Unit Plan 23 (Grade 6 Vocal Music): Music & Personal Identity
Grade 6 students connect music preferences and vocal styles to personal experiences, identity, and feelings, explaining how these shape singing choices and goals.
Focus: Connect music preferences and favorite vocal styles to students’ personal experiences, feelings, and interests, and describe how these shape their choices as singers.
Grade Level: 6
Subject Area: Vocal Music (Connecting • Reflecting)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–55 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students explore how their personal identity, experiences, and interests influence the music they enjoy and the way they like to sing. Through listening, journaling, and small-group sharing, they connect their favorite songs, genres, and vocal moments to memories, feelings, and goals. By the end, each student can describe how who they are helps shape the vocal music choices they make in class and beyond.
Essential Questions
- How do my experiences, memories, and interests affect the music I like to listen to and sing?
- In what ways can vocal music help me express who I am or how I feel?
- How do my music preferences connect to my culture, family, friends, or activities?
- How can understanding my musical identity help me set goals as a singer in choir?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify favorite songs, genres, and vocal styles and link them to personal experiences (family, friends, hobbies, feelings).
- Describe at least two ways their personal experiences and interests influence the vocal music they choose to listen to or sing.
- Reflect on how certain songs or vocal pieces help them express identity (culture, personality, emotions, values).
- Share a short “music and me” explanation that connects musical preferences to who they are.
- Set at least one personal goal as a singer based on their musical interests and identity.
Standards Alignment — Grade 6 Vocal Music (custom, NAfME-style)
- VM:Cn10.6a — Describe how personal experiences and interests influence vocal music choices.
- Example: Students explain why they enjoy singing certain styles or genres.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can name songs, artists, or styles I like and explain why they matter to me.
- I can connect my music preferences to my experiences, culture, or personality.
- I can describe how certain music helps me express feelings or parts of my identity.
- I can share a brief “music and me” reflection with my classmates.
- I can set a realistic singing goal that matches my interests (e.g., stronger belt, smoother head voice, clearer diction in a favorite style).