Unit Plan 16 (Grade 6 Vocal Music): Singing With Expression
Apply tempo, dynamics, and articulation to shape expressive vocal performances, helping Grade 6 students interpret music with intention and meaning.
Focus: Apply tempo, dynamics, and articulation to make vocal music more expressive and explain how these choices shape interpretation.
Grade Level: 6
Subject Area: Vocal Music (Performing • Responding • Expressive Skills)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–55 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students explore how tempo, dynamics, and articulation can completely change the feeling and meaning of a song. Through listening, guided experimentation, and short performance tasks, they learn to shape phrases with expressive contrast instead of singing “all the same.” Students also compare different performances of the same piece and discuss how expressive choices create different interpretations, building vocabulary to talk about expressive singing.
Essential Questions
- How do tempo, dynamics, and articulation change the mood and message of a song?
- Why might two choirs sing the same music in different expressive ways?
- How can I use expressive tools to make my singing match the text and emotion of the music?
- How does explaining expressive choices help me become a more thoughtful performer and listener?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Identify and describe how tempo, dynamics, and articulation are used in recorded vocal performances.
- Experiment with expressive changes (faster/slower, louder/softer, legato/staccato) on familiar phrases and explain how the sound changes.
- Mark a short vocal excerpt with expressive directions (dynamic markings, articulation, and simple tempo changes) that fit the text and mood.
- Perform a short song or excerpt using a planned expressive interpretation with clear contrast in dynamics and articulation.
- Compare two performances (live or recorded) of the same piece and explain how expressive choices shape interpretation, using musical vocabulary.
Standards Alignment — Grade 6 Vocal Music (custom, NAfME-style)
- VM:Pr4.6c — Explain how musical elements (rhythm, pitch, dynamics) support expressive singing.
- Example: Students describe how louder dynamics emphasize important lyrics.
- VM:Re8.6a — Explain how expressive choices shape interpretation in vocal performances.
- Example: Students compare two choir performances of the same song.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can describe how tempo, dynamics, and articulation affect the feeling of a song.
- I can mark my music with dynamic symbols and articulation marks that match the text and mood.
- I can perform my part with clear expressive contrast (not all the same volume or style).
- I can explain at least one expressive choice I made and why it fits the song.
- I can compare two performances and say how their expressive decisions make them sound different.