Visual & Performing Arts
Visual Arts
Description: The Williamsport Area Middle School’s seventh- and eighth-grade Visual Arts class is a sampling of many art mediums. Student will work in clay, colored pencils, graphite, print making, painting (watercolors and acrylic) and sculpture.
For each project, students will learn production, aesthetics, history and criticism (as aligned with discipline-based art education), surrounding a particular project. All of the projects include minimum objectives to allow for student creativity and differing end products amongst students. At the conclusion of each project students will complete a self-evaluation rubric reflecting on their artistic choices.
Instructional Resources:
- Teacher-made PowerPoints and worksheets with class discussion
- Example projects
- Artlex
- Art Since 1950 (textbook)
Course Unit Topics
- 3D Art : Earthware, sculpture
- 2D Art: Paint (watercolors and acrylic), graphite, colored pencils
- Graphic Design: photography, Photoshop, animation
General Music
Course Description: The seventh- and eighth-grade music curriculum builds off of the skills students learned in intermediate schools. Students will be learning to play instruments alone and with others, as well as compose, improvise, and analyze music. Instruments used will include keyboards, guitars, xylophones, drums, and other percussion instruments.
Instructional Resources:
- Materials created by the WASD Music Department
- Garage Band
Course Unit Topics :
- Guitar
- Drumming
- Piano improvisation
- Music composition
- Theme and Variation
- Electronic music (composition using Garage Band)
7th-Grade Orchestra
Course Description: The purpose of the seventh-grade orchestra is to develop and begin to refine the core individual and ensemble skills that will allow students to perform the finest in young orchestra literature. This is an important year of musical growth and activity to help students transition from the intermediate school to the middle school ensemble.
Opportunities to participate in select ensembles will be available through an audition process. Attendance at performances is required. 7th grade students wishing to participate in both instrumental and choral ensembles will be scheduled into Performing Music. The students will be "shared" on a rotating basis by both the choral and instrumental teachers.
Instructional Resources: WASD Middle School Orchestra board-approved curriculum.
Course Unit Topics: The students will be working on pitch, rhythm, musicality, content knowledge and music vocabulary throughout the year. They will also have two to three public performances per year.
8th-Grade Orchestra
Course Description: The purpose of the eighth-grade orchestra is to continue to develop and refine core and extended individual and ensemble skills that will allow students to perform the finest in young orchestra literature. This is an important year of musical growth and activity to help prepare students for the transition from the middle school to the high school ensembles.
Opportunities to participate in select ensembles will be available through an audition process. Attendance at performances is required. 8th grade students wishing to participate in both instrumental and choral ensembles will be scheduled into Performing Music. The students will be "shared" on a rotating basis by both the choral and instrumental teachers.
Instructional Resources: WASD Middle School Orchestra board-approved curriculum.
Course Unit Topics: The students will be working on pitch, rhythm, musicality, content knowledge and music vocabulary throughout the year. They will also have two to three public performances per year.
7th-/8th-Grade Band
Course Descriptions:7th Grade Band: The purpose of the seventh-grade band is to develop and begin to refine the core individual and ensemble skills that will allow students to perform the finest in young band literature. This is an important year of musical growth and activity to help students transition from the intermediate school to the middle school ensemble. Opportunities to participate in select ensembles will be available to all students. Attendance at performances is required. 7th grade students wishing to participate in both instrumental and choral ensembles will be scheduled into Performing Music. The students will be "shared" on a rotating basis by both the choral and instrumental teachers.
8th Grade Band: The purpose of the eighth-grade band is to continue to develop and refine core and extended individual and ensemble skills that will allow students to perform the finest in young band literature. This is an important year of musical growth and activity to help prepare students for the transition from the middle school to the high school ensembles. Opportunities to participate in select ensembles will be available to all students. Attendance at performances is required. 8th grade students wishing to participate in both instrumental and choral ensembles will be scheduled into Performing Music. The students will be "shared" on a rotating basis by both the choral and instrumental teachers.
Jazz Band: The goals of the Jazz Band are to offer students an opportunity to be exposed to all styles of jazz, experience the fundamental concepts of improvisation, practice and perform challenging music, and to provide a service to the school and community by performing at activities and events in and out of school.
Instructional Resources: WASD, Middle School Band, board-approved curriculum.
Course Unit Topics: Student’s will be working on tone quality, articulation, rhythm, musicality, content knowledge and music vocabulary. The student’s will also participate in a number of public performances throughout the year.
Choir
7th- and 8th-Grade Choir: This course is designed to build upon the skills learned in elementary general music and choir. Students from the 7th and 8th grade are selected for this group based on their ability to sing in a large group setting with accuracy of pitch, rhythm and intonation. Students will learn repertoire from different time periods and in multiple languages, as well as learn to sight sing. Acceptance into the choir in based upon a recommendation from any Williamsport Area School District choral specialist, or by audition. Rehearsals for this curricular ensemble meet during the school day. Attendance at one winter and one spring evening concert is required as part of the grading for this course.
7th- and 8th-Grade Chamber Choir is a select auditioned group available to both grades. Rehearsals for this extra-curricular group will occur outside the regularly scheduled day. The director will determine the size of the group. Singers will be chosen based on vocal tone quality, sight singing ability, rhythmic accuracy and vocal blend. The group will sing different, more challenging repertoire than the curricular choir and may be offered additional performance opportunities. Acceptance is at the discretion of the director.
School Musical: Any member of the seventh- or eighth-grade choir is invited and encouraged to audition for the school musical. Rehearsals will occur outside of the regular school day, and every attempt to avoid conflict with spring sports will be made. Interested students will be required to audition with a song and a reading. Depending on the chosen show, a dance audition may also be required. All materials will be provided to the students prior to the audition. The director will determine cast size as well the assignment of roles.
