ARTS (Instrumental Music) 8th Grade Band MYP Level 3

I. Course Description: This class is available to students who have previous experience playing in band, , or private lessons. This is currently a year- long course, every other day and is auditioned. Students will develop jazz skills in a sequential manner that always is based upon and leads to performance, while concurrently improving their individual and ensemble-playing skills. Although performance skills are the focus of each class, students will become more knowledgeable on jazz theory, learning how to listen to jazz, and information about the culture and history of the music, as well as relating the music to other arts and broader curriculum areas.

This course incorporates the three fundamental concepts of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP); holistic learning, intercultural awareness, and communication

Especially true in jazz, a holistic style is incorporated as the instructor is a professional jazz musician and can relate to real skills that will help in high school as well as life. Students will embody the IB Learner Profile in jazz:  Inquiring - Every day they will be asking “how do I do that? “How do I make that sound?”  Knowledgeable – So much new knowledge to learn. Style, notation, chord symbols, etc.  Thinking – every measure forces utmost concentration on time and jazz rhythm.  Communicate – is actually defined as communication and each solo is unique to the child who creates the communication.  Principled Practice – these songs are harder and need good practice and self discipline  Open - mindedness – The rich diversity of jazz history is covered in class, and truly helps musicians look past race, gender, etc, and concentrate on music.  Risk Takers – Every time one picks up a horn and improvises SPONTANEUS original thought through sound there is definitely risk taking going on.

Please refer to Merrill’s website to view the MYP objectives

II. Aims and Objectives

In accordance with the IB MYP Aims and Objectives, students will:  Understand how the arts (jazz) play a role in developing and expressing personal and cultural identities  Appreciate how the arts innovate and communicate across time and culture  Become informed and reflective practitioners of jazz.  Experience the process of making art in a variety of situations  Explore, express and communicate ideas through improvisation.  Become more effective learners, inquirers and thinkers  Develop self-confidence and self-awareness through jazz study.  Appreciate lifelong learning in and enjoyment of the American art form known as jazz.

This class will be structured around the MYP objectives which also support the District’s curriculum maps (http://www.dmps.k12.ia.us/programs/5distcurrmap.html). By end of this course students should begin to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how to play their instrument, and of the terms and skills needed to analyze and perform a piece of music. Students should begin to apply their knowledge through several performance opportunities. Students should begin to evaluate and reflect on their own performance work as well as the work of others. Finally students should begin to show artistic awareness and personal engagement in the process of learning these musical skills as well as the performances.

III. Global Contexts (Former AOI, s)

Identities & relationships Who am I? Who are we? Orientation in Time and Space What are the meanings of “when” and “where”

Personal Cultural Expression What is the nature of creative expression? In the Arts?

Scientific & Technical Innovations How do we understand the world we live in? Globalization & Sustainability How is everything connected?

Fairness and Development What are the consequences of our common humanity?

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Methods of Assessment  Performance Tests  Teacher Observation/IB rubrics  Special Projects/IB rubrics  Concert Attendance  Quizzes/Unit Tests  Practice Reports

Texts/Resources/Materials Pencil, instrument, mouthpieces, reeds, mutes, music, and any other equipment or materials designated for class. Students will receive a grade for having all required materials for class.

Grading Policy/MYP Criteria

For progress reports and report cards, For IB assessment student work will continue to student work will receive a letter grade be assessed on the following rubric system:

derived from a 4-point intervallic grading scale using the SRG (Standards Based Grading)

Criteria A Knowledge/Understanding max 8 Criteria B Application max 10 Criteria C Reflection/Evaluation max 8 Criteria D Personal Engagement max 8

Contact Information Teacher: John Morgan Phone: 515-242-8448 Room: 131 Email: [email protected]