Unit Plan 15 (Grade 4 Music): Expressive Singing & Playing

Focus: Apply tempo, dynamics, and timbre to shape expressive melodic performance in singing and playing.

Grade Level: 4

Subject Area: Music (General Music)

Total Unit Duration: 1–3 sessions, 50–60 minutes each

I. Introduction

Students explore how musical choices—especially tempo, dynamics, and timbre—change the way a melody feels and what it seems to “say.” Through guided listening, call-and-response, and short performance tasks, they experiment with performing the same melody in contrasting ways (e.g., slow and gentle vs. fast and bright) and learn to explain how those choices affect meaning. By the end of the core session, students present a brief expressive performance and name the choices they made. Optional sessions allow deeper rehearsal and small-group performances.

Essential Questions

• How do tempo, dynamics, and timbre change the way a melody feels or what it communicates?
• What does it mean to perform a melody with expressive intent, not just the correct notes and rhythms?
• How can I use rehearsal time to improve both accuracy and expression in my singing or playing?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Describe how changing tempo, dynamics, or timbre changes the expressive character of a familiar melody.
2. Perform a short melodic phrase in at least two contrasting expressive styles (e.g., calm vs. excited) and explain their choices.
3. Use simple rehearsal strategies (slow practice, isolating tricky spots, repeating with focus) to improve accuracy and expression.
4. Present a brief expressive performance that shows intentional use of tempo, dynamics, and timbre, connected to a chosen mood or idea.

Standards Alignment — Grade 4 Music (NAfME-Aligned)

• MU:Pr4.3.4a — Demonstrate and explain how expressive intent is conveyed through interpretive decisions and expressive qualities such as dynamics, tempo, and timbre.
  • Example: Performing the same song in two styles and explaining how expression changed meaning.
• MU:Pr5.1.4b — Rehearse to refine technical accuracy and expressive qualities and address performance challenges.
  • Example: Slowing down difficult sections during rehearsal.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can describe how changing loud/soft, fast/slow, or tone color changes the mood of a melody.
• I can perform the same melody in two different ways and explain which musical choices I changed.
• I can use at least one rehearsal strategy (like slowing down or repeating a tricky part) to improve my performance.
• I can perform a short melody in a way that clearly matches a chosen mood, story, or scene and tell how I showed it.