How to use the course

You will see three sections as part of the course. This top section contains the FAQ and printables needed to complete the course. The second section contains all 36 lessons, and the third section contains some additional resources. As you work on the course, it automatically keeps track of where you are. When finished with a lesson, click "Complete and Continue" to move on. You can always come back to past lessons, though.

How does a student earn high school credit with this course?

There are 36 lessons in the course.

To earn 1/2 credit Fine Arts elective, there are 2 options.

Option 1: Do one lesson a week for 36 weeks (all year), spending 2 1/2 hours a week on it. Or,

Option 2: Do 2 lessons a week, spending 2 1/2 hours on each (5 hours total a week), and finish in 18 weeks (a semester).

To earn a full credit Fine Arts elective, do one lesson a week for 36 weeks (all year), spending 5 hours a week on it.

What exactly will the student be doing for those 2 1/2 (or 5) hours a week?

First, the student will read the lesson and watch the embedded videos. Each lesson has at least 45 minutes' worth of music to listen to; most have much more. The student has some freedom to pick and choose what to listen to. Students are encouraged to listen to each selection for at least a minute, but for some of the hour-long symphonies or operas, they can just listen to a portion if they choose. Also, on subsequent days, they may listen to new selections or repeat those already heard. Both are beneficial for a music appreciation course, because repeated hearings of a piece of music will allow the student to hear new things and maybe truly learn to appreciate and love it!

While listening to the music, the student should fill out at least one Music Listening Sheet a day. Many will find it easier to listen to and focus if they fill out a Music Listening Sheet for each piece they listen to. They should also fill out a Composer Sheet for each composer studied. These are to be kept in a 3-ring Music Appreciation Binder.

Keep track of how much time is spent on the lesson with the Log of Hours sheet. There are suggestions for various activities to do for each lesson. Write in the time spent listening, writing, reading, etc. and try to average 2 1/2 hours (or 5 earning a full credit) per lesson. An example sheet is included with the printables.

Take the Quiz at the end of each lesson. Be sure to review the material before taking the quiz! It will automatically grade it and you only get one chance to take it. Keep track of the quiz grades to determine your final grade for the class.

Additional activities that are optional, but encouraged:

• Read a Music Appreciation book along with the course to learn even more about the styles and composers. My favorites are listed in the Bibliography section (after Lesson 36).
• Teach or narrate what they have learned to a parent, sibling, or friend.
• Write a 5-paragraph essay, compare/contrast essay, or descriptive essay every week based on the lessons studied.
• Write a research paper based on a topic studied in the course
• Give a speech, using one of the essays or the research paper as a basis. Include a multi-media presentation such as Google slides or Powerpoint if desired.
• Go to a concert, recital, or opera to hear one of the composers or pieces studied in the course.
• Learn to play or sing something from the course.
• Do research on composers listed in the "More 20th Century Composers: Use for Further Study" section.

What prep work should be done before beginning the course?

All that is needed is to print about 50 Composer Sheets, about 100 Music Listening Sheets, and one Music Appreciation Log of Hours sheet. Put those in a 3-ring binder with some loose-leaf paper (for taking notes to be used in essays), and you're ready to begin.

Self-Grading Quizzes:

There is a quiz at the end of each lecture, and It's self-grading. Please study before taking the quiz because you only get one chance.

What do I do if a link is broken or a video is no longer available?

Simply leave a comment right there at the lesson or email Gena at [email protected], and I'll get it fixed ASAP! Thank you for your help and for taking the extra time to let me know about them.

What to do if you are seeing inappropriate ads with the YouTube videos

We are thankful for the "free" resource of YouTube, but we do occasionally have to let their ads run. If you are noticing that you are seeing some inappropriate ads, see this link which will give you ways to block advertisers. You might also need to clear your cookies/history. And be sure YouTube is set to restricted mode. https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662850?hl=e...

What is the Copyright information?

© 2016-2024 Gena Mayo | Music in Our Homeschool LLC |ichoosejoy.org and MusicinOurHomeschool.com

All rights reserved. No portion of this course may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted outside the immediate household in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

How many copies can I make?

Photocopies of lessons and notebooking pages may be made for only one household or classroom of children.

Can I use the course to teach at a school or co-op?

Purchase of the course is only for one classroom at a school or one family in a household. To obtain a license to use in multiple classes at school or a homeschool co-op, contact Gena Mayo at [email protected].

Is this course only for high school students?

No! I used the spine of this course (shortened the lessons) to teach grades K-8 at a homeschool co-op. I used coloring sheets for the non-writing kids to color while listening to the music.

Refer a Friend Program:

I'm excited to share that Music in Our Homeschool now has a referral program! If you successfully refer a friend to make a purchase at Music in Our Homeschool, both you and your friend will earn a 10% discount on your next purchase! See a separate section labeled "Refer a Friend Program" below for all the details and your unique link to share.

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