Unit Plan 35 (Grade 1 Music): Preparing to Perform

Focus: Rehearse and refine music for sharing, using feedback and simple rehearsal strategies to improve accuracy and expression.

Grade Level: 1

Subject Area: Music (Creating • Performing • Rehearsing)

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

I. Introduction

In this unit, students prepare to share music with an audience (classmates, another class, or families). They learn that rehearsal is more than “just doing the song again”—it means using strategies and feedback to make the music clearer, more accurate, and more expressive. Students practice listening to themselves and others, noticing what is going well, and choosing one small thing to improve each time they sing or play.

Essential Questions

• What is the difference between practicing and rehearsing music?
• How can feedback from myself, a friend, or my teacher help my music get better?
• What rehearsal strategies can I use when something is tricky in a song?
• How do I know when I am ready to perform for an audience?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Explain in simple language how rehearsal helps music improve for a performance.
2. Use at least one or two rehearsal strategies (e.g., slow it down, clap rhythm first, say words then sing).
3. Listen to a short performance and give kind, specific feedback using teacher-provided words or pictures.
4. Revise a short musical idea (song phrase, rhythm pattern) after receiving personal, peer, or teacher feedback.
5. Perform a class song or chant showing improvement in accuracy and expression from earlier rehearsals.

Standards Alignment — Grade 1 Music (NAfME-Aligned)

• MU:Cr3.1.1a — With limited guidance, discuss and apply personal, peer, and teacher feedback to refine personal musical ideas.
  • Example: Revising a rhythm after classmates suggest a clearer ending.
• MU:Pr5.1.1b — With limited guidance, use suggested strategies in rehearsal to address interpretive challenges of music.
  • Example: Slowing down a tricky section to improve accuracy.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can tell what it means to rehearse and why it helps my music.
• I can use a rehearsal strategy when something is hard (like slowing down or clapping the rhythm).
• I can listen and give kind feedback using simple music words.
• I can change or fix part of my music after getting feedback.
• I can perform our song or chant better than before because I used rehearsal strategies.