Full Year Curriculum

6-8 Grade Middle School String Orchestra

Mikaela Lange
October 14, 2022
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Program Goals
● Students will develop into literate and fluent musicians
● Students will foster a lifelong love for music
● Students will perform in a variety of ensembles with proper tone, balance, and a
presence.
● Students will create a supportive environment to help foster a love for music
● Students will demonstrate level appropriate musical characteristics

Course Goals
● Students will perform a variety of cultures and styles through music
● Students will develop their craft through employing a variety of practice
techniques.
● Students will demonstrate a basic understanding of basic music theory
● Students will perform music containing a variety of meters and rhythmic patterns
● Students will play with level appropriate tone

Course Objectives
● Students will maintain a weekly practice journal providing insight into listening,
diagnostic, and prescriptive skills at both the individual and ensemble levels.
● Students will demonstrate music theory knowledge by doing worksheets with
80% accuracy
● Students will play with ensemble appropriate tone in rehearsals 90% of the time
● Students will play music from a variety of cultures while demonstrating the
proper technique 85% of the time
● Students will play in different meters and have rhythmic accuracy 80% of the
time
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Scope and Sequence

Fall Winter Early Spring Late Spring

Rhythm Skeleton Vanguard Contrasts in Agincourt

Waltz Overture E Minor

Melody Pieces of Canarios Contrasts in Agincourt

Eight E Minor
Musical
Harmony Skeleton Canarios Ancient Avalon Rising
Elements
Waltz Flower

Texture Creatures Vanguard The Bird American

Overture Landscape

Timbre Danse Danza de Ancient American

Infernale mi Corazon Flower Landscape

Form Pieces of In the Sun The Bird Lionheart

Eight

Musical Danse In the Sun Contrasts in Avalon Rising

Expression Infernale E Minor

Fall Winter Early Spring Late Spring

Musical
Topics Styles/ Waltz Overture Classical Medley
Genres Sea Shanty Classical Contrasts

Historical Post- 19th Classical Contemporary

Periods Romantic Century
Comtemp.

Cultures Russian Spanish East Asian American

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Concert One - Fall

Content Performed
● Skeleton Waltz by Katie O’Hara LaBrie
● Pieces of Eight by Richard Meyer
● Creatures by Brian Blamages
● Danse Infernale by Brian Balmages
Skills/Elements Addressed
● Skeleton Waltz
○ Rhythm and Harmony
● Pieces of Eight
○ Melody and Form
● Creatures
○ Texture
● Danse Infernale
○ Timbre and Musical Expression
Style/Genres, Historical Periods, Culture, and Standards
● Skeleton Waltz
○ Style: Waltz
○ Standards
■ MU:Re7.1.E.5a Identify reasons for selecting music based on
characteristics found in the music, connection to interest, and
purpose or context.

● Pieces of Eight
○ Style: Sea Shanty
○ Standards
■ MU:Pr6.1.E.5b Demonstrate an awareness of the context of the
music through prepared and improvised performances.
● Creatures
○ Historical Period: Contemporary
○ Standards
■ MU:Pr5.3.E.5a Use self-reflection and peer feedback to refine
individual and ensemble performances of a varied repertoire of
music.
● Danse Infernale
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○ Historical Period: Post Romantic

○ Culture: Russian
○ Standards
■ MU:Pr6.1.E.5b Demonstrate an awareness of the context of the
music through prepared and improvised performances.

Rationale
● All of the pieces were selected with the idea of a Halloween concert for students’
first concert. Not only does this explore a variety of meters, which plays into the
objective of students playing a variety of meters. The goal of playing different
cultures is met with playing a play on Stravinsky’s Infernal Dance. This concert is
not only a chance for students to play fun literature to start the year, but it also
opens a way to have students create some form of outreach and involve other
members in the school.

Sample Lesson Plan

● Danse Infernale
○ Activity: listen to Stravinsky’s Infernal Dance and compare and contrast
the two pieces
○ Assessment: Pencil and Paper/Worksheet
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Concert Two - Winter

Content Performed
● Vanguard Overture by Richard Stephan
● Canarios by Gaspar Sanz arr. Robert Longfield
● Danza de mi Corazon by Stephen L. Rosenhaus
● In the Sun by Yukiko Nishimura
Skills/Elements Addressed
● Vanguard Overture
○ Rhythm and Texture
● Canarios
○ Melody and Harmony
● Danza de mi Corazon
○ Timbre
● In the Sun
○ Form and Musical Expression
Style/Genres, Historical Periods, Culture, and Standards
● Vanguard Overture
○ Style: Overture and 19th Century
○ Standards
■ MU:Pr6.1.E.5b Demonstrate an awareness of the context of the
music through prepared and improvised performances.
● Canarios
○ Culture: Spanish
○ Standards
■ MU:Pr4.1.E.5a Select varied repertoire to study based on interest,
music reading skills (where appropriate), an understanding of the
structure of the music, context, and the technical skill of the
individual or ensemble.
● Danza de mi Corazon
○ Culture: Spanish
○ Standards
■ MU:Pr4.1.E.5a Select varied repertoire to study based on interest,
music reading skills (where appropriate), an understanding of the
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structure of the music, context, and the technical skill of the

individual or ensemble.
● In the Sun
○ Style: Classical
○ Standards
■ MU:Cr3.2.E.5a Share personally-developed melodic and rhythmic
ideas or motives – individually or as an ensemble – that
demonstrate understanding of characteristics of music or texts
studied in rehearsal.

Rationale
● While the normal choice for a winter concert is to do a Christmas concert, my
goal was to emanate the feeling we get during the season. Many of these pieces
create that whimsical feeling which many associate with Christmas without
making other members of the community feel isolated by playing music they
don’t relate with. I also picked two of these pieces because of the focus on the
Spanish culture in two pieces.

Sample Lesson Plan

● Danza De Mi Corozon
○ Activity: Break into small groups and select a topic on Spanish culture to
present to class
○ Assessment: Checklist/Rubric
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Concert Three - Early Spring

Content Performed
● Contrasts in E Minor by Francis Feese
● Ancient Flower by Yukiko Nishimura
● The Bird by FJ Haydn arr. Matthew Moreno
Skills/Elements Addressed
● Contrasts in E Minor
○ Rhythm, Melody, and Musical Expression
● Ancient Flower
○ Harmony and Timbre
● The Bird
○ Texture and Form

Style/Genres, Historical Periods, Culture, and Standards

● Contrasts in E Minor
○ Style: Contrasts
○ Standards
■ MU:Cr3.2.E.5a Share personally-developed melodic and rhythmic
ideas or motives – individually or as an ensemble – that
demonstrate understanding of characteristics of music or texts
studied in rehearsal.
● Ancient Flower
○ Cultures: East Asian
○ Standards
■ MU:Pr4.1.E.5a Select varied repertoire to study based on interest,
music reading skills (where appropriate), an understanding of the
structure of the music, context, and the technical skill of the
individual or ensemble.
● The Bird
○ Style: Classical
○ Historical Period: Classical
○ Standards
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■ MU:Cr3.2.E.5a Share personally-developed melodic and rhythmic

ideas or motives – individually or as an ensemble – that
demonstrate understanding of characteristics of music or texts
studied in rehearsal.

Rationale
● This concert has an emphasis on pieces done in a lighter style but also finding
ways to incorporate different sections having the melody. This is especially
prevalent in the piece Contrasts in E minor. For me I wanted violas to have some
form of melodic passages to get more comfortable with it. This piece also has
changing of meters which helps students get more comfortable with changing
meter, especially with it moving from a simple meter to 6/8.
Sample Lesson Plan
● Contrasts in E Minor
○ Activity: Select difficult passages and have guided practice techniques
○ Assessment: Pencil and Paper (Turned in practice journal)
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Concert Four - Late Spring

Content Performed
● Agincourt by Doug Spata
● Avalon Rising by Doug Spata
● American Landscape by Soon Hee Newbold
● Lionheart by Benjamin P Snoek
Skills/Elements Addressed
● Agincourt
○ Rhythm and Melody
● Avalon Rising
○ Harmony and Musical Expression
● American Landscape
○ Texture and Timbre
● Lionheart
○ Form
Style/Genres, Historical Periods, Culture, and Standards
● Agincourt
○ Historical Period: Contemporary
○ Standards
■ MU:Cr3.2.E.5a Share personally-developed melodic and rhythmic
ideas or motives – individually or as an ensemble – that
demonstrate understanding of characteristics of music or texts
studied in rehearsal.Avalon Rising
○ Historical Period: Contemporary
○ Standards
■ MU:Pr4.1.E.5a Select varied repertoire to study based on interest,
music reading skills (where appropriate), an understanding of the
structure of the music, context, and the technical skill of the
individual or ensemble.
● American Landscape
○ Culture: American
○ Style: Medley
○ Standards
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■ MU:Cr3.2.E.5a Share personally-developed melodic and rhythmic

ideas or motives – individually or as an ensemble – that
demonstrate understanding of characteristics of music or texts
studied in rehearsal.
● Lionheart
○ Historical Period: Contemporary
○ Standards
■ MU:Pr4.1.E.5a Select varied repertoire to study based on interest,
music reading skills (where appropriate), an understanding of the
structure of the music, context, and the technical skill of the
individual or ensemble.

Rationale
● For the final concert I wanted to sort of create a medieval/fantasy type vibe to
draw into the interests of some students. I also could use this as a way to connect
to other types of art like literature or physical art. I also selected a piece that
explores the different cultures and musical styles of the United States. So many
of us neglect to explore that so finding a medley that has those styles
incorporated into it.
Sample Lesson Plan
● American Landscape
○ Activity: Listen to the piece and spend time in groups researching different
prevalent cultures in America to briefly present to the class
○ Assessment: Checklist/Rubric