First Grade General Music Units

September: October: November: December: January:

Music Elements Music Elements Music Elements Instruments Performance

Rhythm Dynamics Tempo Rhythm Band Rhythm Band

 Terms/Symbols/ Instruments Ensemble
 Rhythmic  Definitions (p, pp,  Fast vs. Slow
Notation/Symbols ff, f sfz, cresc.  Terms/Symbols  Intro to  Perform as a
 Rhythmic Values decrescendo)  Andante, Presto & instruments member of a rhythm
 Rhythmic Movement  Add dynamics to Largo (Wood block, triangle, band ensemble.
bells, gong, rhythm sticks,
 Dalcroze Methods favorite stories  Movement cymbals, castanets,  Count, clap and play
 Concept of silence/rest Ex. Teenie Tiny activities maracas, cow bell, little basic rhythmic
Woman drums)
-Mrs. Music May I? demonstrating notation
 Dynamics add 
-Mr. Quarter, Half & Eighth changing tempos Identify  Count rhythms
-Rhythmic Pac Man excitement to
-Musical Math  Singing activities instruments in syllabically
music terms of: Ex. RR, Lackawana, train,
-Musical Silence Activities demonstrating
-Sing a rhythm  Element of changing tempos Appearance choo
-Play a rhythm surprise sfz! Sound
Performance  How are different
Method of  Perform basic
Special Celebrations: Performance Sound production
dynamics rhythms on
(Songs & Activities) Special Celebrations:  Vibration Rhythm band
Welcome Back Songs produced on (Songs & Activities) Performance
Apple Songs different Holiday Songs and instruments
School Bus Safety Songs instruments? Thanksgiving Songs Activities
Veteran’s Day Songs Kwanzaa Performance
(Demo) Giving Thanks Las Posadas Special Celebration:
Performance Pilgrim and Native American Hanukkah (Songs & Activities)
Special Celebrations: Songs and Activities Christmas
“My Song”
January Jump
(Songs & Activities)
Add dynamics to favorite Snowman Dance
stories for excitement and Mr. Martin Luther
drama! Penguin Song &
Fall Songs Dance
Halloween Songs Months of the Yr/
Fire Safety Songs
Columbus Songs
Character Ed Songs
 February: March: April: May: June:
Music Elements Music Elements Music Elements Instruments Concert Etiquette
Pitch Melody Key Instruments of the Concert Etiquette
 What is Pitch? Orchestra
 High vs. low pitch  What is a melody  Concept: Major  Peter & the Wolf  Behavior during
Ex. Mama Bear, Papa Bear and  Melody or No /Minor Presentation performances
Baby Bear
Melody listening  Happy/Sad *Instruments  Hats
 Instrumental pitch/vocal Exercises  Listen and identify represent characters  Leaving during a
pitch changes  Upward and  Add music Movie: “Elmo’s Big performance
 Mono tones Downward accompaniment to Adventure”  Bravo
 Same/different pitch melodic movement a familiar story Class discussion  Clapping
identification  Instrument posters
Skips in a melody demonstrating the  Something goes
 Listening examples line use of major and Instrument demo wrong
 Movement reflecting  Solfege Do Re Mi minor keys.  Emergency
pitch changes  The “Blues” jazz Performance Performance
Special Celebrations
Performance style. (Songs & Activities)
Special Celebrations
Performance Special Celebrations: “Old Mother Hubbard’s (Songs & Activities)
Mother’s Day
(Songs & Activities) Blues” Song and Cinco Da Mayo Father’
Special Celebrations: Activity Memorial Day
(Songs & Activities) It’s March
Valentines Lion /Lamb Performance
Presidents Day Spring Special Celebrations:
Snow Days Dinosaur Dance (Songs & Activities)
Friendship Music In Our Schools
Character Ed Songs Character Ed songs Eggbert song and skit
Easter Songs
Earth Day Songs
Character Ed songs

Famous Americans
 President’s Day
 Black History Month
Topic: Grade 1: Dynamics
Essential Questions:
1. What do people hear when they listen to music?
2. How can music affect your mood?
3. How can we use music to tell a story?

Performance Indicators Guided Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Classroom Ideas Assessment Ideas
(Instructional Strategies) (Evidence of
Learning)
Standards 1,2,3, & 4 -What does the term loud mean? Students will be able to: _Dynamic Singing Games Students can identify,
-What does the term soft mean? -Perceive that some songs are soft -Get Aboard Little Children demonstrate and
-What is the difference between a throughout. -Pumpkins Marching incorporate dynamics
speaking voice, a singing voice -Develop control in producing loud and -Who has the Pumpkin? in their musical
and a yelling voice? soft dynamics while performing a song -Spooky Sounds performances.
-What makes a song -Understands the purpose of music -This Is My Speaking Voice
boring/interesting? dynamics. _Add dynamic markings to a familiar Students will be able
-What makes a sound harsh? -Respond to dynamic changes through story. to explain why
-How is soft music different than movement. -Dramatize literature with dynamics are so
loud music? -Identify the symbols for piano, forte Dynamic markings important in music!
-What does the singer do and sforzando in a piece of music. -Demonstrate dynamic changes
differently when singing softly -Perform changing dynamics from through movement. Students will be able
vs. loudly? written notation using music symbols. -Listening Examples to use dynamics to
-When would we use soft music? (f, p, and sfz) -Perform/demonstrate dynamic make a sentence or
-When would we use loud -Demonstrate an example of a speaking changes using rhythm band short verbal passage
music? voice, a singing voice and a yelling instruments. more interesting.
-What would happen if the music voice.
Suddenly became loud? --Understand the importance of good
-What does the term “Piano” breath control when producing and
mean? controlling sound.
-What does the term “Forte” -Use dynamics to enhance a story.
mean? _Identify dynamic changes in listening
-What does the term sforzando examples.
mean? _Identify the term sforzando with a
-Can you demonstrate different surprise in music.
dynamics in a song? -

Connections to Text (Resources) Silver Burdett, “The Music Connection” Level I, Rhythm Band Instruments, Primary literature/stories, Various General Music
Methods/books, Music Magazines Time: On Going
Connections to Technology:
Key Vocabulary: Loud, Soft, Suddenly, Piano, Forte, Sforzando, Singing Voice, Yelling, Speaking Voice, Surprise, Breath, Harsh, sounds, Pleasing Sounds.
Topic:
Grade 1: Melody
Essential Questions:
1. What makes music interesting?
2. How does music affect the way we feel?

Performance Indicators Guided Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Classroom Ideas Assessment Ideas
(Instructional Strategies) (Evidence of
Learning)
Standards 1, 2 , 3, & 4 -How does music move? Students will be able to: -Listening activities -Ability to identify
-What is a pitch/tone? -Differentiate between leaps and -Enact melodic movement Same/repeated
-What is a monotone? repeated tones. -Perform same, repeated and Pitch/tone.
-What does the term -Perform a repeated melodic Leap movement phrases. -Ability to identify
repeat mean in music? pattern. -Students will diagram tonal melodic leap.
-How do we write a repeat? -Identify a repeat sign Ex. :ll movement as they listen to -Ability to perform
-How can we make a song -Diagram tonal movement in a musical example. a repeated note &
more interesting? terms of same, upward and -Enact melodic contour leap on the piano.
- -What does a leap in pitch downward movement. through movement -Ability to
sound like? -Enact melodic contour -Identify melodic patterns in a differentiate
-What does high and low through movement phrase. between high and
mean in terms of pitch? -Identify musical phrases as - low pitches.
-What is a musical phrase? musical sentences. -Ablility to
-What is a pattern in music? -Perform musical phrases. perform a high or
-Differentiate between same and low pitch both
different musical phrases. vocally and on a
- keyboard.
-Ability to diagram
contour of a
melodic phrase?
-Ability to identify
and perform a
musical repeat.

Connections to Text (Resources) Various Music Supplemental Methods, Silver Burdett, “The Music connection” Series
Time: On Going
Connections to Technology: CD Listening Examples, Piano, Bells
Key Vocabulary: Pitch, movement, tone, high ,middle, low, repeat, leap, same, different, monotone, pattern and phrase
Topic: Grade 1: Performance Time: On-Going
Essential Questions:
What makes a song interesting and fun to perform? What do people hear when they listen to music? Why do certain types of music make you feel a certain way?

Performance Indicators Guided Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Classroom Ideas Assessment Ideas
-What is sound? How is sound Students will be able to: -Sound experiments and demonstrations Students will demonstrate
Standards 1,2,3 & 4 produced? -Identify different ways sound can be -Vibrating strings, vibrating gong their performance skills
-How many different ways can we produced and altered. (Feel the vibration of a drum by doing just
make sound? -Understand the part that vibration plays in Head or gong. Stop the that…performing!
-What is the difference between the production of sound. Vibration/sound with your hand)
making sounds and making music? -Differentiate between random sounds
What is the difference between noise (Noise) and music. -Participate in a Body Percussion -Participation and
and music? Band! enjoyment in musical
-Can we make music without the use -Perform body percussion. ensembles and musical
of an instrument? -Collect random sounds and vocal activities.
-What is meant by “Body -Experiment with different vocal sounds and Sound effects.
Percussion?” possibilities. -Perform sound pieces/compositions.
-How can we make different sounds - Identify and perform long and short -Participation in a rhythm
with our voices? sounds. -Draw long and short sounds on the band ensemble.
-What do we mean by long and -Identify and perform high and low pitches. board. __________ vs. __
short sounds? What would a long -Identify same and different pitches. -Perform long and short sounds.
sound or short sound look like? Ex: -Identify and perform a steady beat. -Give long and short sounds a symbol
___________ ___ -Identify and perform eighth, quarter, half and value. Whole note, half note and
How would a musician write long and whole note notation and values. quarter note. Enact rhythms through -Ability to count and
and short sounds. -Clap various rhythmic patterns while movement. transfer written rhythmic
What is rhythm? What is a beat? counting aloud. -Students will move to a steady beat. notation onto a drum pad.
What is a note? -Students will count and clap rhythmic
-What is a steady beat? -Transfer rhythmic reading skills to a patterns aloud.
What is a quarter, eighth, half, and percussion instrument. -Counting syllabically:
whole note? What do they look like = Train -Ability to sing in tune in
and how long do we hold them out? -Count rhythmic patterns using a syllabic = Railroad unison.
How many beats do each of the method of counting. =Choo 2
rhythms receive? Ex. oo= Railroad, o=train =Lackawana
What is pitch? What does a high -Count Aloud and play written rhythmic -Students will transfer rhythmic reading
pitch sound like? What does a low notation in a percussion ensemble setting. skills to a percussion instrument. (First
pitch sound like? -Participate in unison singing in the clap, then rhythm
What happens when we put pitch and classroom setting. band instrument and then drum pad -and
rhythms together? drum sticks)
-How can we transfer our rhythmic
skills to a percussion instrument? Musical songs, activities and singing
-How can we all stay together when games.
we are playing in a percussion
ensemble?
-What is counting?
-What is unison singing?

Connections to Text (Resources) Rhythm reader, “Music Connection” Methods, Various General Music resources, Music K-8 Magazine.
Connections to Technology: DVD, Videos, Percussion instruments, Piano
Key Vocabulary: Pitch, long, short, body percussion, rhythm, whole note, half note, eighth note, quarter note, beat, steady beat, sound, vibration, counting, high, low, same ,
different, unison, noise, organized sound, music.
Topic: Grade 1: Rhythm
Essential Questions:
1. What do people hear when they listen to music?

Performance Indicators Guided Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Classroom Ideas Assessment Ideas
(Instructional Strategies) (Evidence of
Learning)
Standards 1, 2, 3, & 4 -What is a steady beat? Students will be able to: -Kodaly Methods -Ability to identify and
-What is not a steady beat? -Identify a steady beat and a beat that is (Movement and beat) move to a steady beat.
-What is a long and short sound? not steady. -Movement/Dance exercises -Ability to identify a
-What is a pattern? -Identify and perform long and short -Rhythmic Notation Games rhythmic pattern.
-What is a repeated pattern? notes. --Listening/Movement games -Rhythm Band
-How might we notate long and -Identify rhythmic patterns and repeated -Rhythm Band Performance performance.
short sounds? rhythmic patterns both written as well (Maracas, triangles, rhythm sticks, -Can identify a whole,
Ex. ______________ vs __ as aural. castanets, wood blocks, etc.) half and quarter note
_What is the symbol for a whole, -Notate long and short rhythms using a and can perform them
half and quarter note? variety of methods. on rhythm band
_How do quarter, half and whole -Identify a quarter, half and whole note instrument..
notes move/sound? by symbol, value and name. -Movement and
-What is a strong beat? -Enact rhythmic values through Dance.
_What is a weak beat? movement. -Participation in
-How does music move? -Demonstrate strong and weak beats singing, games, dances
(Meter, in 2’s, 3’s etc) while moving to changing meters and musical
-What examples of rhythm do we played on piano. performance activities.
hear around us each day? -Identify rhythmic sounds that occur all
-What is a tempo? around them daily.
Fast, Medium and Slow -Identify and demonstrate fast, medium
- and slow tempos.
-Perform whole, half and quarter note
rhythms on classroom percussion
instruments.

Connections to Text (Resources) Rhythm Readers, Charts, Silver Burdett, “The Music Connection “ Level 1 , Rhythm Band Instruments
Time: Continuous
Connections to Technology: CD player and VCR
Key Vocabulary:Beat, Strong, Weak, Quarter note, half note, whole note, patterns, movement, long, short, length, duration. Fast , slow, medium, notation,
meter, and tempo rhythm.
Topic: Grade 1: Tempo
Essential Questions:
1. What do people hear when they listen to music?
2. What makes music more interesting?
3. How can music affect how we feel?

Performance Indicators Guided Questions Essential Knowledge & Skills Classroom Ideas Assessment Ideas
Standards 1,2,3 & 4 -What does the term fast mean in Students will be able to : -Tempo Singing/Movement Games -Observations:
music? -Recognize fast and slow tempos Ex: Rake The Leaves Watch to see if: (1)
-What does the term slow mean - Respond to tempo changes through Train Song Children are able to
in music? movement. Piano Says adapt their movements
-What is meant by the term, -Associate tempo changes with the Animals In The Zoo to the change in tempo.
tempo? movement of things/animals etc all Bouncing Ball
What does the term speed mean? around them. Pass The Ball (2) Children can clap a
-What does a steady beat sound -Move to a steady beat. Tempo Sticks steady beat.
like? Can you demonstrate a -Clap a steady beat.
steady beat? -To demonstrate awareness of fast and -Dramatize stories, poems with (3) Children can
slow and getting faster and slower, in tempo changes. recognize changes in
-What kind of things or animals dramatizing a story or poem. tempo while listening
move fast? -Associate certain words with tempos. -Come up with word lists which to musical examples.
-What kind of things or animals Words which suggest fast and slow suggests the tempos of fast and slow.
move slow? movement: Example: Speedy (fast)
Pokey (Slow) -Movement/Listening activities Children can associate
-What words do we associate --Understand how the words, speed and (Enact what you hear) the terms slow and fast
with fast/slow movement? tempo go hand in hand. with an animal or
Ex. Race/fast Crawl/slow -Dramatize tempo changes through -Animal movement: “How does a something that moves
movement while listening to changing turtle move?” the same way.
-How can we enhance a story tempos.
using different tempos? -Rhythm Band instruments Children can play an
-Perform slow and fast tempos using example of a fast and
-How do faster tempos reflect rhythm band instruments. slow tempo on a
excitement? rhythm band
- instrument.
-Is the beat steady or does it
change. Concept: Faster/Slower - Children can sing a
fast /slow song.
-What does a fast tempo sound
like on rhythm band instrument?
-what does a slow tempo sound
like on a drum or piano?

Connections to Text (Resources) Silver Burdett, “The Music connection” Level 1, Rhythm Band Instruments, Primary literature/stories/poems’ Various
General Music Methods/Books, Music Magazines Time: On Going
Connections to Technology: Listening Examples DVD, Tapes, Cassettes
Key Vocabulary: Tempo, speed, beat, steady, fast, slow, faster, slower, crawl, speedy, pokey, race, fly, run, walk,