Unit 2 — Performing
Description
Students develop the ability to sing and play songs using proper technique and visual cues. The unit emphasizes following conducting gestures and cues, proper breathing, posture, sound production, intonation, musicality, and expression. A diverse repertoire is selected with discussion of composers, musicians, and performers from varied backgrounds. Social issues such as spirituals and protest songs are incorporated throughout instruction to connect music to broader contexts and experiences.
Essential Questions
- How do performers select repertoire?
- How do musicians improve the quality of their performance?
- When is a performance judged ready to present? How do context and the manner in which musical work is presented influence audience response?
Learning Objectives
- Demonstrate and explain personal interest in, knowledge about, and purpose of varied musical selections
- Apply established criteria to judge the accuracy, expressiveness, and effectiveness of performance
- Rehearse, identify, and apply strategies to address interpretive, performance, and technical challenges of music
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic music concepts in music from a variety of cultures selected for performance
- Read and perform rhythmic and melodic patterns using iconic or standard notation
- Demonstrate understanding of basic expressive qualities such as dynamics and tempo and how creators use them to convey expressive intent
- Perform music for a specific purpose with expression and technical accuracy
- Perform appropriately for the audience and purpose
Supplemental Resources
- Printed vocal and instrumental exercise sheets for technique practice
- Index cards with conducting symbols and gestures
- Chart paper for displaying performance expectations and criteria
Music - Performing
Students use rhythm instruments and patterns to explore mathematical concepts including counting, patterning, and basic mathematical thinking through musical composition and performance activities.
Students investigate vibration, sound, and light through musical exploration and performance, making observations about how sound is produced and how materials vibrate.
Students develop speaking and listening skills through discussions, collaborative work, and question-and-answer activities related to music creation, performance, and response. Students use words and syllables to prepare rhythmic concepts and express musical ideas.
Students learn about diverse musicians, composers, and cultural music traditions, exploring how music reflects communities and different cultures while developing understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion through exposure to varied performers and musical traditions.
Students develop body awareness, posture, breathing techniques, and physical coordination through musical performance and movement-based musical activities.
Formative Assessments
- Teacher observation of technique development and refinement
- Group work and ensemble rehearsals
- Discussion about song selection and performance choices
- Question and answer about expressive qualities
- Skill testing of conducting gesture recognition and response
Summative Assessment
Students recognize and respond to basic conducting gestures including cut offs and dynamics, demonstrate instrumental performance techniques including rest position, differentiate between four vocal parts through vocal exploration, and perform echo singing and playing to demonstrate correct vocal and instrumental technique.
Benchmark Assessment
A mid-unit performance task in which students sing or play a familiar song while demonstrating at least two technical elements (posture, breathing, or sound production) and respond to basic conducting cues for dynamics and cut-offs. This task measures progress toward performance technique and conducting awareness standards covered in Unit 2.
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding through physical response to conducting gestures, such as movement or hand signals, rather than verbal explanation. Visual supports including picture cards of proper posture and technique, as well as simplified song notation, may be provided to support performance and learning.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
Students may benefit from visual supports such as picture cards or diagrams that illustrate proper posture, breathing, and instrument rest position to reinforce technique without relying solely on verbal instruction. Conducting gestures can be introduced using simplified visual cue cards alongside live modeling, giving students additional processing time before responding. Allow students to demonstrate understanding through physical movement or echo responses rather than written output, as oral and kinesthetic modes are most accessible in this unit. Frequent check-ins during ensemble rehearsal will help monitor progress and provide immediate corrective feedback in a low-pressure setting.
Section 504
Students should be seated in a location that provides a clear sightline to the teacher's conducting gestures and reduces auditory or visual distractions during performance activities. Extended wait time should be provided when students are asked to respond to questions about expressive qualities such as dynamics and tempo. A visual timer can help ease transitions between rehearsal segments and activity types throughout the lesson.
ELL / MLL
Visual cue cards that pair vocabulary terms such as dynamics, tempo, and rest position with illustrations or icons will support comprehension of music-specific language in this unit. Directions for multi-step tasks like echo singing or responding to conducting gestures should be given in short, clear phrases accompanied by physical demonstration. Where possible, connecting featured songs or musical traditions to students' home cultures can build engagement and activate prior knowledge as the class explores diverse repertoire.
At Risk (RTI)
Students who need additional entry points should be encouraged to participate first through movement and physical imitation, such as mirroring conducting gestures or echoing short rhythmic patterns, before being asked to perform independently. Connecting the expressive qualities of songs to familiar feelings and everyday experiences can help make abstract concepts like dynamics and tempo more concrete and meaningful. Reducing the complexity of patterns during echo singing or instrument activities allows students to experience early success and build confidence toward full participation.
Gifted & Talented
Students who demonstrate quick mastery of foundational techniques can be invited to explore how expressive choices such as changes in dynamics or tempo alter the meaning or mood of a piece, and to articulate their reasoning using music vocabulary. Deeper engagement with the social and historical contexts of spirituals or protest songs in the repertoire can extend learning into analysis of how music reflects and responds to human experience. These students may also take on a peer leadership role during ensemble rehearsal, such as modeling a conducting gesture response or describing their interpretive choices for the group.