Unit Plan 21 (Grade 5 Music): Expressive Listening

Focus: Analyze how expression in music (tempo, dynamics, articulation, timbre, phrasing) communicates meaning and emotion, and explain interpretations using evidence from what is heard.

Grade Level: 5

Subject Area: Music (General Music)

Total Unit Duration: 3 sessions (one per week), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

Students become expressive detectives, listening closely to how performers use tempo, dynamics, articulation, timbre, and phrasing to shape mood and meaning. They compare different performances of the same piece, notice how subtle changes can make the music feel peaceful, excited, or intense, and practice using musical vocabulary to describe what they hear. By the end, students can explain not just whether they like a piece, but why it sounds expressive, citing specific musical evidence.

Essential Questions

• How do tempo, dynamics, articulation, timbre, and phrasing help music communicate feelings and ideas?
• How can different performers make the same piece sound different while still being “right”?
• How can we use musical evidence to explain our personal interpretation of a piece of music?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Identify expressive qualities (tempo, dynamics, articulation, timbre, phrasing) while listening to a variety of musical excerpts.
2. Describe how those expressive qualities affect the mood and meaning of the music using clear, specific language.
3. Compare at least two performances of the same piece and explain how different expressive choices change the listener’s experience.
4. Explain their personal interpretation of a piece of music, using evidence from what they hear to support their ideas.
5. Create a short Expressive Listening Explanation (spoken or written) that clearly links expressive qualities to expressive intent.

Standards Alignment — Grade 5 Music (NAfME-Aligned)

• MU:Re8.1.5a — Explain how expressive qualities are used in performers’ and personal interpretations to reflect expressive intent.
  • Example: Comparing recordings to explain how tempo and dynamics change emotional impact.

Success Criteria — Student-Friendly Language

• I can name expressive qualities (like tempo, dynamics, and articulation) I hear in a piece of music.
• I can describe how those expressive choices make the music feel (for example, “calm,” “tense,” “joyful,” or “mysterious”).
• I can compare two performances of the same piece and explain how they sound different using musical words.
• I can explain my own interpretation, giving at least two specific musical details as evidence.
• I can share my ideas in a way that other people can understand and respond to.