Ladies’ Chorus Fall 2020

Mrs. Alexandra Sims, Chorus Teacher

alexandra.sims@ucps.k12.nc.us

GoogleDoc version of this syllabus

Classroom Expectations

• Conduct yourself in a way that displays consideration for your peers and teacher
• Follow PWHS and UCPS rules and regulations at all times, including maintaining social distancing and wearing your mask
• Participate appropriately in class, whether during in-person instruction or engaging in remote learning, including attending live class meetings
• Show respect and patience towards your peers and teachers - we are all new at hybrid and remote learning

Objectives for this course

B.ML.1: Apply the elements of music and musical techniques in order to sing music with accuracy and expression.  Illustrate fundamental techniques of singing.

B.ML.2: Interpret the sound and symbol systems of music, including recognizing and interpreting notation symbols.

B.ML.3: Create music using a variety of sound and notational sources.

B.MR.1: Understand the interacting elements to respond to music and music performances.  Illustrate perceptual skills to describe and analyze examples of music and critique musical performances and compositions.

B.CR.1: Understand global, interdisciplinary, and 21st century connections with music, including its relationship to other arts areas, history, copyright and proper access, and health and wellness of musicians.

These objectives above have always been the course of study for this class.  However, because of our current instructional model and the inability to work towards a culminating live performance, we will pursue new ways to cover this curriculum, and day-to-day class will not be structured as a rehearsal.

Grading Policy

All assignments can be accessed in Canvas.  Assignments are given a point value according to their importance in class.

Daily check-in activities will be required for every student on both their in-person days and their remote learning days for attendance and participation purposes.  This will always be found in Canvas.

Classwork assignments will be assigned in a variety of formats.  These will include: critiquing audio or video recordings of a choir; self-reflections; submitting recordings of yourself singing warm-ups or rounds; completing questions or contributing to discussions on a particular song, artist, period of music history, or composer; informal assessment of music theory concepts.  

Informal assessment will usually be graded for completion and will include teacher feedback for students.  These may include in-person participation in music reading (or recordings for those only learning remotely); exit tickets or “check ins” for understanding; goal-setting and other social-emotional learning tasks.

Formal assessments will measure students’ accumulated knowledge of a theme, unit or concept and will be open-note.  They may take the form of a written reflection, test or quiz.  Formal assessments are not the focus of this class.

Participation will be graded, but it will generally look different than in the past.  Participation will include engaging in live class meetings, singing, contributing to discussion forums, team-building activities and more.  

Participating in daily live class meetings is a required component of grades for all Plan B students, regardless of whether the student is face-to-face that day or remote.  Virtual Academy students are strongly encouraged but not required to attend daily live class meetings.  Alternate participation activities are available to Virtual Academy students and students who are temporarily remote or who have an excused absence that day of class.