S E C O N D A R Y / K E Y S T A G E 3 M U S I C – B U I L D I N G B R I C K S S C H E M E O F W O R K

General Topic Exploring the Elements of Music

Building Bricks from Musical Contexts has been designed as a unit of
work which can be used during the first term of Year 7 (although not
exclusively and may be used or referred back to at any point within a Key
Stage 3 Music Curriculum), to both allow pupils the opportunity to
engage in active music making and teachers to “baseline assess” pupil’s
prior skills, knowledge and understanding in terms of performing,
composing, listening and evaluating and responding.
Pupils learn about Pitch, Dynamics, Duration, Tempo, Texture, Timbre or
Sonority, Articulation and Silence and are introduced to Graphic Notation
and Graphic Scores. It is hoped that this unit will develop pupil’s
understanding of the Elements of Music and provide pupils with a
Scheme of Work
foundation of musical vocabulary for use at Key Stage 3 which can be
Overview developed for GCSE Music.
Building Bricks contains several different “pathways” allowing teachers
to use and sequence the resources in whatever order best suits their
school, classes and pupils. After a common two introductory lessons
where pupils are introduced to the Elements of Music and Graphic
Scores, there is an opportunity for composing and evaluating baseline
assessment in response to either Britten’s “Four Sea Interludes” from
‘Peter Grimes’ or Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”. The final two
lessons are given over to an opportunity for performing baseline
assessment using Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” from his ‘Symphony No.9’
while allowing options to administer either of the Musical Contexts Year
7 Baseline Assessment Listening Tests over one or both lessons.
• Understand and recognise the Elements of Music: PITCH, TEMPO,
DYNAMICS, DURATION, TEXTURE, TIMBRE or SONORITY,
ARTICULATION, SILENCE.
Unit Learning • Draw on the Elements of Music as a resource when composing,
Objectives creating and improvising and use the Elements of Music
effectively when performing and singing.
• Recognise the Elements of Music when listening to and appraising
music from different times and different places.
Key Words, Concepts Pitch, Tempo, Dynamics (pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff, cresc., dim., <, >), Duration,
and Musical Texture, Timbre, Sonority, Articulation, Silence, Notation, Staff Notation,
Knowledge Stave, Graphic Notation, Graphic Score
• This unit provides and underpinning musical vocabulary covering
Links to GCSE Music
the Elements of Music which can be extended at GCSE level.
Key Concept: Communication
Related Concepts: Interpretation/Genre
Global Context: Personal and Cultural Expression
IB MYP Statement of Inquiry: Knowledge of how the Elements of Music have
been communicated and interpreted by musicians leads to the many and
varied genres of global music showing differences in personal and
cultural expression.

© W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S . C O . U K 1 of 4
S E C O N D A R Y / K E Y S T A G E 3 M U S I C – B U I L D I N G B R I C K S S C H E M E O F W O R K
Factual Inquiry Questions:
• What are the Elements of Music?
• What Elements of Music allow us to communicate across various
cultures?
• What different stimuli do composers use when creating and
composing music?
Conceptual Inquiry Questions:
• How does knowledge of the Elements of Music allow us to
communicate more effectively?
• How is music created?
Debatable Inquiry Questions:
• What is music?
• To what extent is music a universal language?
Expectations & Learning Outcomes
All Pupils will (working Most Pupils will: (working at): Some Pupils will: (working
towards): • Identify further Elements of beyond):
Music e.g. Texture, Timbre,
• Identify some of the more • Use a detailed and more
Sonority, Articulation when
‘basic’ Elements of Music – e.g. advanced musical vocabulary
listening to and appraising a
pitch, tempo, dynamics, silence when describing Timbre and
wide range of music.
and duration when listening to Sonority and words relating to
• Create and perform effective
and appraising a wide range of Articulation (e.g. Staccato
musical demonstrations
music. (detached), Legato (smooth)).
illustrating one of the Elements
• Create and perform simple • Use correct Italian musical
of Music.
musical demonstrations, terms and musical symbols
• Use correct Italian musical
following advice, guidance or when describing gradations of
terms and musical symbols
with support, illustrating one of dynamics (e.g. crescendo
when describing dynamics (e.g.
the Elements of Music. (cresc.) < , diminuendo (dim.) >
pp, p, mp, mf, f, ff) and some
• Use a basic musical vocabulary and tempo (e.g. accelerando
basic Italian terms used to
to describe dynamics (e.g. loud, (accel.), rallentando (rall.),
describe tempo (Adagio,
soft, getting louder, getting ritardando (rit.)
Andante, Allegro, Presto).
softer) and tempo (e.g. slow, • Describe how composers have
• Accurately follow and realise a
fast, getting slower, getting manipulated the Elements of
graphic score understanding
faster). Music to create an intended
the relationship of symbol to
• Follow and perform a graphic effect in a variety of music
sound.
score as part of a group. from different times and places
• Create a piece of descriptive
• Create an effective piece of
• Create refined and well-
descriptive music showing
music with some awareness of rehearsed pieces of descriptive
clear awareness of how the
how the Elements of Music are music which shows how the
Elements of Music have been
used to create an intended Elements of Music can be
used to create musical
effect. manipulated, adapted and
contrasts and create a simple
• Perform the first part of “Ode graphic score to reflect their
refined to achieve an intended
to Joy” demonstrating a effect, complete with an
composition.
accurate graphic score.
reasonable degree of accuracy
in terms of pitch and duration
• Perform the first and second
• Perform either both parts of
parts of “Ode to Joy” with a
and with some correct “Ode to Joy” or a version with
good degree of accuracy in
fingering. two hands/beaters using
terms of pitch and duration
correct fingering and
using the correct fingering.
demonstrating a good
Use an appropriate
understanding of pitch,
sound/voice/timbre sonority
duration, dynamics and
for a mostly well-rehearsed
articulation through a well-
and accurate performance.
rehearsed and accurate
performance.

Language for Learning/Glossary

Through the activities in this unit, pupils will be able to understand, use and spell correctly words relating to:
• Sounds:

© W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S . C O . U K 2 of 4
S E C O N D A R Y / K E Y S T A G E 3 M U S I C – B U I L D I N G B R I C K S S C H E M E O F W O R K

PITCH – The highness or lowness of a sound (high/low; getting higher/getting lower, step/leap
(conjunct/disjunct)
TEMPO – The speed of a sound or piece of music (fast (Allegro, Vivace, Presto)/slow (Andante, Adagio, Lento);
getting faster (Accelerando (accel.) /getting slower (Ritardando (rit.) or Rallentando (Rall.))
DYNAMICS – The volume of a sound or piece of music – (loud (fortissimo (ff), forte (f), mezzo forte (mf))/ soft
(mezzo piano (mp), piano (p), pianissimo (pp)/ getting louder (crescendo (cresc.)/ getting softer (diminuendo
(dim.)
DURATION – The length of a sound – (long/short)
TEXTURE – How much sound we hear (think/thin, layered, dense, sparse, solo)
TIMBRE or SONORITY – Each instruments own unique “tone quality”
ARTICULATION – How individual notes or sounds are played e.g. legato (smooth), staccato (spikily, detached)
SILENCE – The opposite or absence of sound, no sound.
• Processes: NOTATION – How music is written down. There are many ways in which music can be written
down and recorded. Pupils should be familiar with STAFF NOTATION where music is written down on a
STAVE (5 lines and spaces) and GRAPHIC NOTATION where music is written down using shapes and symbols
to represent different sounds.
• Context e.g. how the elements of music can be used and manipulated to create different effects.
• Speaking and listening – through activities pupils could: discuss and question what they are learning
and how it is relevant in other contexts or when using different variables; discuss and respond to initial ideas
and information, carry out the task and then review and refine ideas.

Future Learning Enrichment

Pupils could go on to: Learning could be enriched through:
• Produce a poster (using ICT) to describe on of the elements • Inviting instrumental teachers into the classroom to discuss
of music to help a Year 6 student the timbres of different orchestral instruments.
• Watching live performances of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an
• Create .wav files of their compositions based on artistic Exhibition”
stimuli and present images with sound as a computer-based
• Pupils using their own artwork that they have created, in or
slide show of their own art and music work. This could
out of school, as a starting point for composing, including
become an online exhibition as part of the school website.
pictures they may have created or taken.
• Research the views of various art works that correlate to the
titles of Mussorgsky’s movements in his ‘Pictures at an
Exhibition’ such as gardens, trumpets, promenades, castles,
witches, gnomes etc.

© W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S . C O . U K 3 of 4
 S E C O N D A R Y / K E Y S T A G E 3 M U S I C – B U I L D I N G B R I C K S S C H E M E O F W O R K

1. What is Music? & Introducing the Elements of Music

DOITNOW – Think-Pair-Share: What is music? What is music used for? (Class Discussion with definitions)

Lesson 1 Core – 1. What is Music? Listening – Play class 6 extracts of ‘music’ from different times and places – categorise as ‘music’ or otherwise and justify decisions. Display ‘track listing’ – would this change any categorisations or decision?
2. Demonstrating the Elements of Music - Demonstrate each of the Elements of Music. Use Pit Stops to focus listening and demos. – pupils identify and record in a table; Group/Ensemble Composing/Creating task: pupils create a short
demonstration to illustrate one of the Elements of Music, performing back to the rest of the class who guess/identify the Element of Music being demonstrated.
Plenary Review – Knowledge Recall: True/False quickfire quiz to test knowledge and understanding of the Elements of Music.

2. Graphic Scores and the Elements of Music

DOITNOW – Draw This: Ask pupils to draw/sketch a picture in response to “In the Hall of the Mountain King” from ‘Peer Gynt Suite’ by Grieg. Discuss responses and justify drawings, discuss Grieg’s use of the Elements of Music.

Lesson 2
Core – 1. Night Storm Graphic Score – Link the DOITNOW “scary” music to Night Storm and how this piece is written down using shapes and symbols to represent sounds. Realise Night Storm as a class before allowing groups/small
ensembles of pupils to create their own realisation using the graphic score and exploring available timbres and sonorities from classroom instruments, encouraging use of musical elements. Perform to class and feedback (WWW/EBI).
2. Listening to Chinese Music – match extracts of Chinese Music to graphic scores.
Plenary Review – Knowledge Recall: True/False quickfire quiz to test knowledge and understanding of Graphic Scores.

3&4A. Composing with the Elements of Music and Graphic 3&4B. Composing with the Elements of Music and Graphic Scores
Scores – Baseline Assessment Composing – “Four Sea Interludes” – Baseline Assessment Composing – “Pictures at an Exhibition”
DOITNOW – Think-Pair-Share: What stimuli are used when writing music? (Identify and discuss starting points Starter – Any suitable DOITNOW activity from the Musical Contexts Building Bricks DOITNOW Presentation to
for composers writing a piece of music e.g., story, pictures and images, venue, sounds, mood etc.) revise or recap the Elements of Music or from the “Pictures at an Exhibition” Presentation.
Core – 1. Context and Pictures and Music - Introduce Britten’s stimuli for writing these pieces of music in the Core – 1. Think-Pair-Share – Stimuli for writing music – Starting points for composers writing a piece of music.

Lessons 3 & 4 contexts of “Peter Grimes” as an opera. Explore the connection between Pictures and Music, analysing images
in terms of realisations to sound and match sounds to pictures.
2. Listening to extracts from each of the Four Sea Interludes and discuss how Britten has used the Elements of
2. Introduce Mussorgsky and “Pictures at an Exhibition” – background, Hartmann and “Promenade” theme.
Listen to “Promenade” theme and some of the movements from Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition”.
3. “Promenade” theme – rhythm work and/or dictation – perform – add Elements of Music to performances.
Music to create different moods and effects depending on the titles of the movements/moments in the opera. 4. Baseline Composing Assessment Opportunity: Staged process – pupils prepare, select (their own image or
3. Baseline Composing Assessment Opportunity: Staged process – pupils prepare, select (Dawn, Sunday artwork as a stimuli), think, plan, rehearse, perform (record) and create a graphic score of their piece. A group
Morning, Moonlight or Storm), think, plan, rehearse, perform (record) and create a graphic score of their or soloist could perform Mussorgsky’s “Promenade” or create their own class “Promenade” theme which could
piece. be played at the start and during various points of the class’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” performance.
4. Baseline Responding/Evaluating/Reflecting Opportunity: Self-assessment of descriptive piece in terms of 5. Baseline Responding/Evaluating/Reflecting Opportunity: Self-assessment of descriptive piece based on an
Elements of Music and how graphic score matched the performance (WWW/EBI) image/artwork stimulus in terms of Elements of Music and how graphic score matched the performance
(WWW/EBI)
Plenary – Any suitable PLENARY activity from the Musical Contexts Building Bricks PLENARY Presentation.

5A. Performing with the Elements of Music 5B. Performing with the Elements of Music 5C. Performing with the Elements of Music
Starter – Any suitable DOITNOW activity from the Musical Contexts Starter – Any suitable DOITNOW activity from the Musical Contexts
& Baseline Listening Assessment Part 1

Lesson 5
Building Bricks DOITNOW Presentation Starter – Any suitable DOITNOW activity from the Musical Contexts Building Bricks
Building Bricks DOITNOW Presentation
Core – 1. Baseline Performing Assessment Opportunity: Introduce DOITNOW Presentation Core – 1. Introduce Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” from ‘Symphony No.9’ and
Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” from ‘Symphony No.9’ and listen in terms of Core – 1. Introduce Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” from ‘Symphony No.9’ and listen in terms listen in terms of the Elements of Music. Begin performing.
the Elements of Music before performing, adding dynamics, articulation, of the Elements of Music. Begin performing. Add dynamics, articulation and select appropriate timbre/sonority.
2. Baseline Listening Assessment Opportunity: Musical Contexts Year 7 Baseline
selecting appropriate sonority etc. for baseline performing assessment. Plenary – Any suitable PLENARY activity from the Musical Contexts
Listening Assessment version 1.0 (half of the test)
Plenary – Any suitable PLENARY activity from the Musical Contexts Plenary – Any suitable PLENARY activity from the Musical Contexts Building Bricks
Building Bricks PLENARY Presentation.
Building Bricks PLENARY Presentation. PLENARY Presentation.

6C. Performing with the Elements of Music

Lesson 6 6A. Baseline Listening Assessment 1.0
Starter – Any suitable DOITNOW activity from the Musical Contexts
Building Bricks DOITNOW Presentation
6B. Performing with the Elements of Music
& Baseline Listening Assessment Part 2
Starter – Any suitable DOITNOW activity from the Musical Contexts Building Bricks
& Baseline Listening Assessment 2.0
Starter – Any suitable DOITNOW activity from the Musical Contexts Building Bricks
DOITNOW Presentation
Core – 1. Baseline Listening Assessment Opportunity: Musical Contexts Core – 1. Baseline Performing Assessment Opportunity: Briefly rehearse and then
DOITNOW Presentation
Year 7 Baseline Listening Assessment version 1.0 Core – 1. Baseline Performing Assessment Opportunity: Briefly rehearse and then pupils perform “Ode to Joy” for baseline performing assessment.
2. Baseline Reflecting Opportunity: Reflection on Baseline Listening Test pupils perform “Ode to Joy” for baseline performing assessment. 2. Baseline Listening Assessment Opportunity: Complete the Musical Contexts Year 7
Plenary – Any suitable PLENARY activity from the Musical Contexts 2. Baseline Listening Assessment Opportunity: Complete the Musical Contexts Year 7 Baseline Listening Assessment version 2.0
Baseline Listening Assessment version 1.0 3. Baseline Reflecting Opportunity: Reflection on Baseline Listening Test
Building Bricks PLENARY Presentation.
3. Baseline Reflecting Opportunity: Reflection on Baseline Listening Test Plenary – Any suitable PLENARY activity from the Musical Contexts Building Bricks
Plenary – Any suitable PLENARY activity from the Musical Contexts Building Bricks PLENARY Presentation.
© W W W . M U S I C A L C O N T E X T S . C O . U K PLENARY Presentation.
4 of 4