All NSW public schools need to plan curriculum and develop teaching programs consistent with the Education Act 1990 (NSW) and the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) syllabuses and credentialing requirements.

Scope and sequences form part of the ongoing documentation or evidence schools maintain to comply with the department’s policy, policy standards and registration requirements.

Developing a robust scope and sequence has many benefits and may help teachers and schools to:

• promote high expectations for student learning
• identify opportunities for explicit teaching
• create opportunities for students to receive feedback on their learning
• systematically plan for and undertake assessment
• collect and use data to monitor achievements and identify gaps in learning
• differentiate curriculum delivery to meet the needs of students at different levels of achievement
• collaborate with other teachers to plan for quality teaching and learning.

Sample scope and sequence

The sample scope and sequence (DOCX 74.5 KB) provides teachers with overviews for programming and assessment in Music 1.

Performance

Students will develop knowledge of skills and understanding when performing:

• as a solo or ensemble member
• music of various genres, periods and styles
• music representative of the contexts studied
• composing, arranging or improvising
• with different types of technology.

Composition

Students will develop knowledge of skills and understanding in composition when:

• experimenting
• improvising
• arranging
• structuring
• notating
• using different types of technology.

Musicology

Students will develop knowledge of skills and understanding of musicology and can identify and comment on:

• duration
• pitch
• dynamics and expressive techniques
• tone colour
• texture
• structure
• analysing
• collecting information
• using different types of technology
• investigating some of the cultural contexts of music.

Aural

Students will develop aural skills when recognising, analysing and commenting on:

• the concepts of music:
  • duration
  • pitch
  • dynamics and expressive techniques
  • tone colour
  • texture
  • structure.
• the use of technology
• music of various cultures
• unity, contrast and style.

Preliminary resources – Music for small ensembles

This 10-week resource package addresses how small ensembles are used in a variety of different genres including medieval, classical, klezmer, 20th century, jazz, musical theatre, and funk fusion. The sequence of learning explores the relationships between the instruments, composition and ensemble techniques integrated by composers and artists.

• Music for small ensembles program (DOCX 80 KB)
• Music for small ensembles booklet (DOCX 1.3 MB)
• Music for small ensembles assessment task (DOCX 75.8 KB)
• Music for small ensembles scores (PDF 621.2 KB)

Music 1 Preliminary assessment task

This assessment task can be adapted for students studying HSC Music 1. Students are required to research the music of a jazz band and discuss how they treat musical concepts and specific performance techniques as well as outlining the influences of jazz in the wider musical context.

Outcomes

Through activities in performance, composition, musicology and aural, a student:

• P2 – observes, reads, interprets and discusses simple music across characteristic of topics studies
• P5 – comments on and constructively discusses performances and compositions
• P6 – observes and discusses concepts of music in works representative of the topics studied
• P7 – understands the capabilities of performing media, explores and uses current technologies as appropriate to the topics studied.

Task description

Research the music of a jazz band. Refer to at least two works to outline the distinctive characteristics of the band’s style.

• Discuss the band's treatment of the musical concepts, including specific performance techniques.
• Place the group in a wider musical context by outlining influences evident in its music.

This task is to be a class presentation. Students are required to illustrate points with musical examples. These may include sheet music, videos, and/or live demonstration of relevant excerpts.

Assessment criteria

Students will be assessed through:

• use of appropriate musical examples
• identification of stylistic characteristics
• understanding of the treatment of musical concepts
• knowledge of stylistic influences.

Poster resource – Concepts of Music

Concepts of music posters (PDF 1.7 MB) are available to print and display in your classroom.

Stage 6 music online learning sequences

Student guided online learning sequences to support learning from home or in the classroom.

The Stage 6 music projects online resource contains a self-guided project and two units of work on Baroque rocks and the Australian composition Eliza Aria.

Baroque rocks allows Music 1 or Music 2 students to complete a group or individual project on Baroque music that could take from 2 to 4 weeks. Eliza Aria allows Music 1 or Music 2 students to complete online work for the topic of Australian Music or for Music 2 mandatory topic Music of the Last 25 years (Australian focus). This also could take 2 to 4 weeks to complete.

An Eliza Aria Answers (DOCX 70.91 KB) is an accompanying teacher resources that provides answers to various questions asked in this unit.

The final module is a self-guided project for students undertaking the Music 1 Stage 6 Syllabus topic of An instrument and its repertoire.

HSC resources

Writing about music in Stage 6 – Music 1 aural skills

Build student understanding of the Music 1 HSC aural skills examination structure and assist students in developing written responses with this suite of resources.

Resources

• Module 1 – unpacking the Music 1 aural skills paper (PPTX 2.45 MB)
• Module 2 – Music 1 aural skills analysis (PPTX 3.48 MB)
• Module 3 – Music 1 analysing student samples (PPTX 14.96 MB)
• Module 4 – Music 1 aural skills activities (PPTX 10.21 MB)

Supporting documents

• Timbre terminology – Writing about music in Stage 6 (DOCX 234 KB)
• Compositional devices – Writing about music in Stage 6 (DOCX 220 KB)
• The concepts of music checklist – Writing about music in Stage 6 (DOCX 221 KB)
• Vocabulary – Writing about music in Stage 6 (DOCX 216 KB)
• Sample 1a – Writing about music in Stage 6 (DOCX 505 KB)
• Sample 2a – Writing about music in Stage 6 (DOCX 321 KB)
• Sample 3a – Writing about music in Stage 6 (DOCX 371 KB)
• Sample 1b – Writing about music in Stage 6 (DOCX 467 KB)
  
• Sample 2b – Writing about music in Stage 6 (DOCX 384 KB)
  
• Sample 3b – Writing about music in Stage 6 (DOCX 350 KB)
  
• Concepts of music card game – Writing about music in Stage 6 (PDF 6.4 MB)
  
• Activity 7 Reorder it! – Writing about music in Stage 6 (DOCX 220 KB)

Music 1 HSC composition portfolio template

The Elective composition portfolio (DOCX 84 KB) resource is designed to guide students through the composition process for HSC Music 1 core and elective composition. The portfolio provides students with opportunities for long term planning and reflection, a process log, background listening analysis, notes and journal entries, composition in progress and rehearsal reflections.

Australian music – 'Other Voices'

Other Voices is a performance, recording and education project based on three new electroacoustic works for flute and electronics by Australian composer/educators Cat Hope, Tristan Coelho and Fiona Hill. It provides access points for young composers, performers and their teachers to explore the potential for combining electronic music with instruments and voice.

Assessment in HSC

The Assessment in the HSC resource is designed to provide Stage 6 teachers with opportunities to develop their understanding of the assessment requirements for the practical and performance works in the HSC Music 1, Music 2 and Music Extension courses. It has been written to support and complement the NESA Assessment and reporting in Music 1 Stage 6 advice and requirements.

HSC Music 1 teachers can use this resource to:

• familiarise themselves with the requirements of each practical and performance component
• develop their understanding of the language of the NESA assessment criteria for each of the practical and performance works
• develop confidence in applying assessment criteria through identification and analysis of work sample characteristics
• assist Year 12 students in making informed choices when selecting course options
• build student confidence and knowledge of success in each practical and performance work.