OPENING

Getting students ready to learn

Movement
and
Expression
unit

Teacher:
Macquarrie

Subject:
General Music

Grade:
Kindergarten

Inter-Disciplinary Connections:
Reading
Science
Art

Technology:
Materials:
Smart Board IWB activities
Move it!
Quaver
Parachutes, ribbons and scarves, oh
Interactive movement through
my! Artie Almeida
projector
Literature Connections
Teacher and students talk about what they will learn and do (Communication of Learning Intentions)
Standard(s):
MKGM.6a: Distinguish between contrasts (pitch, dynamics, tempo, rhythm, timbre) in various pieces of music.
MKGM.6b: Describe music using appropriate vocabulary, such as high, low, loud, quiet, fast, slow.
MKGM.7a: Evaluate musical performances of themselves and others.
MKGM.7b: Explain personal preferences for specific musical works using appropriate vocabulary.
MKGM.9a: Sing, listen, and/or move to music from various historical periods and cultures.
MKGM.10a: Respond to contrasts, events, and sections in music with gross locomotor and non-locomotor movements.
MKGM.10b: Perform choreographed and non-choreographed movements.
MKGM.1c: Sing from memory multiple songs representing various genres, tonalities, meters, and cultures including songs
in a foreign language.
MKGM.5b: Create simple rhythmic patterns including quarter notes, paired eighth notes, and quarter rests using nontraditional and/or traditional icons.
Making Connections:
ELACCKRL10: Actvely engage in group reading activities with purpose and understanding.
SKL2. Students will compare the similarities and differences in groups of organisms.
Objectives:
I can tell the difference between high/low, loud/soft, fast/slow, and recognize special sounds.
I can describe how music sounds
I can grade how I did when I move or when others move
I can explain my favorite music and why
I can move to music from all around the world
I can move to how the music feels
I can move to dances that are taught, and move on my own
I can make connections between my learning in music and in my other classes
I can make up my own rhythm and add body percussion
Vocabulary:
Dance, culture, folk dance, fast, slow, high, low, loud soft

INSTRUCTION
And Evaluation

Diagnostic Assessment: Preview questions

Self-Assessment based on I can statements
Lesson:
Weeks 1 and 2 (introduction):
Unit Overview: The first unit was rhythm, the last unit was melody (pitch), and now well be putting those together to in the
new movement/expression unit. Through this unit, students will experiment with various styles of movement and expression
until students are comfortable creating their own movements that express the style of the music. Additionally, students will
explore the core components of expression in music (loud, soft, high, low, fast, slow). Ultimately, they will be able to make
the connections that these are the expressive qualities that make them move differently in different songs.
Introduce new unit. Have students rate themselves as a dancer. Explain that this is a pre-assessment, and its o.k.
to be honest. Explain the rubric and have them point to the picture that describes them. Students will evaluate
themselves again at the end of the unit.
Begin with a mirroring activity to classical movement, Humoresque by Dvorak
Partner students, and have them take turns being the leader while the other student mirrors them. Most students
will be hesitant at first to make up their own movements, but they will become more confident throughout the
unit. Take note of creative, confident students to help you choose groups for final dance project.
Begin Caps for Sale activity which includes several expressive highlights (high to low, fast and slow, timbre)

Teach students chorus and body percussion that will later transfer to instruments. Teach monkey part.
Interactive reading.
Explain that students will get to improvise on the part where the hats fly out of the tree. Have them practice
improvising on mallets.
Pair and Share: If improvising is making up something: What other ways do we improvise in everyday life? Have
some students share.
Add instrument parts: do 2 readings of the book so each kid gets a turn on the mallets. Use this as a formative
assessment, picking the strongest mallet player for final performance. Have students evaluate what they did well,
and what they could do better. Perform for teacher!
EXTENSION: Highlight literary concepts from the book and probe for understanding/ Theme: Monkey see,
Monkey do.
Weeks 3 and 4 (experience and imitation):
Rossini, William Tell Overture: Finale: set up 3 stations around the room for the A, B, and C section of the song.
Use listening map and have students move when you point to their section. Practice again for students to
internalize piece and be able to differentiate between the contrasts in the music. Add percussion A: jingle bells, B:
maracas, C: hand drums, Coda: everyone.
Mexican Folk Dance: Use video tutorial. Teacher reviews dance. Students partner up and perform.
Quaver Interactive White Board games to check for understanding of expressive concepts.
Weeks 5 and 6 (experiment and improvisation)
Explain what a choreographer is, and tell students that you had a local choreographer make a video to help them
move better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfjzpS5GsNc
Camille Saint Saens, Aquarium. Students improvise movements with props (scarves, stretchy band, etc., puppets)
to imitate various animal and plant life of the sea. This lesson is based on the Orff method, which is highly
experimental. The teacher should not critique movement or inhibit student creativity, but ask students to explain
some of the motivations in the way they moved. Encourage students to move at different levels.
Read/sing baby beluga. Have students echo. Experience song through various media to help students memorize
words (standard 1c). Repeat song throughout the unit until students can sing by memory.
Literature connection: Literature Connection/Baby Bear lesson/Students sing independently
Dave Holland paintbrush activity: students make parallels between art and music by painting a rhythm (rhythm
stick=paintbrush). Add classical/jazz music and ask students what they drew.
Repetition: Try Aquarium activity and let kids choose a part they havent done yet. Also, repeat baby beluga.
Family Connection: send home blog link so kids can do Baby Beluga at home with their parents.
Beat buddies game with props to reinforce 6a and 10a (this activity should be repeated throughout the year with
some rhymes being repeated, and new ones introduced)
http://www.artiealmeida.com/resources/Beat%20Buddy%20Sample%20Plan%20PDF.pdf
When all activities have been completed, begin to introduce body percussion symbols by filling out template as a
class. Teacher will use formative assessments from all unit activities to assign heterogeneous groups
Weeks 7-9 (creation and performance)
Review rhythms from unit 1. Add flashcards and funky music.
Body percussion group project: Students will create their own body percussion pieces using symbols to represent
actions. All student projects will be put together to make the class song. Assign a task card to each student. Each
student having a purpose will minimize negative behaviors. First have group write rhythm on white board. When
approved, have the recorder put it on the paper. When approved, have them add the body percussion. Student
groups are based on formative assessments to create mixed-ability grouping. Student with highest score should
be the marker recorder. *NOTE: After trying this lesson out on Monday, I realized the process needs to be broken
down into smaller parts. The first step is recording the rhythm on the marker board, and most classes have only
gotten to that step. Im recording each groups rhythm, so they can continue with the other steps during the next
class.
Have feedback prompts for students to tell another group what they thought. Feedback sandwich: one piece of
advice sandwiched with 2 compliments.
Make project a contest for Hawks High 5 and video best performance for Twitter.
Self-Assessment- discuss where students started and ended. How many kids in the class grew one category?
Supplemental Activities:
Dance books, Move it! interactive, Orff movement explorations, free dance, Artie activities
Formative Assessment: Class Interactions

DIFFERENTIATED
INSTRUCTION

CLOSING

Differentiation and Rigor:

Students will use dance to express an emotion
Students create their own movement piece
Students will evaluate themselves as a dancer
Students will describe why they like certain dances
Mixed ability student groups are chosen based on pre-assessments and observations.
Several opportunities throughout the unit for choice
Instrument parts based on ability and interest
Review: I can statements
Students self-assess at the end, and compare to pre-assessments. Discuss growth.
Summative Assessment: Composing
Composing/ Performance Rubric