Unit Plan 35 (Grade 3 Music): Preparing to Perform
Grade 3 music rehearsal unit: practice strategies to fix tricky spots, sharpen accuracy and expression, and deliver confident, polished performances.
Focus: Rehearse music to refine technical accuracy and expressive qualities, addressing performance challenges and preparing for confident, polished performances.
Grade Level: 3
Subject Area: Music (Rehearsing • Performing • Expression)
Total Unit Duration: 1–3 sessions (3+ weeks), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students focus on rehearsal as a special kind of music work, different from casual practice. They learn strategies to improve technical accuracy (steady beat, correct pitches and rhythms, clear entrances) and expression (dynamics, tempo, tone) in songs they already know. Through warm-ups, section work, and run-throughs, students identify performance challenges and use targeted rehearsal to address them. By the end, they present mini-performances that demonstrate growth in accuracy and expression, showing what it means to be “performance ready.”
Essential Questions
- What does it mean to rehearse music instead of just “running through” it?
- How can we improve technical accuracy and expression when we rehearse?
- How do we identify and solve performance challenges (tricky rhythms, entrances, high notes)?
- How does good rehearsal help us perform with confidence and expression for an audience?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Describe the difference between rehearsing and simply playing or singing through a piece.
- Use specific rehearsal strategies (slow practice, clapping rhythms, isolating tricky spots) to improve accuracy.
- Apply expressive elements (dynamics, tempo, tone, phrasing) more intentionally during rehearsal.
- Perform a familiar piece with improved technical accuracy and expression after rehearsal.
- Reflect on their rehearsal process by identifying one performance challenge and how they worked to address it.
Standards Alignment — Grade 3 Music (NAfME-Aligned)
- MU:Pr5.1.3b — Rehearse to refine technical accuracy, expressive qualities, and identified performance challenges.
- Example: Repeating difficult measures to improve accuracy.
- MU:Pr6.1.3a — Perform music with expression and technical accuracy.
- Example: Singing in tune with appropriate dynamics.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can explain what it means to rehearse and why it is important.
- I can use at least one rehearsal strategy to fix a tricky part of a song.
- I can perform with mostly accurate notes and rhythms and a steady beat.
- I can show expression by changing my dynamics, tempo, and tone to match the music’s mood.
- I can describe one performance challenge I had and how I tried to improve it.