Unit Plan 28 (Grade 6 Band): Expressive Composition

Focus: Create instrumental music inspired by emotions or imagery, using simple improvisation, short melodic/rhythmic ideas, and clear expressive choices (tempo, dynamics, articulation).

Grade Level: 6

Subject Area: Band (Creating • Performing • Responding • Connecting)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students explore how music can tell a story or express a feeling without words. They listen to short excerpts, identify the moods or images they hear, and improvise simple patterns using limited pitch sets. Then they create a short piece inspired by an emotion (calm, excited, mysterious) or image (rainstorm, sunrise, parade), using steady rhythms and clear patterns. Finally, students will perform their creations for classmates and explain how their musical choices support the intended mood or scene.

Essential Questions

• How can rhythm, melody, and dynamics make music sound happy, sad, mysterious, or excited?
• How do we turn small improvisations into a short, planned composition?
• What musical choices help the listener picture a scene or feel a mood?
• How can we explain our intentions so others understand what our music is trying to show or say?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Improvise simple rhythmic and melodic ideas using limited pitch sets that match a chosen mood or image.
2. Develop a short composition (4–8 measures or equivalent) using steady rhythms and mostly stepwise motion.
3. Use tempo, dynamics, and simple articulation to communicate a clear expressive goal (e.g., calm, stormy, joyful).
4. Present their musical creation to the class, performing with basic accuracy and confidence.
5. Explain how their musical choices (pitch set, rhythm, tempo, dynamics) support the intended mood or scene.

Standards Alignment — 6th Grade Band (custom, NAfME-style)

• BD:Cr1.6a — Improvise simple rhythmic and melodic ideas using limited pitch sets and steady rhythms to match a given expressive goal.
  • Example: Students improvise a short 4-beat pattern using a pentatonic pitch set to sound “bright” or “mysterious.”
• BD:Cr3.6b — Present a final musical creation and describe how musical choices communicate the intended mood or purpose.
  • Example: Students perform their composition and explain how tempo and dynamics supported their intent.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can improvise short musical ideas that sound like the feeling or image I chose.
• I can organize my ideas into a short composition with steady rhythm and a clear beginning and ending.
• I can use tempo and dynamics (and some articulation) to make my music sound more expressive.
• I can perform my piece so others can hear the basic melody and rhythm clearly.
• I can explain how my musical choices match the emotion or scene I wanted to show.