Unit Plan 18 (Grade 2 Music): Performing with Expression
Grade 2 music performance unit where students rehearse and present a short song with steady beat, clear words, and purposeful dynamics/tempo, practicing performer and audience decorum for a specific audience and purpose.
Focus: Perform music with accuracy and expressive intent for a specific purpose and audience, showing appropriate performance decorum.
Grade Level: 2
Subject Area: Music (Performing • Expression • Decorum)
Total Unit Duration: 1–3 sessions (3+ weeks), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students bring together their singing and playing skills to perform music with expression for a specific purpose (such as welcoming classmates, celebrating, or sharing learning). They explore how tempo, dynamics, face and body, and posture help communicate a song’s feeling. Students also practice performance decorum—how to stand, enter, exit, focus, and respond as an audience member. Through guided rehearsals and a small class sharing event, they learn to perform with both technical accuracy and expressive intent for real listeners.
Essential Questions
- What does it mean to perform music with expression and accuracy?
- How do dynamics, tempo, and posture change the way an audience experiences our performance?
- How should performers and audience members behave to show respect for the music and each other?
- Why is it important to think about the purpose and audience when we perform?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Perform a short song or pattern with mostly steady beat, clear words, and accurate rhythms/pitches.
- Use dynamics and tempo on purpose to match the song’s feeling or classroom purpose (e.g., welcome, celebration, calm).
- Show appropriate performance decorum (posture, focus, starting/ending together, bow or acknowledgement).
- Demonstrate appropriate audience behavior (quiet listening, kind applause, attention to performers).
- Explain how their performance choices fit the purpose and audience (e.g., “We sang clearly so our guests could understand the words”).
Standards Alignment — Grade 2 Music (NAfME-Aligned)
- MU:Pr6.1.2a — Perform music for a specific purpose with expression and technical accuracy.
- Example: Performing a welcome song clearly and confidently.
- MU:Pr6.1.2b — Perform appropriately for the audience and purpose.
- Example: Adjusting volume and posture when performing for guests.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can perform with a steady beat and mostly correct words and rhythms.
- I can use loud/soft and fast/slow on purpose to show the feeling of the song.
- I can stand with good posture, start and stop with my group, and show focus.
- I can listen and watch as a respectful audience member.
- I can explain how my performance fits the job of the music (welcome, celebrate, calm, etc.).