Unit Plan 28 (Grade 7 Vocal Music): Expressive Vocal Creation

Focus: Create vocal music inspired by images or emotions, using improvisation and composing to match a specific expressive goal, then present and explain how musical and text choices communicate meaning.

Grade Level: 7

Subject Area: Vocal Music (Choir • Creativity • Expression)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students use images, words, and emotional prompts as sparks for vocal creation. They experiment with improvised melodic ideas and rhythmic patterns, then shape those ideas into short vocal pieces that express a clear mood or feeling. Finally, they present their creations to the class, explaining how their musical elements (pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tone) and any text choices work together to communicate their intended emotion to an audience.

Essential Questions

• How can vocal sounds, melodies, and rhythms express emotions or reactions to images?
• In what ways do musical elements (pitch, rhythm, dynamics, tone, phrasing) help us show a specific expressive goal?
• How can we turn a brief improvisation into a more polished, intentional vocal creation?
• What does it mean to explain how our musical and text choices communicate expressive intent to an audience?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Improvise short vocal lines and rhythmic patterns that match a given emotional or visual prompt (e.g., calm, excited, stormy, hopeful).
2. Select and refine improvised ideas into a short vocal creation (solo or small group) with a clear expressive goal.
3. Use expanded pitch sets and varied rhythms to create contrast and interest in their vocal piece.
4. Add simple text or vocal syllables (if desired) that support the emotion or image they want to convey.
5. Present their final vocal creation and describe how musical elements and text choices communicate expressive intent.
6. Reflect on which musical decisions were most effective in helping the audience understand their intended emotion or image.

Standards Alignment — Grade 7 Vocal Music (custom, NAfME-style)

• VM:Cr1.7a — Improvise vocal lines and rhythmic patterns using expanded pitch sets and varied rhythms to match a given expressive goal.
  • Example: Students improvise a short melody using do–re–mi–fa–sol to sound “triumphant,” then explain why it works.
• VM:Cr3.7b — Present a final vocal creation and describe how musical elements and text choices communicate expressive intent to an audience.
  • Example: Students perform their song and explain how dynamics and articulation match the lyric meaning.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can improvise short vocal ideas that sound like a specific emotion or image.
• I can organize my ideas into a short vocal piece that sticks with one clear expressive goal.
• I can use pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and tone on purpose—not randomly—to support my emotion or image.
• I can explain how my musical and (if used) text choices show what I wanted the audience to feel or picture.
• I can listen respectfully to classmates’ creations and give kind, specific feedback about expressive intent.