High School Band Course Template

Becker Course Template for High School Band

Grade/Class: Band

Department: Music

Aligned to: Minnesota State Standards ______ National Standards __X__ *STANDARDS ARE THE STARTING POINT

*Essential Outcomes typically come from benchmarks

Units of Instruction & Materials	*Essential Outcomes (Learning Goals) What do we want students to know or be able to do? Students will… I can...	Critical Information and Vocabulary students need to meet the learning goal	Daily Learning Objectives Students will… I can...	Time	Common Unit Assessments How do we know students know or can do it?
2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. Strong Focus	Students will perform throughout the year using good intonation, balance and blend, embouchure, dynamics, musical style, posture and concert etiquette.	Intonation (flat/sharp) Balance and Blend (sound block, melody vs accompaniment) Embouchure (correct to instrument) Dynamics(symbols, translation and definitions) Musical Style (correct style depending on the type of piece) Posture Concert Etiquette (as a performer and audience member)	Intonation: I can determine if I am sharp or flat based on the tuner display. I know to pull out if I am sharp or push in if I am flat. I can hear conflicting sound waves when I am out of tune. Balance and Blend: I can draw and explain the sound block concept of balancing a band. I can identify the melody. I can identify the accompaniment. Embouchure I can explain the key aspects of creating a correct embouchure for my instrument. Dynamics I can translate and define dynamic markings. I can play the appropriate dynamic levels on my instrument. Musical Style I can define the musical style per piece. I can perform the corresponding musical style on my instrument. Posture I demonstrate correct posture while playing my instrument. I can explain why good posture affects performance through breath support and tone quality. Concert Etiquette I understand and use correct etiquette as a performer. I understand and use correct etiquette as an audience member.	All year	Perform 3 concert band concerts per year as an ensemble. Perform at home football games and select winter athletics as a pep band Solo/Ensemble – Optional Jazz Band – Optional
	All students will perform 9 major scales plus chromatic by the end of the year. Bb, F, C, G, D, A, Eb, Ab, Db,	key signatures concert pitch fingerings sharps flats	I can find my scale starting note based from concert pitch. I know the order of sharps and flats. I know the fingerings. I can name the key from the sharps and flats.	All year divided per quarter	Focus on three scales per quarter in class plus playing test for each. Scale final in May performing all 12 scales plus chromatic in 3 and ½ minutes or less.
3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
5. Reading and notating music. Strong Focus	A: Students will clap and count rhythms with a steady tempo. B: Students will define and perform musical vocabulary. C: Students will be able to name major key signatures	A: Students need to know note values and time signatures, including simple and compound. B. Students need to know Italian pronunciations, English translation and definition. C. Students will be able to recite the order of sharps and flats. Students will be able to use the tricks to find the key name in sharp and flat keys.	A: I can correctly count out the rhythm on the clap and count sheet. I can clap while counting out loud while maintaining a steady beat. B: I will be able to define and perform the musical vocabulary pertaining to the current concert songs. C. I can recite the order of sharps and flats. I know that I find the last sharp and go up a half step to find the name of the sharp key. I know that the name of the second to last flat is the name of the flat key signature. I know that the key of F has one flat.	all year	A: Clap and Counts – Students will fill out and clap three rhythm sheets per quarter starting at their ability level. B. Vocabulary Unit plus terms found in music performing. C. Key Signature Unit plus identifying key names for pieces being played
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music. Strong Focus	Students will listen to, analyze and describe one piece of music a week during the weekly listening log.	Students need to know vocabulary and instrument sounds.	I can use musical terminology to intelligently talk about musical examples. I can identify instruments based on hearing an example. I can describe the form on the piece.	weekly	Watch/listen to weekly listening logs.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.	Students will evaluate their performance after each concert finding compliments and constructive critiques for each song.	Students need to know vocabulary and what we worked on for each song.	I can identify three positive things that went well at the concert. I can identify three areas of improvement from our concert performance.	a concert cycle	Watch concert recording and fill out concert evaluation sheet.

8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.