Music

As part of our Music module, we have to look at the QCA schemes of work and chose one to make notes on and look at in more depth.

The schemes can be found here: http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100612050234/http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/music/?view=get

I've chosen to look at Unit 2-Sounds Interesting: Exploring Sounds. This is a Year 1/2 unit.

'This unit develops children's ability to identify different sounds and to change and use sounds expressively in response to a stimulus.

During this unit, children make a variety of sounds with their voices, bodies, found objects and instruments, and explore how these sounds can be changed and used expressively in response to a stimulus. They use this knowledge to select sounds that reflect the mood of chants and songs. This leads to the creation of a class performance that uses sounds to heighten the effect of a chosen story.
This unit could be revisited using a different story, poem or play'
 

 Introduction: What sounds can we hear?

The purpose of this section is to get the children to recognise different sound sources. It suggests discussing with the children about what sounds they know, what they can hear, and how they can describe them. This links to Unit 1:Listening.

It talks about introducing musical vocabulary to the children and encouraging the use of it. Also included are extension activities, such as getting the children to record different sounds around and replaying them to other children, to see if they can guess where the sounds come from.

Exploration: How can we make and use sounds expressively? (1)

This section is about the children using the different parts of their bodies to make numerous noises, and being able to describe the sounds they are making. It talks about making sounds at different speeds and different volumes and seeing what messages they create.

For extension activities it suggests getting the children to group instruments according to the sounds they make and seeing if they can draw a visual representation of the sounds they hear.

Exploration: How can we make and use sounds excessively? (2)

This section is about getting the children to focus their listening. This can be done by letting the children chose intructions about how to play, and then seeing if the other children can guess what their instruction was.

'Take the hat and pass it around
Pass it around, pass it around
Take the hat and pass it around
Stop, read, make a sound

A child picks out a piece of paper, reads it, chooses an instrument and makes the sound requested. The listening children guess what was written on the card.'

It stresses the importance of getting the children to listen and really focus on what they can hear, one what the noises sound like. For extension ideas it suggests playing hide and seek with paired sound cards, so when the children find a card they have to make the noise and find the other person making that noise.

Exploration: How can we make and use sounds excessively? (3)

This section looks at introducing instruments to children and letting them explore. This involves passing an instrument round and letting each of the children make different noises and describe them. It then talks about suggesting sounds and getting the children to chose the method or instrument that would best make that sound i.e a triangle would make the sound of a doorbell, better than a drum. It is important to offer instruments of a variety of types, including ones which children may play at home, but not in school such as the violin. Instruments such as an electric keyboard are fantastic for offering a vast array of sounds, however they need to be used in conjunction with 'real' instruments.

Exploration: How can we make and use sounds excessively? (4)

Now, having introduced instruments to the children, this section looks at helping them have control over the sound. For example stopping and starting when given the appropriate signals or changing pace accordingly. For a bit of extra challenge, children can be given multiple instructions such as fast and quiet, or they could be given the instructions in a different manner, by using symbols etc. Also suggested is a game in which the children pass an instrument such as a tambourine around, making little or no sound.

Exploration: How can we make and use sounds excessively? (5)

The objective for section 5 is for children to 'explore expressive use of sound'. This involves looking at how instruments are use to create mood and emotions, often used in films. Take a loud & jolly, familiar childrens song, and get them to play along quietly with instruments. How does it make them feel, can they see that as a result of the different sounds, they may no longer feel jolly? To extend this, try asking the children to chose a song and how it sound be played, using which instruments.

Bringing it all together: How can we use sound to describe events, feelings, moods?

This section takes all the knowledge and skills the children have acquired and combines it. The aim is for children to be able to use music expressively to illustrate a story. Chose a story that contains multiple images and events, and preferably one which the children are already familiar with. Read it to the children and get them to talk about how sounds could be added to make it more interesting. Which sounds would they add, where, and why? Would the sounds be loud or soft, fast or slow? Can the sounds be combined, or not? Record the story, re reading it, with the children adding in the sounds they discussed. Play it back, what sounds work best, why? How could it be better? Try using pictures, signs of symbols to aid the children with which sounds to play when.

And there you have it, QCA, Unit 2 Sounds Interesting: Exploring Sounds.

Although each section of this unit isn't very detailed, it gives enough information as to the purpose and aim for the children. This is enough to use as a starting point or base line when planning. It gives you lesson objectives, descriptions of how to touch on the basic ideas, sample activities or games, and links to other units.

Id love to say that I'm going to do this for each unit, because I think it would actually be really useful, as it would help me to absorb the content...however I probably don't realistically have time....who knows, you may see some other units in the future.