Unit Plan 6 (Grade 1 Music): Loud & Soft

Focus: Identify and perform dynamic contrasts (loud and soft) and describe how they change the feeling of music.

Grade Level: 1

Subject Area: Music (Performing • Responding • Expressive Skills)

Total Unit Duration: 2–4 sessions (2+ weeks), 20–30 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, first graders explore how music can be loud and soft, and how those changes are called dynamics. Students practice using their voices, bodies, and simple instruments to show loud and soft in a controlled, musical way (not just shouting or barely whispering). They listen to short examples and talk about how dynamics can make music sound exciting, gentle, surprising, or calm. Students also learn that performers choose dynamics on purpose to match the feeling or job of the music, and that they can do the same in their own singing and playing.

Essential Questions

• What are dynamics, and how can I tell when music is loud or soft?
• How can I show loud and soft with my voice, body, and instruments in a musical way?
• How do changes in dynamics change how music feels or what it is used for?
• How can I use loud and soft to help my music match a story, picture, or purpose?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate loud and soft singing and playing with control (not shouting or disappearing).
2. Show and describe how dynamics change the feeling of a song or pattern (e.g., exciting, calm, sneaky).
3. With limited guidance, perform a simple song or pattern using chosen dynamics to match a picture, story, or idea.
4. Identify and describe dynamic changes (loud/soft) in short listening examples.
5. Use simple music words (loud, soft, dynamics, maybe forte / piano) to talk about how performers show expression.

Standards Alignment — Grade 1 Music (NAfME-Aligned)

• MU:Pr4.3.1a — Demonstrate and describe music’s expressive qualities (such as dynamics and tempo).
  • Example: Performing the same song loudly and softly and describing how it feels different.
• MU:Re8.1.1a — With limited guidance, demonstrate and identify how expressive qualities (such as dynamics, tempo, and timbre) are used in performers’ and personal interpretations to reflect expressive intent.
  • Example: Changing tempo to make music sound exciting or calm.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can show loud and soft with my voice and instruments without yelling or going silent.
• I can hear and show when music changes from loud to soft or soft to loud.
• I can choose dynamics (loud or soft) to match a story, picture, or feeling in my music.
• I can use words like loud, soft, and dynamics to talk about how music sounds and feels.