Unit Overview
Content Area: Music
Unit Title: Discovering Pitch, Melody, and Tone Color
Target Course/Grade Level: First
Timeline: School year
Unit Summary
In this unit students will continue to become more aware of the melodies they are singing or
playing and how they move. We will continue to explore high and low notes, loud and soft
sounds, and melodies that move up, down, and stay the same (usually they do all three!) We
will sing and play these melodies, see how they are represented with notation and how we can
represent them with our movements. A variety of songs will be sung and played both in unison
and canon, in AB and ABA forms. As performers it is important to understand how to sing well
and we will learn about proper posture and vocal technique and also begin to understand how to
follow a conductor. As an ensemble we will work to blend our voices to the singers around us to
make us sound more like one voice rather than a collection of voices. We will also discuss how
music has the power to make us feel feelings and how they can be the same for everyone or
different for each person.
Primary interdisciplinary connections:
Language Arts and Physical Education.
21st century themes and skills:
Creativity, Innovation, Communication, and Collaboration
Unit Rationale:
In first grade we continue to broaden our understanding of high and low pitches and melodic
contour upon which our concept of melody, scale patterns, and intervals will be built. We also
continue to explore dynamics, vocal technique, and critique of musical literature which we will
continue to develop in later years.
Learning Targets
Standards:
1.1 The Creative Process All students will demonstrate an understanding of the elements and
principles that govern the creation of works of art in dance, music, theatre, and visual art.
1.3
Performance All students will synthesize those skills, media, methods, and technologies
appropriate to creating, performing, and/or presenting works of art in dance, music,
theatre, and visual art.
1.4 Aesthetic Responses & Critique Methodologies All students will demonstrate and apply
an understanding of arts philosophies, judgment, and analysis to works of art in dance, music,
theatre, and visual art.
9.1 21st-Century Life & Career Skills: All students will demonstrate the creative, critical
thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills needed to function successfully as both global
citizens and workers in diverse ethnic and organizational cultures.
Content Statements:
Related content statements for Standard 1.1
 Ear training and listening skill are prerequisites for musical literacy.


The elements of music are foundational to basic music literacy.
Music is often defined as organized sound that is dependent on predictable properties of
tone and pitch. Musical notation captures tonality, dynamic range, and rhythm.
 Musical instruments have unique qualities of tonality and resonance. Conventional
instruments are divided into musical families according to shared properties.
Related content statements for Standard 1.3
 Creating and performing music provides a means of self-expression for very young
learners.
 The ability to read music notation correlates with musical fluency and literacy. Notation
systems are complex symbolic languages that indicate pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and
tempo.
 Proper vocal production/vocal placement requires an understanding of basic anatomy
and the physical properties of sound.
 Playing techniques for Orff instruments develop foundational skills used for hand
percussion and melodic percussion instruments.
 Proper breathing technique and correct posture improve the timbre of the voice and
protect the voice when singing.
 Prescribed forms and rules govern music composition, rhythmic accompaniment, and the
harmonizing of parts.
 Basic conducting patterns and gestures provide cues about how and when to execute
changes in dynamics, timbre, and timing.
Related content statements for Standard 1.4A
 Each arts discipline offers distinct opportunities to observe, experience, interpret,
appreciate, and respond to works of art and beauty in the everyday world.
Related content statements for Standard 9.1A
 The ability to recognize a problem and apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to
solve the problem is a lifelong skill that develops over time.
Related content statements for Standard 9.1B
 Brainstorming activities enhance creative and innovative thinking in individual and group
goal setting and problem solving.
CPI #
1.1.2.B.1
1.1.2.B.2
1.1.2.B.3
1.1.2.B.4
1.3.P.B.1
1.3.P.B.2
1.3.P.B.3
1.3.P.B.4
1.3.P.B.6
Cumulative Progress Indicator (CPI)
Explore the elements of music through verbal and written responses to diverse
aural prompts and printed scores.
Identify musical elements in response to diverse aural prompts, such as rhythm,
timbre, dynamics, form, and melody.
Identify and categorize sound sources by common traits (e.g., scales, rhythmic
patterns, and/or other musical elements), and identify rhythmic notation up to
eighth notes and rests.
Categorize families of instruments and identify their associated musical properties.
Sing a variety of songs with expression, independently and with others.
Use a variety of musical instruments to create music, alone and/or with others,
using different beats, tempos, dynamics, and interpretations.
Clap or sing songs with repetitive phrases and rhythmic patterns.
Listen to, imitate, and improvise sounds, patterns, or songs.
Recognize and name a variety of music elements using appropriate music
1.3.2.B.1
1.3.2.B.2
1.3.2.B.3
1.3.2.B.4
1.3.2.B.6
1.3.2.B.7
1.4.P.A.6
9.1.4.A.1
9.1.4.A.5
9.1.4.B.1
vocabulary.
Clap, sing, or play on pitch from basic notation in the treble clef, with consideration
of pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and tempo.
Demonstrate developmentally appropriate vocal production/vocal placement and
breathing technique.
Demonstrate correct playing techniques for Orff instruments or equivalent
homemade instruments.
Vocalize the home tone of familiar and unfamiliar songs, and demonstrate
appropriate posture and breathing technique while performing songs, rounds, or
canons in unison and with a partner.
Sing or play simple melodies or rhythmic accompaniments in AB and ABA forms
independently and in groups, and sight-read rhythmic and music notation up to
and including eighth notes and rests in a major scale.
Blend unison and harmonic parts and vocal or instrumental timbres while
matching dynamic levels in response to a conductor’s cues.
Begin to demonstrate appropriate audience skills during recordings and music
performances.
Recognize a problem and brainstorm ways to solve the problem individually or
collaboratively.
Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills in classroom and family settings.
Participate in brainstorming sessions to seek information, ideas, and strategies
that foster creative thinking.
Unit Essential Questions
Unit Enduring Understandings
 What do sol, mi, la, do, and re look and
 Songs can be sung in unison or in harmony.
sound like?
 Melodies can have an accompaniment or no
 How does melodic movement affect the way
accompaniment.
music sounds?
 Symbols can be used to represent sol, mi, la,
 How do dynamics and temp affect the way a
do, and re.
piece of music sounds or makes us feel?
 We can hear the way a melody moves and
represent it with movement.
Unit Learning Targets
Students will ...
 Perform simultaneous imitation using movement, instruments, and vocal sounds.
 Distinguish louder from softer dynamics.
 Explore speech material for inflection, improvisation, and rhythm.
 Distinguish higher from lower pitches.
 Echo-sing melodic motives.
 Show the direction of a melody with body movement.
 Imitate then improvise melodies vocally and on Orff instruments.
 Sing, play, and listen to music in AB and ABA form.
 Sing songs and canons with proper breathing and technique while blending with the
singers around them.
 Recognize and vocalize the home tone (do) of familiar and unfamiliar songs.
 Imitate melodies vocally and on instruments using sol, mi, la, do, and re.
 Play aural recognition games using sol, mi, la, do, and re.
Evidence of Learning
Summative Assessment
Pre-assessment, participation, performance and observation, self and group assessment,
question and answer, classroom discussion, and games.
Equipment needed:
Folksong CD’s, piano or keyboard, rhythm sticks, various hand percussion instruments, poly
spots, mallet percussion instruments, various supplemental materials, books, and music.
Teacher Instructional Resources:
Music Express Subscription
Music K-8 Subscription
Tempo Magazine
Kodaly in the Classroom by Linda Rann
Discovering Orff by Jane Franzee
Orff-Schulwerk Applications for the Classroom by Brigitte Warner
Formative Assessments
Self and group assessment and concerts.
Integration of Technology:
Smart Board
Technology Resources:
Click the links below to access additional resources used to design this unit:
www.classicsforkids.com
www.musick8.com
www.menc.org
www.acda.org
www.sfskids.org
Opportunities for Differentiation:
Differentiate by student need, interest and readiness level.
Teacher Notes: