Unit Plan 33 (Grade 7 Vocal Music): Evaluating Our Singing
Grade 7 choir unit evaluating personal and ensemble performances using rubrics, citing musical evidence to justify ratings and set improvement goals.
Focus: Evaluate personal and ensemble performances using clear criteria (intonation, blend, balance, diction, expression) and justify ratings with specific musical evidence.
Grade Level: 7
Subject Area: Vocal Music (Choir • Reflection • Analysis)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, students learn to be thoughtful listeners and evaluators of vocal performance, including their own singing and the class ensemble. They explore what terms like intonation, blend, balance, diction, and expression really mean in practice and use rubrics and checklists to rate performances. By listening to recordings and in-class performances, students practice giving specific, respectful feedback that cites exact musical moments and then use their evaluations to set next-step goals for improvement.
Essential Questions
- What does it mean to evaluate a vocal performance using clear, musical criteria instead of “I liked it / I didn’t like it”?
- How do intonation, blend, balance, diction, and expression affect the quality of a performance?
- How can we use evidence from what we hear and see to support our performance ratings?
- In what ways can thoughtful evaluation help us grow as individual singers and as an ensemble?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:
- Describe and define key evaluation criteria: intonation, blend, balance, diction, and expression.
- Use a rubric or checklist to evaluate recorded or live vocal performances, giving specific scores or ratings.
- Support their evaluations with concrete evidence, such as exact measures, moments, or musical details (e.g., “on the word ___ at the phrase ending”).
- Provide constructive, respectful feedback to peers and to the ensemble as a whole.
- Compare two performances of the same piece and explain which one is stronger using rubric language and evidence.
- Use their own evaluation results to set at least one personal performance goal for future rehearsals or concerts.
Standards Alignment — Grade 7 Vocal Music (custom, NAfME-style)
- VM:Re9.7a — Evaluate vocal performances using established criteria (intonation, blend, balance, diction, expression) and justify ratings with evidence.
- Example: Students use a rubric to rate a performance and cite one specific moment as evidence.
Success Criteria — Student Language
- I can explain what intonation, blend, balance, diction, and expression mean in choir.
- I can use a rubric or checklist to rate a performance, not just say “good” or “bad.”
- I can point to specific spots in the music to show why I gave a certain rating.
- I can give respectful feedback that helps my classmates and ensemble grow.
- I can set a personal goal based on the strengths and needs I hear in my own singing.