Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

Grade 4 Music Units

Unit Plan 1 (Grade 4 Music): Music Routines & Listening

Grade 4 music unit building rehearsal routines, listening focus, and performance etiquette while connecting music to students’ lives and experiences.

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9-12 Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan (Grades 9-12): Collaborative Flash Fiction Anthology

High school writers create a 250-word flash fiction anthology through peer workshops, revision, and digital publishing with collaborative design.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 36 (Grade 5 Music): Music Sharing Day

Grade 5 Music Sharing Day unit where students perform familiar repertoire with confident expression, accurate rhythm/tempo, and strong audience etiquette while reflecting on growth and giving supportive feedback.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 35 (Grade 5 Music): Preparing to Perform

Grade 5 music unit focused on rehearsal strategies to improve accuracy, expression, and interpretation, helping students prepare confident, performance-ready music.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 34 (Grade 5 Music): Independent Music Centers

Grade 5 music unit using independent centers to compose, perform, and listen, helping students connect musical elements to purpose, context, and mood.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 33 (Grade 5 Music): Evaluating Performances

Grade 5 music unit where students evaluate performances using rubrics and musical evidence, connect feedback to context, and identify clear next steps for improvement.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 32 (Grade 5 Music): Performing Favorite Music

Perform Grade 5 favorite repertoire with accuracy, expression, and style as students rehearse, build confidence, and strengthen stage presence using simple criteria, peer feedback, and reflection aligned to MU:Pr6.1.5a.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 31 (Grade 5 Music): Music & Imagination

Grade 5 music unit using listening, movement, and visual art to connect sound with imagination, personal experiences, and creative expression.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 30 (Grade 5 Music): Organizing Musical Ideas

Grade 5 music unit where students use notation and recording tools to organize rhythmic and melodic ideas into clear drafts for rehearsal, revision, and sharing.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 29 (Grade 5 Music): Rhythm & Melody Games

Grade 5 music unit using rhythm and melody games to build notation reading, accuracy, rehearsal strategies, and measurable improvement over time.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 28 (Grade 5 Music): Sound & Scene Creation

Grade 5 music unit where students compose and refine scene-based pieces, using tempo, dynamics, pitch, and texture to communicate mood and meaning.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 27 (Grade 5 Music): Group Performance

Grade 5 general music unit focused on collaborative performance, emphasizing accuracy, expression, ensemble responsibility, and proper audience etiquette.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 26 (Grade 5 Music): Music Storytelling

Grade 5 general music unit where students create and refine music for stories or images, then perform and explain expressive intent and personal connections.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 25 (Grade 5 Music): Ensemble Evaluation

Grade 5 general music unit on evaluating ensemble performances with rubrics and evidence, giving feedback, and setting improvement goals for accuracy, balance, dynamics, and expression.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 24 (Grade 5 Music): Cultural Performance Practice

Grade 5 music unit exploring how cultural, social, and historical context shapes performance choices and connects music to daily life and other arts.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 23 (Grade 5 Music): Music Around the World

Grade 5 music: explore global traditions, linking music to culture, history, dance, visual art, daily life, and cross-curricular connections.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 22 (Grade 5 Music): Music in Daily Life

Grade 5 music: connect music to daily life at school, home, and community, explaining how interests, skills, and identity shape musical choices.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 21 (Grade 5 Music): Expressive Listening

Grade 5 music: analyze expression (tempo, dynamics, articulation, timbre, phrasing) to explain mood/meaning, comparing performances and citing evidence.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 20 (Grade 5 Music): Music Preferences & Evaluation

Grade 5 music: evaluate excerpts with criteria and evidence, linking preferences to melody, rhythm, dynamics, timbre, and context.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 19 (Grade 5 Music): Musical Form & Structure

Grade 5 general music unit: identify and explain musical forms (ABA, rondo/ABACA, theme and variation), map repeated vs. contrasting sections, and describe how form and structure shape listening responses and performance choices.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 18 (Grade 5 Music): Melodic Performance

Grade 5 general music unit: perform short songs or instrumental melodies with accurate pitch/rhythm, expressive dynamics/tempo/articulation, appropriate style, and strong performance decorum and audience etiquette.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 17 (Grade 5 Music): Revising Musical Ideas

Grade 5 music: revise rhythms, melodies, or accompaniments using clear criteria and teacher/peer feedback, document before-and-after changes, and explain what improved and why.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 16 (Grade 5 Music): Selecting Music for Purpose

Grade 5 music: choose and justify performance music for specific audiences and events, considering style, mood, length, difficulty, and performer skills, plus personal interests.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 15 (Grade 5 Music): Expressive Singing & Playing

Grade 5 music: rehearse and perform a short melody using dynamics, tempo, timbre, and articulation to show expressive intent, explaining choices and tracking improvement with rehearsal strategies.

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Grade 5 Music Units

Unit Plan 14 (Grade 5 Music): Notating Melodic Ideas

Grade 5 music: document original melodies with clear notation and/or recordings so others can read, remember, and perform them accurately, revising for clarity and shareability.