Unit Plan 23 (PreK Music): Music from Around the World
PreK world music unit exploring global sounds with listening, movement, and art, comparing same/different music and connecting songs to cultures.
Focus: Experience music from different cultures and traditions through listening, movement, and simple art or story responses. Children notice how music can sound same or different (beat, tempo, voices, instruments) and begin to connect music to places, people, and celebrations around the world.
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: Music (Exploring • Performing • Responding • Connecting)
Total Unit Duration: 3–4 sessions (2+ weeks), 20–30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Children “travel” to different parts of the world using a class map, photos, and short music excerpts. They listen for instruments, voices, and movement feelings (bounce, sway, march) and respond with simple motions. Through repeated listening, they begin to recognize that music comes from many cultures and is used for dancing, singing, and celebrating in different ways.
Essential Questions
- How can we tell that music might come from a different place or culture?
- How does music from around the world make our bodies want to move, dance, or rest?
- In what ways are songs from other places similar to and different from songs we know at home and school?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Children will be able to:
- Listen to and identify music examples from at least two different cultures using simple language (e.g., “This sounds like dancing music,” “I hear drums”).
- Show same/different in world music excerpts by using contrasting movements (e.g., fast vs. slow, big vs. small).
- Use simple props, drawings, or gestures to share an idea about music from another place (e.g., waving scarves like a dance, drawing what they imagine).
- Begin to connect world music to stories, celebrations, or daily life (e.g., “We could dance to this at a party”).
Standards Alignment — PreK Music (Connections-Focused)
- MU:Cn11.0.PK — Explore music from different places and cultures. Children experience music from varied cultures and traditions. Example: Moving to music from different countries.
Success Criteria — Child-Friendly Language
- I can listen to music and say something I notice (fast, slow, loud, quiet, drum, singing).
- I can move my body to music from different places to show how it feels.
- I can draw, act out, or show something I imagine when I hear music from around the world.
- I can say, “This music makes me feel happy/excited/calm,” or “This sounds different from our classroom song.”