Unit Plan 31 (Grade 1 Music): Music & Imagination

Focus: Use music to inspire creative play, pretend stories, and movement that connect to students’ own interests and experiences.

Grade Level: 1

Subject Area: Music (Creating • Connecting • Movement/Play)

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

I. Introduction

In this unit, students use music and imagination together. They listen to short pieces, then pretend, move, and play as if the music were a story, character, or game. With limited guidance, they improvise simple rhythmic and melodic ideas to match their own pretend scenes (e.g., sneaky footsteps, happy jumping). They also talk about how their interests, favorite games, and feelings show up in the choices they make when creating and moving to music.

Essential Questions

• How can music help us pretend, tell stories, and play?
• How do our own interests, feelings, and experiences show up in the music and movements we choose?
• How can we use rhythms and melodies to show different characters, actions, or places?
• What makes our musical choices fit the story or game we imagine?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Improvise simple rhythmic and melodic ideas (voice or instruments) to match a story, picture, or pretend game.
2. Use movement and simple props to show how music can represent characters, feelings, or actions.
3. Make choices about tempo, dynamics, and sound sources to fit a specific purpose (e.g., music for sneaking, music for a parade).
4. With limited guidance, explain how their musical and movement choices connect to their own interests, experiences, or favorite activities.
5. Work in small groups to create a short music & movement scene and present it to classmates.

Standards Alignment — Grade 1 Music (NAfME-Aligned)

• MU:Cr1.1.1a — With limited guidance, improvise rhythmic and melodic patterns and ideas.
  • Example: Students improvise short rhythm patterns using claps or drums.
• MU:Cn10.0.1a — Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
  • Example: Creating music inspired by a favorite hobby or game.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can make up rhythms and tunes to match a character, picture, or story.
• I can move in ways that show what the music is trying to say (sneaky, happy, sleepy, excited).
• I can choose sounds and movements that fit a purpose (like parade music or quiet bedtime music).
• I can tell how my music and movements connect to something I like or know (a game, a favorite animal, a story).
• I can help my group share a short music & imagination scene with the class.