ABSTRACT
New teachers are expected to build and develop their choral program, which requires the ability to recruit new students into the ensembles. Choral methods students will think of interesting ways to address the various standards when planning to teach choral music, but will also grapple with how to accomplish a comprehensive curriculum during the middle school years. The teacher "backwards plans" in which she or he begins planning with the end goal in mind, and then outlines the teaching strategies necessary to move from the choir students' abilities and knowledge to the new skill or knowledge. The National Coalition for Core Arts Standards emphasize music literacy, with a greater emphasis on creativity than the national content standards provided. Thinking large, the teacher whose state's music standards resemble the nine national content standards might create a three-year curriculum with different units for the various standards.
