Unit Plan 3 (Grade 1 Music): Steady Beat Basics
Grade 1 music unit where students keep a steady beat with body percussion and movement, exploring marches, dances, and lullabies and their purposes.
Focus: Keep a steady beat using body percussion and movement, and notice how beat is used in different kinds of music for different purposes.
Grade Level: 1
Subject Area: Music (Performing • Responding • Movement)
Total Unit Duration: 2–4 sessions (2+ weeks), 20–30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, first graders learn that steady beat is like the heartbeat of music—it keeps the song going at a regular pace. Students use body percussion (patting, clapping, marching) and simple movement to feel and show the beat in songs from different cultures. They practice keeping the beat alone, with the class, and with the teacher’s drum or recordings. Students also listen to different styles of music (march, dance, lullaby) and talk about how the beat helps those pieces do their job.
Essential Questions
- What is a steady beat, and how can I show it with my body?
- How is steady beat different from the words or rhythms of a song?
- How do different kinds of music (marches, dances, lullabies) use beat for different purposes?
- Why is keeping a steady beat an important skill for making music together?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Keep a steady beat using body percussion (patting, clapping, marching) with teacher-led examples.
- With limited guidance, keep the beat to simple songs and chants from different cultures.
- Demonstrate and identify how beat is used in various styles of music (e.g., marches, dances, lullabies) for different purposes.
- Describe in simple language how the beat changes (fast/slow) and helps the music’s job (help you march, dance, or rest).
- Work with the class to start and stop steady beat together on cue.
Standards Alignment — Grade 1 Music (NAfME-Aligned)
- MU:Pr4.2.1a — With limited guidance, demonstrate knowledge of music concepts (such as beat and melodic contour) in music from a variety of cultures selected for performance.
- Example: Keeping a steady beat while singing a folk song from another culture.
- MU:Re7.2.1a — With limited guidance, demonstrate and identify how specific music concepts (such as beat or pitch) are used in various styles of music for a purpose.
- Example: Explaining why marches have a strong beat.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can show a steady beat with my hands, feet, or whole body.
- I can keep the beat while we sing or chant together.
- I can tell when music has a strong beat that makes me want to march or dance, or a gentle beat that makes me want to rest.
- I can say how beat helps music do its job (for walking, dancing, or falling asleep).