Unit Plan 30 (Grade 6 Vocal Music): Improving Vocal Technique

Focus: Refine posture, breathing, tone, and diction to support healthy singing for changing voices, using teacher feedback to make adjustments.

Grade Level: 6

Subject Area: Vocal Music (Performing • Technique • Rehearsal Skills)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–55 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students focus on how they use their bodies and voices to sing in a healthy way as their voices grow and change. Through posture checks, breathing exercises, tone exploration, and diction drills, they learn how alignment, breath, and clear articulation work together to create a strong, beautiful sound. Students practice noticing what their voices feel like and responding to feedback to refine technique, building habits that support future choir success.

Essential Questions

• How do posture and breathing affect our tone quality and ease of singing?
• Why is diction (clear consonants and shaped vowels) important for both sound and understanding?
• How can we use teacher and peer feedback to improve our vocal technique over time?
• What does healthy singing feel and sound like for a changing voice?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate correct singing posture (aligned spine, relaxed shoulders, balanced stance) while standing and seated.
2. Use breath support exercises to produce a steady, supported tone on sustained pitches and simple patterns.
3. Apply clear diction (consonants and vowel shaping) in warm-ups and short song excerpts.
4. Respond to teacher feedback by making specific adjustments (posture change, breath reset, vowel modification) during rehearsal.
5. Perform a short vocal passage demonstrating improved posture, breath, tone, and diction, and describe at least one change they made based on feedback.

Standards Alignment — Grade 6 Vocal Music (custom, NAfME-style)

• VM:Pr4.6a — Demonstrate correct singing posture, breathing, and tone production appropriate for changing voices.
  • Example: Students practice relaxed posture and breath support before singing.
• VM:Pr5.6b — Respond to teacher feedback to improve vocal performance.
  • Example: Students adjust vowel shapes after feedback to improve blend.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can show good posture for singing without constant reminders.
• I can feel my breath support helping me hold out notes with a steady sound.
• I can use clear consonants and shaped vowels so words are easy to understand.
• I can listen to feedback and change something in my singing (posture, breathing, diction) right away.
• I can explain one way my vocal technique improved during this unit.