Arts

Grade 2: Music

Overall Expectations

•demonstrate an understanding of the basic elements of music specified for this grade (see below) through listening to, performing, and creating music;

•recognize a variety of sound sources and use some in performing and creating music;

•use correctly the vocabulary and musical terminology associated with the specific expectations for this grade;

•identify and perform music from various cultures and historical periods;

•communicate their response to music in ways appropriate for this grade (e.g., through visual arts, drama, creative movement, language). 

Specific Expectations

Knowledge of Elements

•identify examples of beat in their environment and in music (e.g., ticking of clocks, steady pulse in rhymes or songs);

•identify rhythmic patterns (e.g., clap the pattern of syllables in nursery rhymes);

•distinguish between beat and rhythm in a variety of pieces of music;

•identify higher- and lower-pitched sounds in a familiar melody;

•reproduce specific pitches in call-and-response activities (e.g., singing games);

•identify examples of dynamics in pieces of music and describe how the loudness and softness are achieved (e.g., loudness results when a drum is struck with more force);

•identify the tempo of various pieces of music;

•identify the four families of orchestral instruments (strings, woodwinds, brass, percussion). 

Creative Work

•sing music from a variety of cultures and historical periods (e.g., folk songs);

•create rhythmic and melodic patterns (e.g., ostinati), using a variety of sounds (e.g., vocal and instrumental sounds);

•create simple patterned movement to familiar music, using their knowledge of beat and rhythm;

•sing simple, familiar songs in tune in unison;

•sing expressively, showing an understanding of the text;

•accompany songs in an expressive way, using appropriate rhythm instruments, body percussion, or "found" instruments;

•create and perform musical compositions, applying their knowledge of the elements of music and patterns of sound;

•create short songs and instrumental pieces, using a variety of sound sources;

•produce a specific effect (e.g., create a soundscape as background for a story or poem), using various sound sources (e.g., the voice, the body, instruments). 

Critical Thinking

•express their response to music from a variety of cultures and historical periods (e.g., “Largo al factotum della città” from The Barber of Seville by Rossini, “Lunatic Menu” by Ippu Do);

•communicate their thoughts and feelings about the music they hear, using language and a variety of art forms and media (e.g., create a dance, dramatize a song);

•recognize that mood can be created through music (e.g., in a work such as Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns);

•explain, using basic musical terminology, their preference for specific songs or pieces of music;

•recognize and explain the effects of different musical choices (e.g., slow music that is loud can be dramatic or ceremonial whereas slow music that is soft can suggest thoughtfulness). 

Expectations: Copyright The Queen's Printer for Ontario, 1997.  With thanks to B.Phillips, 1998.

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