Unit Plan 25 (Grade 3 Music): Call & Response Songs

Focus: Perform echo and call-and-response songs with growing technical accuracy, using criteria and feedback to refine ensemble performance and expression.

Grade Level: 3

Subject Area: Music (Performance • Rehearsal • Ensemble Skills)

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

I. Introduction

In this unit, students explore call-and-response and echo songs, learning how one part of the group acts as the leader (call) and the rest respond as the echo or response. They focus on singing in tune, together, and with a steady beat, while practicing how to listen and adjust based on teacher and peer feedback. As they rehearse, students help create simple performance criteria (what “good group singing” looks and sounds like) and use those criteria to improve accuracy and expression in their call-and-response performances.

Essential Questions

• What does it mean to sing call-and-response or echo songs accurately as a group?
• How can criteria and feedback help us improve our ensemble performance?
• Why is careful listening to the leader and to each other important in call-and-response songs?
• How can we rehearse in a way that makes our performance more accurate, expressive, and confident?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Perform echo and call-and-response patterns with mostly accurate pitch, rhythm, and steady beat.
2. Help create and use simple criteria (e.g., together, in tune, clear start) to evaluate class and small-group performances.
3. Apply teacher-provided and class-created feedback to improve accuracy of call-and-response singing over multiple repetitions.
4. Demonstrate rehearsal behaviors that support ensemble success (listening, watching the leader, adjusting volume and timing).
5. Reflect on one performance challenge (e.g., entrances, pitch) and describe how rehearsal and feedback helped them improve.

Standards Alignment — Grade 3 Music (NAfME-Aligned)

• MU:Pr5.1.3a — Apply teacher-provided and collaboratively developed criteria and feedback to evaluate accuracy of ensemble performances.
  • Example: Using a rubric to check steady beat in group singing.
• MU:Pr5.1.3b — Rehearse to refine technical accuracy, expressive qualities, and identified performance challenges.
  • Example: Repeating difficult measures to improve accuracy.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can sing echo and call-and-response patterns with a steady beat and mostly correct pitches and rhythms.
• I can use our class criteria (together, in tune, clear start/stop) to describe how well we performed.
• I can listen and adjust my singing when I get feedback from my teacher or classmates.
• I can show good rehearsal habits—watching the leader, listening to others, and trying again to improve.
• I can name one thing I improved in our call-and-response songs and how practice helped.