Unit Plan 33 (Grade 5 Band): Purposeful Music Choices
Choose the right Grade 5 band music for concerts, pep rallies, and ceremonies by matching tempo, dynamics, and tone color to the event’s purpose—helping students explain repertoire choices that build school spirit, honor traditions, and connect to the community.
Focus: Explain why specific band music is chosen for different events and audiences, and how those choices support school and community goals.
Grade Level: 5
Subject Area: Band (Performing • Responding • Connecting)
Total Unit Duration: 1–2 weeks, 30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Students explore how band music is used on purpose in school and community life—at assemblies, games, concerts, and ceremonies. They listen to short examples, notice differences in tempo, dynamics, and mood, and discuss why a piece might fit a pep rally, graduation, or Veterans Day program. Students then connect these ideas to their own band, thinking about how their music choices can support school spirit, respect, and celebration.
Essential Questions
- How is band music used in our school and community?
- Why might we play one kind of piece for a pep rally and a different piece for a ceremony?
- How do tempo, dynamics, and tone color help music fit a specific event or audience?
- How can our band make purposeful choices about what we play and how we perform it?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify at least two places or events where band music is used in school or the community.
- Describe how tempo, dynamics, and tone color help a piece fit a particular purpose (e.g., celebration, remembrance, school spirit).
- Compare two different band pieces or performances and explain which one better fits a given event or audience and why.
- Create a short “Purpose Card” that links a specific piece (or style of piece) to a school or community event with clear reasoning.
- Reflect on how their own band’s repertoire can support school and community goals (e.g., welcoming, honoring, energizing).
Standards Alignment — Grade 5 Band (custom, NAfME-style)
- BD:Cn11.5a — Identify how band music is used in school and community events and describe why it matters.
- Example: Students explain how band music supports parades, ceremonies, or school spirit.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can name places and events where band music is used in our school or community.
- I can explain how tempo, dynamics, and tone color help music fit a particular purpose.
- I can tell which piece or performance is a better match for an event and give a clear reason.
- I can create a Purpose Card that clearly explains where and why a band piece should be played.
- I can share how our band’s music can help our school or community.