Unit Plan 16 (PreK Music): Tempo—Fast & Slow
PreK music unit on fast and slow tempo, helping children move, play instruments, and describe how tempo changes how music feels through active listening and movement.
Focus: Move and play to fast and slow music using whole-body actions and simple instruments, while noticing how tempo changes how music feels.
Grade Level: PreK
Subject Area: Music (Exploring • Performing • Responding • Connecting)
Total Unit Duration: 2–3 sessions (2+ weeks), 20–30 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Children discover that music can move fast or slow and that their bodies and instruments can match those speeds. Through games, listening, and simple movement stories, they feel the difference between fast and slow tempos and begin to use words like “quick,” “slow,” and “in the middle.” They learn that changing tempo changes how music feels and how we move.
Essential Questions
- How do we know when music is fast or slow?
- How can we use our bodies and instruments to match the tempo of the music?
- How does fast or slow music make us feel and move differently?
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Children will:
- Move their bodies (walking, marching, tiptoeing) to match fast and slow music.
- Use simple percussion instruments (e.g., rhythm sticks, hand drums, shakers) to play along with fast and slow music.
- Use words like fast, slow, quick, and in the middle to describe the tempo of a piece of music.
- Start and stop movement or instrument playing when the teacher changes or stops the music.
Standards Alignment — PreK Music (NAfME-Aligned)
- MU:Pr4.1.PK — Demonstrate awareness of music through movement and sound.
- Children respond physically or vocally to music they hear.
- Example: Moving fast to fast music and slow to slow music.
- MU:Pr4.2.PK — Explore music concepts through singing and movement.
- Children explore pitch, loud/soft, and steady beat/tempo.
- Example: Moving to and labeling music as “fast” or “slow.”
Success Criteria — Child-Friendly Language
- I can move my body to match fast and slow music.
- I can play an instrument fast or slow when I hear the music change.
- I can tell a grown-up if the music sounds fast, slow, or in the middle.
- I can start and stop my movement or playing when the music changes or stops.