Slovakia Music Education Curriculum (Fifth Grade)

Primary School (Grades 1-4):

This foundational level introduces students to basic musical concepts and skills. The curriculum includes:

• Singing: Learning and performing children's and folk songs (20-25 songs minimum) with accurate pitch and rhythm, singing canons, and simple two-part pieces.
• Music Theory: Introduction to basic rhythmic notation and melodic notation (from B sharp to D2).
• Listening and Ear Training: Singing simple melodies in major scales using hand signs, and differentiating between major and minor scales.
• Instrument Playing: Playing simple rhythmic instruments, accompanying songs, exploring sound production, and creating musical atmospheres.
• Music and Movement: Marching and moving to different rhythms, dancing to various rhythms (Polka, Waltz, Czardas), and expressing music through movement.
• Perception: Developing an understanding of different musical compositions appropriate for their age, expressing musical impressions verbally and through other activities.
• Music and Drama: Combining musical activities with dramatic expression, such as acting out fairy tales.

Secondary Grade I (Grades 5-7):

Building upon the primary level, this stage expands students' musical knowledge and skills. The curriculum includes:

• General Items: Understanding the function of music and its ability to express feelings, exploring the relationship between folk songs and national identity, learning about different cultures through music, understanding the historical and contemporary context of music, exploring the interaction of music with other art forms, participating in integrative projects, and exploring pop/rock music.
• Singing: Developing individual vocal abilities, maintaining vocal health (especially during voice changes/mutation), practicing correct articulation, singing two- and three-part songs, ear training, singing in major and minor scales, solfege (solmisation), call-and-response exercises, composing simple melodies with lyrics, and musical games.
• Instrument Playing: Performing music on various rhythmic and melodic instruments (Orff instruments), reproducing musical motifs and melodies, improvising, exploring sound production, using Orff instruments, keyboards, or computers for basic accompaniment, and expressing personal impressions through instrumental music.
• Perception: Analyzing musical elements and compositions, understanding the significance of different compositions and their connection to tradition, national interests, and social relations, exploring the relationship between composer and composition, identifying characteristics of different musical styles, active listening in connection with singing, playing instruments, movement, and language, and describing musical impressions verbally.
• Music and Movement: Performing movements and dances to music, creating original movements inspired by music, using body percussion to create rhythmic improvisations and contrasts, and expressing dynamics through body percussion.
• Music and Drama: Integrating musical activities with dramatic performances, such as fairy tales, and incorporating arts into the overall pedagogical process.

Secondary Grade I (Grades 8-9):

• Education through Arts: This class, meeting for half a lesson per week, focuses on exploring various themes through the arts.

Eighth Grade Topics:

• Fantasy and Magic in Arts
• Picture of Sound, Sound of Picture
• New Media and Music
• Music and Emotions
• Science and Music
• Art and Kitsch

Ninth Grade Topics:

• Music and Motion
• World and Ethnic Music
• Dance and Popular Music, Relaxation Music
• Music and Nature
• Music and Religion

The website provides music resources for each topic.