Curriculum Update!

6th Grade:  Compose a Painting Project

The students were assigned a famous painting.  First the students analyzed their painting using the 7 elements of art (color, texture, line, etc).  Then, they had to compose a song to accompany their painting using MixCraft 6.  Friday, the students will present their painting critique and composition to the class. 

Some paintings that served as their inspiration were:

American Gothic by Grant Wood

Two Dancers on Stage by Edgar Degas

Guernica by Pablo Picasso

Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh

Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci

The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali

And Many More...

7th Grade: Society Project

Music has been used as a medium for social change for many years.  It has been used as a way of expressing our opinions, to inform, or change the way we think.  The students chose a song that has a strong message for society, and are making their own music video for that song.  

Some songs that were chosen were:

Another Day in Paradise- Phil Collins

Fix You- Coldplay

Imagine- John Lennon

One Love- Bob Marley

Respect- Aretha Franklin

Waitin' on the World to Change- John Mayer

And Many More...

I look forward to seeing these projects next Monday in class!!!

8th Grade:  Compose your own Tone Poem

Many tone poem compositions are accompanied by stories for children.  The students will be writing a synopsis for a children's story and then composing a Tone Poem using MixCraft 6 in class.  They will share their stories and compositions on Tuesday in class. 

This is Miss Hayden's last week here at Lakeview Jr. High.  We wish her well as she graduates from Elmhurst College and enters her career in Music Education.  

6th Grade: Instruments of the Orchestra
This week, the 6th grade student will finish their unit on the Instruments of the Orchestra.  They will be composing music using our new software MixCraft 6 and using classroom percussion instruments. 

7th Grade: A Cappella Music
This week, the 7th grade students will be learning about the history of A Cappella music (singing without instrumental sound.)  They will get to compose A Cappella music using a website called Incredibox.  Later in the week, they will compose their own vocal loops and perform A Cappella for the class in groups. 

8th Grade: Blues Music
Last week, the students created their own Blues Combo in class using the 12 Bar Blues Form.  This week, they will research a famous Blues Musician in pairs and create a fake "Facebook" page (in the form of a poster) about their musician.