Unit Plan 28 (PreK Music): Creating Sound Stories
PreK sound story unit where children match sounds to pictures and actions using voices, body percussion, and classroom instruments.
Focus: Children create simple sound stories by matching musical sounds to pictures, actions, and short story moments, using voices, body percussion, and classroom instruments.
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: Music (Exploring • Singing • Moving • Listening)
Total Unit Duration: 3–4 sessions (2+ weeks), 20–30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
In this unit, children discover how music and sounds can help tell a story. Through playful activities, they choose and create sounds for characters, actions (like walking or jumping), and simple events (like rain or a door closing). They listen to short story prompts or look at picture cards and decide which voices, body sounds, or instruments fit best. Over time, they help put sounds in order to “read” a story with music instead of words.
Essential Questions
- How can we use sounds and music to help tell a story?
- What kinds of sounds match different characters, actions, and feelings in a story?
- How can we work together so that our sound story has a beginning, middle, and end?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Children will:
- Explore and select vocal, body, and instrument sounds to represent characters, actions, or events in a story or picture.
- Help sequence sounds (first, next, last) to create a simple sound story with classmates.
- Respond to a teacher’s story or picture by choosing sounds that match feelings (happy, scary, quiet, excited).
- Share their sound ideas with the class and listen to others’ ideas during group performances.
Standards Alignment — PreK Music (NAfME-Aligned)
- MU:Cr1.1.PK — Explore musical ideas through play and improvisation.
- Children experiment with sounds using voice, body, and classroom instruments.
- Example: Making up sounds for animals or weather.
- MU:Cr3.1.PK — Share musical ideas with others.
- Children present simple musical ideas through singing or movement.
- Example: Performing a chant for the class.
Success Criteria — Child-Friendly Language
- I can help choose sounds for a character, action, or picture.
- I can put sounds in an order to help tell a sound story.
- I can listen and take turns when we perform our story with the class.
- I can say how the music makes the story feel (like happy, quiet, or excited).