Unit Plan 13 (Grade 3 Music): Melodic Improvisation

Focus: Improvise melodic ideas to express a specific feeling, story, or idea, then select and refine musical ideas that clearly match a chosen purpose or context.

Grade Level: 3

Subject Area: Music (Improvisation • Melody • Expression)

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

I. Introduction

In this unit, students explore melodic improvisation—making up melodies in the moment to fit a mood, character, or situation. Through guided prompts, they improvise short melodic ideas using voices and instruments within simple tonal and rhythmic frameworks. Students learn that improvisation is not “random notes,” but connected to a purpose (like showing excitement, calm, or a game). They then select, repeat, and refine their favorite melodic ideas, and explain how those ideas match their intended feeling or context.

Essential Questions

• What does it mean to improvise a melody instead of playing one that is already written?
• How can I use melody, rhythm, and expression to show a specific feeling, story, or idea in my improvisation?
• How can I listen, choose, and refine my musical ideas so they clearly match my purpose?
• How can I explain the connection between my improvised music and the context (such as a picture, story, or situation) it represents?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Improvise short melodic ideas (4–8 beats) within a given tonality or meter (e.g., duple, limited pitch set) to match a specific feeling or situation.
2. Improvise melodies that use simple rhythmic patterns and melodic direction (up/down/same) with a clear sense of beginning and ending.
3. Select one or more improvised melodic ideas to repeat, organize, and refine into a short musical statement.
4. Perform their selected melodic ideas and explain how they connect to a chosen purpose or context (such as a picture, story, or classroom theme).
5. Use expressive words (e.g., calm, excited, sneaky) and musical vocabulary (melody, rhythm, tempo, dynamics) to describe their improvisations.

Standards Alignment — Grade 3 Music (NAfME-Aligned)

• MU:Cr1.1.3a — Improvise rhythmic and melodic ideas and describe how they connect to a specific purpose or context (such as personal or social).
  • Example: Creating a rhythm to represent teamwork or a game.
• MU:Cr2.1.3a — Demonstrate selected musical ideas for a simple improvisation or composition to express intent and describe how the ideas connect to a purpose or context.
  • Example: Explaining why a slow tempo was chosen for a calm piece.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can improvise a short melody that fits a feeling or idea (like “calm ocean” or “chase game”).
• I can keep my improvised melody within a simple beat and pitch set.
• I can choose a melodic idea I like, repeat it, and make small changes to improve it.
• I can perform my melodic idea and explain how it matches a picture, story, or situation.
• I can use words like melody, improvise, beat, tempo, dynamics, and mood to talk about my music.