2020 Colorado Academic Standards

2020 Colorado Academic Standards Online

Use the options below to create customized views of the 2020 Colorado Academic Standards. For all standards resources, see the Office of Standards and Instructional Support.

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clear Content Area: Music // Grade Level: Sixth Grade/Novice // Standard Category: All Standards Categories

clear Content Area: Music // Grade Level: Seventh Grade/Intermediate // Standard Category: All Standards Categories

clear Content Area: Music // Grade Level: Eighth Grade/Proficient // Standard Category: All Standards Categories

Music

Sixth Grade/Novice, Standard 1. Expression of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 1. Apply knowledge and skills through a variety of means to demonstrate musical concepts.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Perform pieces of music, making interpretive and expressive choices.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Perform music rhythmically correct at .5-1 level on the difficulty rating scale. (See levels .5-1 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Perform music with correct pitches and intonation at .5-1 level on the difficulty rating scale. (See levels .5-1 in Music Skills Appendix)
  3. Perform music with expressive qualities. (See levels .5-1 in Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Performing music demonstrates a willingness to try new things. (Entrepreneurial: Informed Risk Taking)
  2. Performing music encourages musicians to recognize personal characteristics, preferences, thoughts, and feelings. (Personal: Adaptability/Flexibility)
  3. Students can synthesize information from multiple sources to demonstrate understanding of music. (Entrepreneurial: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do the elements and expressive qualities of music express a composer's intent?
  2. How do expressive choices impact how performances are interpreted by an audience?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Performing accurately and expressively requires musicians to access multiple skills simultaneously.
  2. Musicians make expressive choices to communicate emotion.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 2. Perform with appropriate technique and expressive elements to communicate ideas and emotions.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

2. Perform music in unison and two-parts accurately and with technique in order to convey intent.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Sing and/or play with correct technique and consistent tone quality, intonation, balance, diction/articulation, and phrasing. (See levels .5-1 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Respond to written or visual cues for tempo, simple dynamics, and time signatures including 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to adjust elements of music (pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, texture, form). (See levels .5-1 in Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Singing and playing music requires students to consider purpose, formality of context and audience, and distinct cultural norms when planning and performing musical content, delivery, and expression. (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)
  2. Performing music requires students to take responsibility for and pursue opportunities to create the highest quality music performance. (Personal: Initiative/Self-Direction)
  3. Discern differences of effective and ineffective processes and communication when performing music. (Personal: Personal Responsibility)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do musicians define a quality sound?
  2. Why is teamwork important when playing in an ensemble?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Musicians use fluency in the language of music to develop musical leadership.
  2. Performing together helps musicians to build meaningful interpersonal relationships.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 3. Demonstrate practice and refinement processes to develop independent musicianship.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

3. Apply teacher and peer critiques and self-reflection to refine individual and/or ensemble performances.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Identify and apply teacher and peer feedback to rehearse, refine, and determine when a piece is ready to perform.
  2. Apply self-reflection process to refine musical performance

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Accepting and applying feedback enables students to develop a clear sense of goals, and their abilities and needs. (Professional: Self-Advocacy)
  2. Applying teacher, self, and peer critiques to improve personal musical performance teaches students to regulate their reactions to different perspectives. (Personal: Adaptability/Flexibility)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. When is a musical work ready to share?
  2. How do musicians use feedback from others to improve performance?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Musicians evaluate and refine their work through openness to new ideas, persistence, and the application of appropriate criteria.
  2. Practicing and refinement develops perseverance, discipline, and an academic mindset.

Music

Sixth Grade/Novice, Standard 2. Creation of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 4. Compose, improvise, and arrange sounds and musical ideas to communicate purposeful intent.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Compose, improvise, and arrange simple melodic and rhythmic phrases to convey intent.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Compose a combination of melodic and rhythmic phrases of basic length (e.g., 2-4 measures) within structured parameters using a variety of notation methods at a .5-1 level on the difficulty rating scale. (See levels .5-1 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Improvise basic (e.g., 2-4 measures) melodic or rhythmic phrases over accompaniment. (See levels .5-1 Music Skills Appendix)
  3. Arrange an existing piece by changing one musical element. (See levels .5-1 in Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Composing, improvising, and arranging sounds allow students to make connections between information gathered and personal experiences to create musical ideas. (Entrepreneurial: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)
  2. Composing, improvising, and arranging music allow students an opportunity to demonstrate a willingness to try new things. (Entrepreneurial: Informed Risk Taking)
  3. Creating music requires the establishment of a goal for communication and a thoughtful step-by-step plan for that communication. (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do musicians generate creative ideas?
  2. Why is it important for musicians to be able to improvise?
  3. What are some benefits of being able to adapt an existing piece of music for other uses?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. The process of creating music is similar to the creative writing process (clearly focused, well developed, effectively formatted).
  2. The use of technology can expand choices and provide resources for musicians to create music.
  3. It would be advantageous for students to explore the jobs in current culture that require composers (e.g., video game production; presentation at business; commercials; many other media presentations such as art show, movies, cartoons).

Music

Sixth Grade/Novice, Standard 3. Theory of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 5. Read, write, and analyze the elements of music through a variety of means to demonstrate musical literacy.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Read, notate, and identify musical symbols by name or function for rhythm, pitch, articulation, and dynamics.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Identify by name or function, and notate musical symbols. (See level 1 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Sight-read, observing all musical symbols, tempo indications, expressive indications, and technical indications. (See level .5 in the Music Skills Appendix)
  3. Notate melodic and/or rhythmic patterns of two to four measures. (See levels .5-1 in the Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Sight-reading requires a high degree of risk taking. (Entrepreneurial: Informed Risk Taking)
  2. Sight-reading develops stamina for rigorous tasks. (Personal: Perseverance/Resilience)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. Why is it important to use some form of notation when creating musical ideas?
  2. How does accurate and expressive sight-reading impact performance?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Knowing how other disciplines use form increases a musician's understanding of how form is used in music.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 5. Read, write, and analyze the elements of music through a variety of means to demonstrate musical literacy.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

2. Analyze structure, use of musical elements, and expressive choices within musical compositions.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Identify how the use of repetition, similarities and contrasts inform the response to music.
  2. Analyze a musical excerpt and describe the composer's application of musical structures and elements. (See levels .5-1 in Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Analyzing music requires one to draw on prior knowledge and make connections. (Entrepreneurial: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does analyzing the structure of music influence understanding of musical genres and styles?
  2. How do analysis skills influence musical choices?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Sight-reading music and sight-reading words are similar cognitive skills.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 6. Aurally identify and differentiate musical elements to interpret and respond to music.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

3. Aurally identify and differentiate elements of a piece of music.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Listen to a simple rhythmic phrase of 1-2 measures and notate the correct rhythm.
  2. Aurally recall a simple melodic phrase and play or sing it back.
  3. Aurally compare and contrast different tonalities.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Exercising aural skills requires the recognition of patterns in music. (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)
  2. Pose and respond to questions or ideas and contribute to a discussion related to musical styles/genres. (Personal: Self-Awareness)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does rhythmic dictation improve sight-reading skills?
  2. How does aural identification of tonalities aid in interpretation of musical intent?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Aural skills are necessary in other disciplines, such as language arts.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 6. Aurally identify and differentiate musical elements to interpret and respond to music.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

4. Aurally identify musical styles/genres.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Listen to a piece of music and identify the style/genre based on musical characteristics such as form, instrumentation, lyrical content, and vocal or instrumental nuances.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Participating in discussions to analyze unfamiliar music requires communication and collaboration skills. (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. Why is it important to listen to and study music from different styles and genres?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Listening to and analyzing music from a variety of genres expands one's musical palette and builds knowledge.

Music

Sixth Grade/Novice, Standard 4. Aesthetic Valuation of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 7. Evaluate and respond to music using criteria to make informed musical decisions.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Evaluate musical performances using prescribed criteria.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Identify criteria used in evaluating various kinds of musical performances.
  2. Employ basic specific music terminology related to elements of performance and evaluation to discuss a music performance.
  3. Interpret a piece of work and explain how creators ' and performers' application of the elements of music and expressive qualities within genres, cultures, and historical periods convey expressive intent.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Evaluating musical works allows one to express opinions through one's own personal perspective. (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)
  2. Evaluating performances by others allows one to develop ideas and apply critiques to one's own performance. (Personal: Self-Advocacy)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does using prescribed criteria inform one's definition of quality?
  2. How do music evaluators use knowledge and skills to make informed musical decisions?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. The ability to critically evaluate performances provides necessary information essential to improving performance skills.
  2. Discussions about the quality of a performance using criteria encourage collegial discourse and require one to articulately communicate an aesthetic valuation.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 8. Connect musical ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to understand relationships and influences.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

2. Articulate and justify personal preferences as a music consumer.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Create a program of music (such as a CD mix, playlist, or live performances) and demonstrate the connections to a personal interest or experience for a specific purpose.
  2. Describe how personal preferences influence music consumerism.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Evaluating personal preferences allows one to identify how music influences their behavior. (Personal: Self-Awareness)
  2. Identifying key attributes from a variety of information products allows one to demonstrate personal preferences for music. (Professional: Information Literacy)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do individuals choose the music they listen to?
  2. How does musical knowledge influence personal choices in music listening?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Examining one's personal choices in music reinforces metacognition.
  2. The study of music develops informed consumers of music in society.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 8. Connect musical ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to understand relationships and influences.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

3. Identify and describe uses for music in different world cultures.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Explain why particular pieces of music are important to one's family or cultural heritage.
  2. Describe various ways music is used and enjoyed in different cultural traditions.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Examining music from different cultures allows one to evaluate their own attitudes and beliefs. (Civic/Interpersonal: Global/Cultural Awareness)
  2. Studying music deepens the understanding of one's own cultural experience. (Entrepreneurial: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does learning about music of one's own culture influence identity?
  2. How is music a form of cultural transmission?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Examining the cultural influences in popular music influences the development of multiple perspectives.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 8. Connect musical ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to understand relationships and influences.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

4. Identify how music has been used in different historical periods.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Listen to and analyze music from an historical period and describe how the music reflects the context of the period.
  2. Identify and describe how historical context can inform a performance.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Considering historical perspectives in music-making requires access to information for a specific purpose. (Professional: Information Literacy)
  2. Describing cause and effect patterns illuminates correlations between music and history. (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does music serve as a form of historical record?
  2. How does historical context influence the way we might perform a particular musical work?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. We can learn about the human experience during a historical period by examining its music.
  2. Musicians often consider historic perspectives when making creative decisions.

Music

Seventh Grade/Intermediate, Standard 1. Expression of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 1. Apply knowledge and skills through a variety of means to demonstrate musical concepts.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Perform contrasting pieces of music, making interpretive and expressive choices.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Perform music rhythmically correct. (See levels 1-2 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Perform music with correct pitches and intonation. (See levels 1-2 in Music Skills Appendix)
  3. Perform music with expressive qualities. (See levels 1-2 in Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Performing music demonstrates flexibility, imagination, and inventiveness in taking on tasks and activities. (Entrepreneurial: Informed Risk Taking)
  2. Performing music encourages musicians to recognize personal characteristics, preferences, thoughts, and feelings. (Personal: Adaptability/Flexibility)
  3. Students can synthesize information from multiple sources to demonstrate understanding of a topic. (Entrepreneurial: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do performers interpret musical works?
  2. How do context and the manner in which music is presented influence audience response?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Performing accurately and expressively requires musicians to access multiple skills simultaneously.
  2. Musicians make expressive choices to connect with listeners.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 2. Perform with appropriate technique and expressive elements to communicate ideas and emotions.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

2. Perform music in two or more parts accurately and with technique in order to convey intent.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Sing and/or play with correct technique with consistent tone quality, intonation, balance, diction/articulation and phrasing. (See levels 1-2 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Respond to written or visual cues for tempo, dynamics, and time signatures including 6/8.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to adjust elements of music (pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, texture, form). (See levels 1-2 in Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Singing and playing music requires students to consider purpose, formality of context and audience, and distinct cultural norms when planning and performing musical content, delivery, and expression. (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)
  2. Performing music requires students to appropriately express one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and identify how they influence musical performances. (Personal: Self-Awareness)
  3. Discern differences of effective and ineffective processes and communication when performing music. (Personal: Personal Responsibility)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does appropriate performance technique impact a performance and audience response?
  2. How are skills and techniques applied differently when performing in an ensemble?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Musicians use fluency in the language of music to develop musical leadership.
  2. Performing together helps musicians to build meaningful interpersonal relationships.

keyboard_arrow_down keyboard_arrow_up

More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 3. Demonstrate practice and refinement processes to develop independent musicianship.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

3. Apply self-reflection to create criteria and refine the individual and/or ensemble performances.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Identify and apply self-reflection of criteria to rehearse, refine, and determine when the music is ready to perform.
  2. Apply self-reflection process to refine musical performance

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Practicing music requires students to demonstrate ways to adapt and reach workable solutions in order to refine musical performances and pieces to the best of their abilities. (Personal: Adaptability/Flexibility)
  2. Applying teacher, self, and peer critiques to improve personal musical performance teaches students to focus on learning goals by employing motivation and familiar strategies for engagement and evaluate progress, making necessary changes to stay the course. (Personal: Perseverance/Resilience)
  3. Practicing and refining music requires students to recognize and describe cause-and-effect relationships and patterns in personal musical performance. (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do individual musicians improve the quality of their performance?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Musicians evaluate and refine their work through openness to new ideas, persistence, and the application of appropriate criteria.
  2. Practicing and refinement develop perseverance, discipline, and an academic mindset.

Music

Seventh Grade/Intermediate, Standard 2. Creation of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 4. Compose, improvise, and arrange sounds and musical ideas to communicate purposeful intent.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Compose, improvise, and arrange melodic and rhythmic phrases and variations to convey intent.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Compose new music in a given genre or style with melodic phrases or sentences of moderate length (4-8 measures) using a variety of notation including use of technology. (See levels 1-2 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Improvise moderate length (e.g., 4-8 measures) melodies vocally and/or instrumentally over an accompaniment. (See levels 1-2 in Music Skills Appendix)
  3. Arrange an existing piece with or without accompaniment. (See levels 1-2 in Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Composing, improvising, and arranging sounds require that students interpret and analyze a variety of musical information/sounds and draw conclusions in order to best convey a purposeful intent. (Entrepreneurial: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)
  2. Composing, improvising, and arranging music allow students to demonstrate flexibility, imagination, and inventiveness in taking on tasks and activities. (Entrepreneurial: Informed Risk Taking)
  3. Creating music requires the establishment of a goal for communication and a thoughtful step by step plan for that communication. (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do musicians make creative decisions?
  2. How do musicians learn to choose pitches (and rhythms) that are appropriate for a given harmonic progression when improvising?
  3. Why is it important for musicians to be able to create/compose music?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. The process of creating music is similar to the creative writing process (clearly focused, well developed, effectively formatted, etc.).
  2. The use of technology can expand choices and provide resources for musicians to create music.

Music

Seventh Grade/Intermediate, Standard 3. Theory of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 5. Read, write, and analyze the elements of music through a variety of means to demonstrate musical literacy.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Read, notate, and identify by name or function standard symbols for rhythm, pitch articulation, dynamics, tempo, and form.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Identify by name or function, and notate musical symbols. (See level 2 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Sight-read, observing all musical symbols, tempo indications, expressive indications, and technical indications. (See level 1 in the Music Skills Appendix)
  3. Notate melodic and/or rhythmic patterns of two to four measures. (See levels 1-2 in the Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Sight-reading requires a high degree of risk taking. (Entrepreneurial: Informed Risk Taking)
  2. Sight-reading develops stamina for rigorous tasks. (Personal: Perseverance/Resilience)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does a working knowledge of different types of music notation (including technology) assist in composing original musical ideas?
  2. How does accurate and expressive sight-reading impact performance?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Knowing how other disciplines use form increases a musician's understanding of how form is used in music.

keyboard_arrow_down keyboard_arrow_up

More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 5. Read, write, and analyze the elements of music through a variety of means to demonstrate musical literacy.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

2. Analyze structure, use of musical elements, and expressive choices within musical compositions.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Describe the way in which elements of music and form are manipulated and how it informs the response to music.
  2. Analyze a musical excerpt and describe the composer's application of musical structures and elements. (See levels 1-2 in Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Analyzing music requires one to draw on prior knowledge and make connections. (Entrepreneurial: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do musicians use analysis to discern the composer's and performer's intent?
  2. How do analysis skills influence musical choices?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Sight-reading music and sight-reading words are similar cognitive skills.

keyboard_arrow_down keyboard_arrow_up

More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 6. Aurally identify and differentiate musical elements to interpret and respond to music.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

3. Aurally identify and differentiate elements of music including simple tonal and/or rhythmic relationships.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Listen to a rhythmic phrase of 2-4 measures and notate the correct rhythm.
  2. Listen to two diatonic tones and identify the interval from a given starting pitch.
  3. Aurally identify a variety of tonalities.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Aurally differentiating between musical elements requires one to make connections and draw conclusions. (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)
  2. Pose and respond to questions or ideas and contribute to a discussion related to musical styles/genres. (Personal: Self-Awareness)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does rhythmic dictation improve sight-reading skills?
  2. How does aurally differentiating between tones improve intonation in performance?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Aural skills are necessary in other disciplines, such as language arts.

keyboard_arrow_down keyboard_arrow_up

More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 6. Aurally identify and differentiate musical elements to interpret and respond to music.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

4. Aurally identify and differentiate characteristics of musical styles/genres.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Listen to several pieces of music. Describe each genre based on multiple musical characteristics such as form, instrumentation, lyrical content, and vocal or instrumental nuances.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Participating in discussions to analyze unfamiliar music requires communication and collaboration skills. (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How is comparing and contrasting music similar to analyzing genres in literature?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Listening to and recognizing characteristics of different genres and styles of music builds skills necessary to analyze and understand characteristics of different genres and styles of other disciplines such as literature.

Music

Seventh Grade/Intermediate, Standard 4. Aesthetic Valuation of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 7. Evaluate and respond to music using criteria to make informed musical decisions.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Evaluate, through compare and contrast, two or more musical performances or compositions using prescribed criteria.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Apply prescribed criteria used in evaluating various kinds of musical performances.
  2. Compare two performances of the same work and discuss the comparison.
  3. Interpret contrasting works and explain how creators' and performers' application of the elements of music and expressive qualities within genres, cultures, and historical periods convey expressive intent.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Evaluating musical works allows one to express opinions through one's own personal perspective. (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)
  2. Evaluating performances by others allows one to develop ideas and apply critiques to one's own performance. (Professional: Self-Advocacy)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. What criteria are important in comparing two or more musical performances?
  2. How do music evaluators use knowledge and skills to make informed musical decisions?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. The ability to critically evaluate performances provides necessary information essential to improving performance skills.
  2. Discussions comparing performances using criteria encourage collegial discourse and require one to articulately communicate an aesthetic valuation.

keyboard_arrow_down keyboard_arrow_up

More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 8. Connect musical ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to understand relationships and influences.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

2. Identify and describe the ways in which music is consumed in society.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Explain, citing evidence, how musical concepts, design, and contexts affect the way social groups respond to music.
  2. Describe the social influences on personal music preferences.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Evaluating the social influences on music preference strengthens one's flexibility in valuing different perspectives. (Personal: Self-Awareness)
  2. Evaluating music's economic impact requires one to investigate, make observations, and draw conclusions. (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. Who and/or what influences our personal choices of music?
  2. How do the contributions of music industry impact the economy?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Examining one's personal choices in music reinforces metacognition.
  2. The study of music develops informed consumers of music in society.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 8. Connect musical ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to understand relationships and influences.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

3. Compare and contrast uses for music in different world cultures.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Reflect on and discuss the roles and impact various musics plays in one's life and the lives of others.
  2. Create a playlist of music that describes family and cultural identity.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Examining music from different cultures encourages the use of multiple perspectives. (Civic/Interpersonal: Global/Cultural Awareness)
  2. Studying music deepens the understanding of one's own cultural experience. (Entrepreneurial: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does learning about music of one's own culture influence identity?
  2. How is music a form of cultural transmission?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Examining the cultural influences in popular music creates opportunities to understand similarities between cultures.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 8. Connect musical ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to understand relationships and influences.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

4. Identify and describe the ways in which music is used as historical record.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Analyze music from a historical period. Describe how accurately or inaccurately it depicts or reflects upon the events of the period.
  2. Identify how different historical contexts can result in different music performances and interpretations.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Considering historical perspectives in music-making requires access to information for a specific purpose. (Professional: Information Literacy)
  2. Describing cause-and-effect patterns illuminates correlations between music and history. (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does music serve as a form of historical record?
  2. How does historical context influence the way we might perform a particular musical work?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. We can learn about the human experience during a historical period by examining its music.
  2. Musicians often consider historic perspectives when making creative decisions.

Music

Eighth Grade/Proficient, Standard 1. Expression of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 1. Apply knowledge and skills through a variety of means to demonstrate musical concepts.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Perform contrasting pieces of music, making interpretive and expressive choices.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Perform music rhythmically correct. (See levels 2-3 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Perform music with correct pitches and intonation. (See levels 2-3 in Music Skills Appendix)
  3. Perform music with expressive qualities. (See levels 2-3 in Music Skills Appendix.)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Performing music requires musicians to innovate from failure, connect learning across domains, and recognize new opportunities. (Entrepreneurial: Informed Risk Taking)
  2. Performing music requires musicians to regulate one's emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in different situations. (Personal: Personal Responsibility)
  3. Students can synthesize information from multiple sources to demonstrate understanding of a topic. (Entrepreneurial: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does understanding the structure and context of musical works inform performance?
  2. How do musicians select repertoire?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Performing accurately and expressively requires cognitive demands similar to reading complex texts.
  2. The quality of a performance can illicit different responses from audiences.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 2. Perform with appropriate technique and expressive elements to communicate ideas and emotions.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

2. Perform music in three or more parts accurately and with technique in order to convey intent.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Sing and/or play with correct technique and consistent tone quality, intonation, balance, diction/articulation and phrasing. (See levels 2-3 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Respond to conductor's cues of balance and blend while singing or playing in an ensemble.
  3. Demonstrate the ability to adjust elements of music (pitch, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, texture, form). (See levels 3-4 in Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Singing and playing music requires students to consider purpose, formality of context and audience, and distinct cultural norms when planning and performing musical content, delivery, and expression. (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)
  2. Performing music requires students to appropriately express one's own emotions, thoughts, and values and identify how they influence musical performances. (Personal: Self-Awareness)
  3. Consider purpose, formality of context and audience, and distinct cultural norms when planning content, mode, delivery, and expression. (Civic/Intrapersonal: Communication)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does appropriate performance technique impact a performance and audience response?
  2. How are skills and techniques applied differently when performing in an ensemble?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Musicians scaffold technique and skills to increase access to challenging music.
  2. Musicians connect their personal interests, experiences, ideas, and knowledge with their musical performance.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 3. Demonstrate practice and refinement processes to develop independent musicianship.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

3. Apply personal and prescribed criteria to develop a practice cycle.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Identify and apply personally developed criteria to rehearse, refine, and determine when the music is ready to perform.
  2. Apply self-reflection process to refine musical performance

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Evaluating and refining personal music-making skills allows students to apply knowledge to set goals, make informed decisions and transfer to new contexts. (Personal: Initiative/Self-Direction)
  2. Applying teacher, self, and peer critiques to improve personal musical performance teaches students to focus on learning goals by employing motivation and familiar strategies for engagement and evaluate progress, making necessary changes to stay the course. (Personal: Perseverance/Resilience)
  3. Practice and refinement of musical performance requires students to investigate their own playing skills and form hypotheses and draw conclusions of how best to improve personal musicianship. (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. When is a judged performance ready to present?
  2. How does a personal reflection and refinement process improve the overall ensemble performance?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Musicians evaluate and refine their work through openness to new ideas, persistence, and the application of appropriate criteria.
  2. Practicing and refinement develops perseverance, discipline, and an academic mindset.

Music

Eighth Grade/Proficient, Standard 2. Creation of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 4. Compose, improvise, and arrange sounds and musical ideas to communicate purposeful intent.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Compose, improvise, and arrange increasingly complex melodic and rhythmic phrases with variations to convey intent.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Compose a melody of at least 12-measures using patterns and sequencing adding tonal accompaniment utilizing a variety of notation methods including the use of technology. (See levels 2-3 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Improvise a solo vocally and/or instrumentally over a three-chord pattern using varied rhythmic and melodic patterns. (See levels 2-3 in Music Skills Appendix)
  3. Arrange an existing vocal or instrumental composition. (See levels 2-3 in Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Composing, improvising, and arranging sounds require that students interpret and analyze a variety of musical information/sounds and draw conclusions in order to best convey a purposeful intent. (Entrepreneurial: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)
  2. Composing, improvising and arranging cause one to innovate from failure, connect learning across domains, and recognize new opportunities. (Entrepreneurial: Informed Risk Taking)
  3. Creating music requires the demonstration of confidence in sharing ideas/feelings. (Professional: Self-Advocacy)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do musicians use different sources to generate creative ideas?
  2. What are the contexts/clues that a musician should consider when making improvisational decisions?
  3. What are some differences between arranging and composing music and why do you think both are important?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Understanding the basic structural elements used to write short musical phrases provides a foundation to understanding the structural elements of more complex musical compositions.
  2. Technology can provide new platforms for creating and sharing musical ideas.

Music

Eighth Grade/Proficient, Standard 3. Theory of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 5. Read, write, and analyze the elements of music through a variety of means to demonstrate musical literacy.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Read, notate, and identify by name or function complex standard symbols for rhythm, pitch articulation, dynamics, tempo, and form.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Identify by name or function and notate musical symbols. (See level 3 in Music Skills Appendix)
  2. Sight-read, observing all musical symbols, tempo indications, expressive indications, and technical indications. (See level 2 in the Music Skills Appendix)
  3. Notate melodic and/or rhythmic patterns of two to four measures. (See levels 2-3 in the Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Sight-reading requires one to learn from failure and develop confidence to try again. (Entrepreneurial: Informed Risk Taking)
  2. Building sight-reading skills develops the habit of setting goals. (Personal: Perseverance/Resilience)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do different types of notation relate to different musical cultures, genres, styles, or instrumentation?
  2. How do sight-reading skills accelerate learning of music?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Musicians consider historical and cultural contexts when analyzing music.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 5. Read, write, and analyze the elements of music through a variety of means to demonstrate musical literacy.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

2. Analyze structure, use of musical elements, and expressive choices within musical compositions.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Describe the way in which elements of music and form are manipulated and how it informs the response to music.
  2. Analyze a musical excerpt and describe the composer's application of musical structures and elements. (See levels 2-3 in Music Skills Appendix)

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Analyzing music requires one to draw on prior knowledge and make connections. (Entrepreneurial: Critical Thinking/Problem Solving)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do musicians extrapolate the structure of music from a single part?
  2. How are the skills used to analyze music similar to the skills used to analyze literature?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Sight-reading strengthens the visual-spatial reasoning skills required in other disciplines.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 6. Aurally identify and differentiate musical elements to interpret and respond to music.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

3. Aurally identify and differentiate elements of a piece including chords and harmonic progression.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Listen to a rhythmic phrase of four or more measures and notate the correct rhythm.
  2. Listen to and identify chord changes in harmonic progression.
  3. Listen to and notate a simple, diatonic melody with stepwise motion.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Aurally differentiating between musical elements requires one to make connections and draw conclusions. (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)
  2. Pose and respond to questions or ideas and contribute to a discussion related to musical styles/genres. (Personal: Self-Awareness)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does rhythmic dictation improve sight-reading skills?
  2. How does identification of chord changes reinforce the understanding of mathematical relationships in music?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Aurally differentiating intervals and chordal relationships strengthens understanding of the mathematical nature of music.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 6. Aurally identify and differentiate musical elements to interpret and respond to music.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

4. Aurally identify and differentiate characteristics and expressive elements of different musical styles/genres.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Listen to several pieces of music. Create a listening map describing each genre based on multiple musical characteristics such as form, instrumentation, lyrical content, vocal or instrumental nuances, and application of dynamics.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Participating in discussions to analyze unfamiliar music requires communication and collaboration skills. (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How is comparing and contrasting music similar to analyzing genres in literature?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Listening to and recognizing characteristics of different genres and styles of music builds skills necessary to analyze and understand characteristics of different genres and styles of other disciplines such as literature.

Music

Eighth Grade/Proficient, Standard 4. Aesthetic Valuation of Music

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 7. Evaluate and respond to music using criteria to make informed musical decisions.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

1. Evaluate and assess the quality of musical performances or compositions using student-created criteria.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Develop and describe personal criteria for evaluating musical performances.
  2. Listen to a performance and assign a quality rating based on student-created criteria. Explain and justify the rating.
  3. Justify personal interpretations of contrasting pieces of music and explain how creators or performers apply the elements of music and expressive qualities within genres, cultures, and historical periods to convey expressive intent.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Creating personal criteria for evaluation of music requires one to form a hypothesis about what defines quality. (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)
  2. Evaluating performances by others allows one to develop ideas and apply critiques to one's own performance. (Professional: Self Advocacy)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performances using our own criteria?
  2. How do music evaluators use knowledge and skills to make informed musical decisions?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. The ability to critically evaluate performances provides necessary information essential to improving performance skills.
  2. Justifying one's own personal critique of a performance requires the evaluator to define quality, apply reason, and cite evidence.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 8. Connect musical ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to understand relationships and influences.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

2. Identify and describe ways in which music is selected for use in society.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Apply personally developed criteria for selecting music of contrasting styles for a specific social event.
  2. Describe how entertainment and social media impact personal music preferences.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Selecting music for consumption by others requires one to act on creative ideas to make a tangible and useful product. (Entrepreneurial: Informed Risk Taking)
  2. Selecting music for an audience requires one to consider purpose, formality of context, and distinct cultural norms. (Civic/Interpersonal: Communication)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. What criteria do we use when choosing music for others?
  2. How does the ease of global communication influence musical choices?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. We can communicate intent through music choices and programming.
  2. The study of music develops informed consumers of music in society.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 8. Connect musical ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to understand relationships and influences.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

3. Identify and describe musical characteristics and performance styles of different world cultures.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Describe the use, performance technique, and cultural significance of instruments and vocal techniques specific to local or regional culture.
  2. Construct a personal listening repertoire that represents various styles and cultures.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Examining music from different cultures encourages the use of multiple perspectives. (Civic/Interpersonal: Global/Cultural Awareness)
  2. Studying music of world cultures encourages one to make observations and draw conclusions. (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. How does learning about a culture's music promote understanding and acceptance of that culture?
  2. How is music a form of cultural transmission?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. Examining the cultural influences in popular music creates opportunities to understand similarities between cultures.

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More information icon Prepared Graduates:

  • 8. Connect musical ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to understand relationships and influences.

More information icon Grade Level Expectation:

4. Compare and contrast uses for music in historical events.

More information icon Evidence Outcomes:

Students Can:

  1. Select musical works from two or more historical periods and compare the various roles the music played (e.g., historical record, propaganda, patriotism).
  2. Identify how different historical contexts inform performance and results in different musical effects.

More information icon Academic Contexts and Connections:

More information icon Colorado Essential Skills:

  1. Analyzing media messages in popular music from a time period allows one to assess the influence of music on the outcome of specific historical events. (Professional: Information Literacy)
  2. Analyzing music from historical periods requires the listener to make hypotheses and draw conclusions. (Entrepreneurial: Inquiry/Analysis)

More information icon Inquiry Questions:

  1. What role does music play in historical events?
  2. How does historical context influence the way we might perform a particular musical work?

More information icon Expand and Connect:

  1. We can learn about the human experience during a historical period by examining its music.
  2. Musicians often consider historic perspectives when making creative decisions.

Need Help? Submit questions or requests for assistance to bruno_j@cde.state.co.us