Fifth Grade Music Class
The Fifth Grade Students receive music instruction once a week for 50 minutes. During the fifth grade year, the students are busy building upon their previous music experiences throughout their elementary years. The main concepts being taught during fifth grade include:Texture, Meter,Timbre, Harmony,and preparing for the 5th Grade Production. .
What's Happening in Fifth Grade Music?
Listed below are the concepts covered and a brief description of our lessons in music class over the course of the school year. This section will be updated as we cover new topics!
September-December
Unit 1: 5th Grade Production
Show time is getting closer! As part of our preparations for the upcoming show, the students use their music time to learn the vocal music that will be sung in the show. All 5th Grade students in the production are responsible for singing so it is important that they are rehearsed and ready to go for the show!
January-February
Unit 5: Harmony
Harmony is when you have two or more pitches sounding together. The fifth grade students started the unit by reviewing what they know about harmony from previous music lessons. They were then introduced to the home (I) and away (V) chords in D major and how to play them with the resonator bars and the piano. The students then reviewed the song "Hush Little Baby" and were given the job to figure out the chordal pattern of the song as a class. The students then played the chords on resonator bars while singing the song.
Next, the students reviewed the I and V chords in D major and learned a new song called "A Ram Sam Sam." After learning the song, the students were given the task to figure out the chordal pattern of the song together in small groups using the keyboards. The students then shared their chord charts as a class.
Lastly, the students learned about the I IV and V chord in C major. The students then learned another new song called "I've Got Peace Like a River" and were asked to use the new chords to fill in the chordal pattern for the song in groups. After everyone had figured out the pattern, the students again shared in their groups what they had learned.
Here is a video of one group sharing their "Peace Like a River" performance.
March
Unit 3: Meter
Unit 3: Meter
In this unit, the students are introduced to the concept of how meter is used in music. Meter is the way beats of music are grouped together in a piece. Throughout the unit, the students are introduced to meter in three time signatures: 4/4 3/4 and 2/4. We spend time discussing the number of beats in each measure and the beats that are stressed and unstressed. We then work on playing the patterns on the large drums and the conducting patterns for each time signature.
To end the unit, the students are asked to take the "Star Spangled Banner" which is in 3/4 time and change two phrases into 4/4 time. They then present their rehearsed product to the class and the class decides what two phrases of the song have been changed from 3/4 to 4/4.
Unit 3: Meter
Unit 3: Meter
In this unit, the students are introduced to the concept of how meter is used in music. Meter is the way beats of music are grouped together in a piece. Throughout the unit, the students are introduced to meter in three time signatures: 4/4 3/4 and 2/4. We spend time discussing the number of beats in each measure and the beats that are stressed and unstressed. We then work on playing the patterns on the large drums and the conducting patterns for each time signature.
To end the unit, the students are asked to take the "Star Spangled Banner" which is in 3/4 time and change two phrases into 4/4 time. They then present their rehearsed product to the class and the class decides what two phrases of the song have been changed from 3/4 to 4/4.