Unit Plan 12 (Grade 6 Vocal Music): Melody Creation
Create short, singable melodies in a given key and meter as Grade 6 students use stepwise motion and simple rhythms to compose and perform original ideas.
Focus: Generate short vocal melodies within a given key and meter, using mostly stepwise motion and simple rhythms to create singable musical ideas.
Grade Level: 6
Subject Area: Vocal Music (Creating • Melody Writing • Music Literacy)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–55 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students move from improvising patterns to creating short written melodies of their own. Working within a given key and meter (such as C major in 4/4), they explore how to build singable phrases using stepwise motion, a few controlled skips, and clear rhythmic patterns. By the end of the week, students will have composed and sung a 4–8 measure melody that fits a key, uses simple rhythms, and feels complete.
Essential Questions
- What makes a melody sound complete, singable, and memorable?
- How do key and meter give structure to the melodies we create?
- Why is stepwise motion (with a few careful skips) helpful when writing for voices?
- How can I turn a small musical idea into a short, finished melody?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Describe what it means to write a melody in a given key and meter (for example, C major in 4/4).
- Generate short melodic ideas using mostly stepwise motion within a comfortable vocal range.
- Organize melodic ideas into a 4–8 measure phrase that begins and ends on stable tones (such as do or sol).
- Sing their own melodies accurately and make small revisions for better flow, singability, and phrasing.
- Notate or clearly represent their melodies using basic staff notation or labeled solfege.
Standards Alignment — Grade 6 Vocal Music (custom, NAfME-style)
- VM:Cr1.6b — Generate short vocal melodies within a given key and meter.
- Example: Students create a four-measure melody in C major using stepwise motion.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can say what key and meter my melody is in.
- I can write and sing a short melody that uses mostly steps and a few careful skips.
- I can make my melody start and end on tones that feel “finished” (like do or sol).
- I can write down or clearly show my melody so someone else could sing it.
- I can explain one choice I made to make my melody more singable or expressive.