Assignment 2


1. Long-term goals are designed to assist the teacher in clearly specifying what is ultimately to be achieved in learning music. For example, the student will acquire the appreciation of rhythm is a long-term goal.

Short-term goals are generally attained within a specified time frame. For example, the student needs to learn how to use a tambourine for the Christmas play. The student only needs that knowledge for that particular week.

2. Musical concepts are a collection of experiences or ideas that are grouped together based on some common properties. Six musical concepts include rhythm, melody, texture, dynamics, tone color or timbre, and form.


3. A musical skill is considered the action students do to learn about particular concepts or technique. For example, learning the alphabet (the ABCs) is a skill and it teaches students about the letters of the alphabet. A counting song, such as “one little froggy, two little froggy” is a musical skill that also engages the children in counting. The “sates song” about singing the states in alphabetical order engages the child in not only music but also geography.

4. A possible sequence for writing a lesson plan would start with deciding on an activity. Secondly, it is important to indicate what grade level the lesson is for. After you have chosen the grade level and an activity you should decide on which concepts you would want to include in the lesson and also the objectives. You would want to include procedures, both preliminary and main content. A good closure to the lesson plan is important. And lastly, the materials you will need is very important when writing your lesson plan. Thus you can be ready to teach the lesson with the appropriate materials.


5.The 9 national standards in music education are:

1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music

2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music

3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments

4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines

5. Reading and notating music

6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music

7. Evaluating music and musical performances

8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts

9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture


6.Music is important in a child’s education because music makes learning more fun. If the children are having fun singing they do not realize that the music is actually teaching them a lesson. For example, the musical song could be about math or the alphabet. The children learn subjects through music and they do not realize they are learning. We need music because it is an important part of everyone’s’ lives. Everyone listens to some type of music weekly in a variety of ways. The purpose of music, in my opinion, is to lift our spirits. I can relate to many songs or rhythms that are in music.

Amanda Kelley: About me

My name is Amanda Kelley and I am a senior at NIU. I went to Western Illinois University for two years. I decided that I did not like it there so I transfered to NIU last year and basically had to start all over. I am looking forward to being in the teaching program soon! I am not musically inclined at all! I love to sing in my car to the radio...but that is about it! I am enjoying this class because it is something I am not used to doing.