Unit Plan 26 (Grade K Music): Musical Storytelling

Focus: Create musical sounds to match characters and actions in simple stories.

Grade Level: K

Subject Area: Music (Performing • Creating • Responding/Connecting)

Total Unit Duration: 3–4 sessions (2+ weeks), 20–30 minutes per session

I. Introduction

In this unit, students explore how music can tell a story. Through simple picture books, short teacher-made stories, and imagination prompts, they create sound effects, character themes, and movement sounds using voices, body percussion, and classroom instruments. With guidance, they revise their ideas to make the story clearer and connect their choices to their own interests and experiences (favorite characters, games, and activities).

Essential Questions

• How can sounds, voices, and instruments help tell a story without using words?
• How do my interests and feelings help me choose the sounds I want for a character or action?
• How can I change and improve my musical story to make it clearer for listeners?

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to:

1. Listen to a simple story and choose sounds (voices, body percussion, instruments) to match characters, actions, or settings.
2. Work with classmates to create and organize a short sequence of story sounds (beginning–middle–end).
3. With guidance, change or refine their story sounds after feedback (e.g., louder/softer, faster/slower, different instrument) to make the story easier to follow.
4. Share their musical story with the class and explain why they chose certain sounds based on their interests or ideas.

Standards Alignment — Kindergarten Music (NAfME-Aligned)

• MU:Cr3.1.Kb — With guidance, discuss and apply feedback to refine personal musical ideas and performances.
  • Example: Changing the order or loudness of sound effects after classmates suggest a clearer story.
• MU:Cn10.0.Ka — Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
  • Example: Choosing favorite instrument sounds to represent a character they like.

Success Criteria — Student Language

• I can choose sounds that match a character, place, or action in a story.
• I can put my sounds in order so they tell what happens first, next, and last.
• I can listen to feedback and change my music to make the story clearer.
• I can tell why I picked certain sounds based on what I like or imagine.