The Arts Assessment Map - Sample at 1.25
Patterns of movement (Music)
Context
Students were asked to draw a graphic score depicting a river flowing from high to low and demonstrate, on a variety of melodic percussion instruments, sounds going from high to low as depicted in the score. In addition to the river, students were also to include two other objects, for example, rocks and trees. They were reminded that they were not drawing a picture, but making a score and needed to place each of the instruments separately across the page. It was suggested that perhaps one object could be placed above and the other below indicating the time at which instruments should be played. Students also were asked to develop a key or legend to go with their score, indicating the symbol and instrument for each object. They needed to ensure that they chose instruments that could make a sound which went from high to low (a melodic instrument) for the river, and appropriate percussion or melodic instruments for the two other objects in their score.
Students were also asked to choose one score from the groups of four, and accurately perform the piece. Students also decided who would play which instrument. The composer conducted the score and made decisions about how the piece was to be performed. Students were reminded of the need to perform a continuous sound from high to low to depict the river and to accurately interpret other aspects of the score. They were encouraged to seek creative solutions with their chosen instruments in order to interpret the composer’s ideas.
After creating and performing their graphic scores, students looked at others’ scores and listened to the recording of their performance. They described characteristics of, and talked about the works and their performance.
Prior learning
This task was part of a unit that focused on development of students’ understanding of musical concepts relating to gradually ascending and descending sounds. The unit introduced these concepts by relating them to the theme of natural elements falling and rising. Students:
- discussed the nature of clouds and water, what happens when water is heated, what clouds are made from, what rivers are made from, where they flow to and why they always flow downwards
- were shown the score of the song ‘Rivers flow’ and followed the notes with their fingers as they listened to the song. They marked on the score the notes indicating the river going down and the notes indicating going up to the top of the mountain
- learnt to sing the song, feeling the rise and fall in their voices as they sang higher and lower notes
- talked about the difference between a graphic score (already studied) and a conventional score.
The elements of the Creating and making standard addressed by the task are:
(Students) create and present performing and visual arts works that show emerging arts knowledge and an ability to plan arts works that communicate ideas, concepts, observations feelings and/or experiences.
(Students) demonstrate an emerging ability to select, arrange and make choices about expressive ways of using arts elements, principles and/or conventions.
(Students) identify, describe and discuss characteristics of their own … art works.
(Students) use skills, techniques, processes, … equipment …
Samples
The following work samples, and the related Arts 1.25 progression point examples, illustrate the kinds of responses that students produce as they progress towards the Level 2 standard.
View image description
Listen to student performance (mp3 - 191KB)
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Creating and making – 1.25
- Demonstrates a gradual developing knowledge of the difference in concept between a drawing and a graphic score, with placement of different instruments on the same visual line and symbols suggesting a ‘high’ and ‘low’ interpretation for a non-melodic percussion instrument.
- Interprets graphic symbols for both the melodic and non-melodic percussion instruments in a generally accurate way.
- Interprets gradually descending sounds in an expressive way.
Sample 2
Video - Performance of composition
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Note: these videos require Windows Media Player 9 and above or Quicktime 6 and above to open.
Annotation
Creating and making - 1.25
Annotations refer to the student playing the maracas.
- Performs own part accurately, demonstrating understanding of high to low but isn’t able to successfully direct other students to place their parts as indicated on the score.
Video - Talking about score
View video transcript
Note: these videos require Windows Media Player 9 and above or Quicktime 6 and above to open.
Creating and making - 1.25
- Discusses choice of instruments demonstrating understanding of tone colours and sound qualities of the instruments that are appropriate for ideas represented in score although does not yet demonstrate understanding that sounds are representative of inanimate objects like rocks on the score.
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