Grade 8 - Context (Historical and Cultural)

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will:

• compare and contrast music from a range of historical and cultural contexts
• compare and contrast music created for a variety of purposes
• demonstrate respect for music of various historical and cultural contexts

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Context (Historical and Cultural) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

• Brainstorm reasons people create, perform, and listen to music (e.g., dancing, religion, ceremonial, love songs, advertising, stress relief, enjoyment). In journals, students write about ways they have used and currently use music in their lives, and ways they would like to add music to their lives.
• Teacher introduces a variety of examples of music (e.g., dance, religious, film, theatre) from one historical or cultural context, focussing on the differences between the various uses for which music was intended. Introduction might include a written description, recorded examples, and discussion.
• To illustrate similarities and differences between music for various purposes, students explore learning centres featuring recordings and text (e.g., dance music in 1990s Canada and dance music in 18th-century Europe; opera in Italy and opera in China).
• Students relate their music preferences to their understanding of cultural and historical contexts or perspectives.
• Debate the statement: "Music is the inspiration for dance."
• Prepare presentations (e.g., oral presentation, demonstration) of dance music from a range of cultures or time periods.
• Prepare a report (e.g., essay, oral report, mixed media presentation) on an instrument of choice, indicating its evolution and its role in various historical and cultural contexts (e.g., may focus on the origin and evolution of the European concert flute, or on types of flutes around the world).
• Listen to examples of vocables­music where the voice is used primarily as an instrument, producing vocal sounds as opposed to words. Discuss why some singing would involve only vocables. Can the voice be used as an instrument with no intention of telling a story? Are there examples of the voice producing both sounds and words (e.g., jazz scat singing, opera, heavy metal)?

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

• Have students select pieces to present for the class that represent music of their heritages. Ask them to form groups of four or five to discuss similarities and differences of the various styles of music. Observe as they compare and contrast, and note evidence that they:
  • recognize elements unique to particular areas of the world
  • identify similarities and differences in instrumentation
  • demonstrate respect for music of various cultural contexts
• Have students create a radio show of music from a specific culture. As students research their show, prompt them with questions such as:
  • Why was this music created?
  • Does the music represent a particular culture?
  • Has the purpose of the music changed over time?

RECOMMENDED LEARNING RESOURCES

• The Choral Conductor's Art
• Eyewitness Music Kit
• Jazz: My Music, My People
• Music Through The Ages
• A World of Children's Songs

• Joy Of Singing
• Latin Nights
• Mariposa: Under A Stormy Sky
• Music
• Music Maestro Series
• Mwe Bana Bandi - Children's Music from Zambia
• Orchestra!
• Silver Burdett Ginn Music Magic Video Library
• Something Within Me
• Take a Bow

• Exploring the Music of the World
• First Assignments
• Investigating Musical Styles
• The Music Connection
• Susan Hammond's Classical Kids: The Classroom Collection

Table of Contents

Province of British Columbia
Ministry of Education
Standards Department

© 1995 Copyright

Maintained by: Fine Arts Coordinator - Music

Revised: March 15, 1996

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