Colorado Academic Standards Online

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Articulating the mood of a particular piece of music requires interpretation of aural information to draw conclusions. (Critical Thinking and Analysis)

Inquiry Questions:

1. How can certain movements be more appropriate for one type of music than another?
2. What are some specific elements in music that can change the feelings that are communicated?
3. How do the basic elements of music communicate thoughts or emotions?

Expand and Connect:

1. Looking at a variety of dance styles (e.g., ballet, samba, hip-hop, tap, flamenco) can bring clarity to the idea that different styles of music make us feel and move differently.
2. Ideas and moods expressed through music are conveyed in other areas of the arts (books, movies, theater, dance, performances, commercials.)

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Experiencing and analyzing music of different cultures helps to identify and explain cultural perspectives. (Global and Cultural Awareness)

Inquiry Questions:

1. How does music that is created for various purposes contribute to a specific experience?
2. How can instruments be used to convey various emotions?
3. How does movement differ from one musical style to another?

Expand and Connect:

1. Observing and imitating movement to a variety of musical styles (including cultural and historical excerpts) provides an understanding of the multitude of ways people can express themselves through music and movement.
2. Using pictures, books and the internet to recognize various instruments by shape and sound develops an initial ability to identify the instruments and their contribution to different musical sounds and styles.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Discerning musical preferences allows individuals to make connections between information gathered and personal experiences. (Self-Awareness)

Inquiry Questions:

1. How can movement reflect the expressive qualities of music?
2. How does music affect emotions and feelings in general?
3. How do individuals experience music in different ways?

Expand and Connect:

1. Using common language helps people communicate with and understand one another. Using music vocabulary can be compared to vocabulary used in other areas (art, sports, or math).
2. Individuals make choices about musical preferences based on many reasons, such as family preferences, popular media, and a wide or limited exposure to diverse genres of music. Understanding the reasons for their own preferences can open students' receptiveness to the opinions and choices of others.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Experiencing and analyzing music of different cultures helps to identify and explain cultural perspectives. (Global and Cultural Awareness)

Inquiry Questions:

1. How often do people listen to and move to music for enjoyment?
2. Why is it important to experience a variety of music from different cultures?
3. How does music that is composed for various purposes contribute to a specific experience?

Expand and Connect:

1. America was created as a mosaic of people from around the world. The foundation for understanding and appreciating music is an understanding and appreciation of music from around the globe.
2. The importance of music goes beyond entertainment and is also used to express things such as strong emotions or celebrations, and to document important events in history.
3. Each family has their own musical traditions. Students can connect the music of their family (e.g., birthdays, holidays) to those celebrations around the world.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Discerning musical preferences allows individuals to make connections between information gathered and personal experiences. (Self-Awareness)
2. Articulating the criteria to evaluate a particular piece requires interpretation of aural information to draw conclusions. (Critical Thinking and Analysis)

Inquiry Questions:

1. Why is it beneficial to experience a wide variety of musical styles as a listener and a performer?
2. How can individuals show respect toward different music preferences?
3. How can an appropriate music vocabulary help in discussing musical evaluation with others?

Expand and Connect:

1. Assisting students in developing a wider vocabulary helps them build deeper convictions and rationales for their personal preferences.
2. Comparing two audio or video recordings of the same musical work by different performers can aid in building discernment skills and articulating preferences.
3. Respect for others' opinions and preferences exemplifies a fundamental respect of others that will carry over to all aspects of life.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Experiencing and analyzing music of different cultures helps to identify and explain cultural perspectives. (Global and Cultural Awareness)

Inquiry Questions:

1. How does understanding music of different cultures impact your musical preference?
2. What do people listen for when choosing music for enjoyment?
3. How is music used in various cultures the same or differently from your own?

Expand and Connect:

1. Experiencing music from a variety of cultures helps students draw connections to their learning about the world they live in.
2. Articulating the importance of music in a family or cultural heritage creates an appreciation for how individuals contribute to local communities and influence the availability of musical experiences within the community.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Discerning musical preferences allows individuals to make connections between information gathered and personal experiences. (Critical Thinking and Analysis)
2. Articulating the criteria to evaluate a particular piece requires interpretation of aural information to draw conclusions. (Critical Thinking and Analysis)

Inquiry Questions:

1. Why is it beneficial to experience a wide variety of musical styles as a listener and a performer?
2. How are preferences better communicated when appropriate music terminology is used?
3. Is it possible to evaluate the quality of music, even if you don't care for the style?

Expand and Connect:

1. Experiences with a variety of musical styles develop an expanded range of personal preferences and understanding of the factors that affect personal tastes.
2. Music preferences are sometimes affected by nonmusical but significant factors such as the social meaning of a work at a particular time or for a particular purpose.
3. Looking at criteria developed in other disciplines can lead to a deeper understanding of music evaluation (e.g., buying a car; choosing a work of art for your school).

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Experiencing and analyzing music of different cultures helps to identify and explain cultural and historical perspectives. (Global and Cultural Awareness)

Inquiry Questions:

1. If you could be born in a different historical musical period than ours, which would you choose? Why?
2. Why is it important to have a variety and diversity of musical styles available to society?
3. How do you think music has played a role in historical events?

Expand and Connect:

1. Examining and listening to music that is unique to America gives historical context to how culture in America evolved and was reinforced by music.
2. Understanding important events in American history helps aid in the understanding of the music of our country. For example, ragtime's joyful sound reverberated through America as African-American and Cuban rhythms mixed in the south.
3. Connecting their personal cultural heritage and its place in the history of American music can help students begin to define their own personal music preferences.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Discerning musical preferences allows individuals to make connections between information gathered and personal experiences. (Self-Awareness)
2. Articulating the criteria to evaluate a particular piece requires interpretation of aural information to draw conclusions. (Critical Thinking and Analysis)

Inquiry Questions:

1. Does an individual preference for a musical work or performance affect the opinion of quality?
2. What is the correlation between liking a work and the importance of the work?
3. How are passive and active listening different?

Expand and Connect:

1. Experiencing music of various cultures and societies can help students understand how others view the importance of music.
2. Creating a survey of the listening preferences of classmates and their families can provide students a basis of both musical and nonmusical information that have an effect upon individual music preference.
3. A broad musical experience and comprehensive musical vocabulary strengthen one's ability to objectively consider and articulate ideas about music.

Colorado Essential Skills:

1. Experiencing and analyzing music of different cultures helps to identify and explain cultural and historical perspectives. (Global and Cultural Awareness)

Inquiry Questions:

1. What roles does music play in American culture?
2. How do the elements of music affect the way that music is classified into various styles?
3. Why are many classical works, jazz works and performances, and Broadway songs considered to be exceptional examples of American and Western music even though they do not share the popularity of contemporary "top 40" or other contemporary styles?

Expand and Connect:

1. Connecting important events in a historical period with the music of that time provides a deeper understanding of history.
2. Identifying musical works that are specific to a given period builds a foundation for understanding similarities and differences between historical periods.