Unit Plan 22 (Grade 1 Music): Music in Our Lives

Focus: Connect music to students’ daily routines, feelings, and experiences at home, school, and in the community.

Grade Level: 1

Subject Area: Music (Connecting • Responding • Performing)

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

I. Introduction

In this unit, students explore how music shows up in everyday life—during wake-up time, car rides, games, chores, and school routines. They listen to short examples of music for different purposes (celebration, calm, movement, focus) and talk about when they hear similar music in their own lives. Through drawing, sharing, and simple performing tasks, students connect their interests, knowledge, and skills to the musical choices they make and experience.

Essential Questions

• Where do we hear music in our daily lives (home, school, community)?
• How do our interests and experiences influence the music we like or choose?
• How can music help us with different routines (waking up, cleaning up, playing, calming down)?
• How can we show and tell how music is part of our lives?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Identify times and places where they hear music in their daily lives (home, school, community).
2. Describe how their interests and experiences influence the music they like or choose.
3. Match simple pieces of music to classroom routines or situations (movement break, quiet work, lining up).
4. Create or select a short piece of music (or song) for a specific classroom purpose and explain why it fits.
5. Share how music is connected to a favorite activity, hobby, or family tradition.

Standards Alignment — Grade 1 Music (NAfME-Aligned)

• 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 name times in my day when I hear music.
• I can explain why I like a song or why it fits a certain activity.
• I can help pick or create music that fits a classroom routine (like walking in, cleaning up, or moving).
• I can tell how my interests (games, hobbies, family traditions) connect to the music I choose.
• I can share my ideas about music in my life with the class.