Unit Plan 26 (Grade 1 Music): Musical Storytelling
Grade 1 music unit where students create and perform simple musical stories, using voice, movement, and instruments to show characters, actions, and expressive intent.
Focus: Create and share simple musical stories that match characters and actions, using voice, movement, and instruments to show expressive intent.
Grade Level: 1
Subject Area: Music (Creating • Connecting • Performing)
Total Unit Duration: 2–4 sessions (2+ weeks), 20–30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students explore how music can tell a story. They listen to short stories or picture prompts and choose sounds, rhythms, and melodies to represent characters, feelings, and actions (like tiptoeing, stomping, or flying). With guidance, they build short musical story pieces in small groups, then present a final version for classmates. Students connect their choices to their own interests (“I chose drum for the giant because I like big, loud sounds”) and begin to see themselves as musical storytellers.
Essential Questions
- How can music show what a character is like or what they are doing?
- How do my interests and ideas help me choose sounds for a story?
- What makes a musical story clear and expressive for the listener?
- How can I share my musical story with the class so they understand my intent?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Choose sounds, rhythms, and simple melodies to match a story’s characters and actions.
- Work with classmates to create a short musical story with a clear beginning, middle, and end.
- With limited guidance, rehearse and present a final version of their musical story to classmates.
- Describe in simple language how their musical choices (instruments, dynamics, tempo) show the character or action.
- Explain how their own interests, knowledge, or experiences influenced the musical ideas they used.
Standards Alignment — Grade 1 Music (NAfME-Aligned)
- MU:Cr3.2.1a — With limited guidance, convey expressive intent for a specific purpose by presenting a final version of personal musical ideas to peers or an informal audience.
- Example: Performing a completed song created for a classroom celebration.
- 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 choose instruments and sounds that match a character or action in a story.
- I can help my group make a short musical story with a beginning, middle, and end.
- I can perform our musical story for the class and do my part.
- I can tell how my choices (loud/soft, fast/slow, high/low) fit the character or action.
- I can explain how my interests or favorite ideas showed up in my music.