Unit Plan 21 (Grade 2 Music): Music & Movement Stories

Focus: Respond to music through movement and simple storytelling, showing how music concepts (tempo, dynamics, pitch, mood) support expressive intent, and present a short movement story performance to peers.

Grade Level: 2

Subject Area: Music (Responding • Creating • Expression)

Total Unit Duration: 1–3 sessions (3+ weeks), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students become music and movement storytellers. They listen to short pieces of music, notice how tempo, dynamics, and melody create a feeling or suggest a scene, and respond with movement and simple stories. Working alone, with partners, or in small groups, they create short movement stories that match the music’s mood and structure (beginning, middle, end). Finally, they present their movement stories to the class, showing how musical details support their expressive intent and explaining what they wanted the audience to feel or imagine.

Essential Questions

• How can music help us tell a story or show a character or place?
• How do music concepts like tempo, dynamics, and melody support the feeling or action in a story?
• How can we use our bodies (movement, levels, shapes, faces) to show what the music is trying to express?
• What does it mean to share a finished movement story with an audience?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Identify at least one music concept (tempo, dynamics, pitch/contour, mood) in a listening example and describe how it supports the music’s expressive intent.
2. Respond to music with movement that matches its expressive qualities (e.g., slow and smooth for calm music, quick and sharp for excited music).
3. Help create a simple movement story (characters, actions, scenes) that follows the beginning–middle–end of a musical piece.
4. Present a final version of their movement story to peers, using movement and simple narration or explanation to show their expressive intent.
5. Explain, in simple language, what they wanted the audience to feel or see in their movement story and how the music helped.

Standards Alignment — Grade 2 Music (NAfME-Aligned)

• MU:Re8.1.2a — Demonstrate knowledge of music concepts and how they support creators’ and performers’ expressive intent.
  • Example: Identifying how tempo helps show excitement.
• MU:Cr3.2.2a — 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 rhythm piece for the class.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can listen for music details like fast/slow, loud/soft, and high/low and tell how they make the music feel.
• I can show the music’s feeling and story with my movement and facial expressions.
• I can help create a movement story that has a beginning, middle, and end that fits the music.
• I can perform our movement story for the class and try my best to show our expressive intent.
• I can explain what we wanted the audience to feel or picture during our movement story.