The installment in the My Music Journal, designed for second grade students, will expand on the ideas learned in the Kindergarten and First Grade, as well as teach several pieces of new information. In this textbook, students will expand upon the rhythm teachings of the previous textbooks by applying notes and beats to musical pieces, as well as learn many new rhythm symbols, such as ties, barlines, repeats, accents, and fermata. Students will expand upon previously learned concepts in melody, such as pitch and tone. This textbook will also teach students a variety of new melody concepts, such as steps, skips, repeated tones, leaps, and shapes. Students will expand upon their knowledge of musical instruments in this installment of the series, learning a variety of new musical instruments visually and aurally. The families of instruments are also explored in this textbook. Several new tempo and dynamic concepts are introduced. Students will learn the terms accelerando, ritardando, crescendo, and decrescendo, and will learn how to use each of these properly in musical pieces, using both vocals and instruments. This textbook will expand upon the musical form learned in the previous textbook, as well as expanding upon this with new vocabulary, such as repeats, 1st, and 2nd endings, fine, and DC al fine, and engage students in identifying the sections of various musical pieces. Students will also gain a greater understanding of music history and style, learning about music from several more different cultures and time periods. Students will perform along with select instrumental and vocal pieces, to engage in a hands-on learning style of the aforementioned material.
Teacher and student follow the same textbook. The teacher receives also Curriculum Outline and Assessments for My Music Journal - Music Teaching Method for Second Grade.

My Music Journal - Music Teaching Method for Second Grade teaches the following:

Concept: Rhythm
The student will:
• hear and identify the strong beat, steady beat, and melodic rhythm
• use body percussion, movement, and rhythm instruments to demonstrate strong beat, steady beat, and melodic rhythm
• perform rhythm patterns
• begin to read rhythm patterns
• recognize repeated rhythm patterns in a listening selection
• begin to recognize rhythm symbols: ties, barlines, repeat signs, accents, fermata
• identify and compare lengths of notes and rests: whole, half, quarter, eighth
• identify legato and staccato in a listening selection

Concept: Melody
The student will:
• hear and sing songs in major/minor tonalities
• use movement to indicate high and low pitches
• explore melodic direction and contour through recognizing steps, skips, repeated tones, leaps, and shape of the melody
• practice inner hearing through rejoining a song at the appropriate time, e.g., following an interlude
• echo sing a melodic pattern
• recognize short and long phrases
• sing songs involving sequences
• recognize sequencing of phrases
• name the letters of the musical alphabet

Concept: Tone Color
The student will:
• differentiate between and demonstrate talking, singing, and shouting
• define and correctly use the term timbre
• identify and explore environmental sounds to create sound effects
• recognize classroom instruments
• use classroom instruments in accompaniments
• identify orchestral and folk instruments by sight and sound
• understand the instrument families

Concept: Tempo
The student will:
• identify faster/slower
• begin to use the terms accelerando and ritardando
• demonstrate faster/slower through body movement, singing, and playing classroom instruments
• respond to tempo changes through body movement, singing, and playing classroom instruments
• continue to define and use the term tempo

Concept: Dynamics
The student will:
• identify louder/softer through singing and in listening selections
• write and recognize the symbols for louder/softer: < >
• use the terms crescendo and decrescendo appropriately
• perform pieces vocally and on classroom instruments using accents
• identify accent symbols and their effect on the music
• create accompaniment for reading or recitation of a poem using body percussion or rhythm instruments

Concept: Form
The student will:
• recognize the introduction and coda of a song
• identify same, different, and similar phrases/sections by labeling phrases/sections using the letters A and B
• continue to experience various forms as follows: AB, ABA, cumulative song, call-response, rondo, suite
• use the term form as the organization of music
• identify symbols: repeat, 1st and 2nd endings, fine, DC al fine

Concept: Harmony/Texture
The student will:
• distinguish between listening selections having melody alone and melody with accompaniment
• create simple accompaniments and ostinati using body percussion and classroom instruments
• play pitched/unpitched ostinati
• perform songs solo and in unison
• perform simple rounds

Concept: Style
The student will:
• notice similarities and differences in various styles of music from diverse cultures
• listen to and sing songs from a variety of cultures
• listen to and respond to classical music

Apollo Publishing has 9 music textbooks for each grade level, K-8. Each grade level is Teacher and Student edition. Teacher and student follow the same textbook. In addition teacher receives Curriculum Outline and Assessments for each grade level.