Unit 3 — Responding
Description
Students develop the ability to respond to and interpret music using appropriate terminology and criteria to evaluate performances. The unit emphasizes using correct vocabulary to describe musical elements such as tempo (largo, presto) and volume (forte, piano), and interpreting composer's artistic choices through analysis of timbre, tonality, and instrumentation. A diverse repertoire is selected with discussion of composers, musicians, and performers from varied backgrounds, and social issues are incorporated to deepen understanding of music's cultural significance.
Essential Questions
- How do individuals choose music to experience? How does understanding the structure and context of music inform a response?
- How do we discern the musical creators' and performers' expressive intent?
- How do we judge the quality of musical work(s) and performance(s)?
Learning Objectives
- Demonstrate and explain how personal interests and experiences influence musical selection for specific purposes
- Describe how specific music concepts are used to support a specific purpose in music
- Demonstrate basic knowledge of music concepts and how they support creators' and performers' expressive intent
- Apply personal and expressive preferences in the evaluation of music
Suggested Texts
- Peter and the Wolf — orchestral composition
Supplemental Resources
- Drawing paper and colored pencils for visual response to music
- Graphic organizers for analyzing musical elements
- Printed word lists of music terminology for reference
Music - Responding
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
- Group discussions about musical selections and choices
- Question and answer about music concepts and expressive intent
- Teacher observation of listening and response behaviors
- Skill testing of musical element identification
- Drawing and physical movement responses to music
Summative Assessment
Students listen to musical selections and draw pictures representing the mood of the piece, and use varied physical movements to represent basic musical elements such as long/short and fast/slow.
Benchmark Assessment
— not configured —
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding of musical elements and mood through alternative response modes such as pointing to pictures or symbols that match the music heard, using hand signals to show tempo or volume changes, or verbal responses to teacher questions about how music makes them feel. Visual supports such as picture cards or emotion charts may be provided as scaffolds.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
Students may benefit from visual supports such as picture cards or icons paired with vocabulary terms like forte, piano, largo, and presto to reinforce understanding of musical concepts during listening activities. Allowing students to respond through physical movement, drawing, or pointing rather than verbal explanation supports varied output needs while still demonstrating understanding of expressive intent. Teachers may provide simplified listening prompts and check for understanding frequently throughout discussions about composer choices and musical elements.
Section 504
Preferential seating near the audio source supports focused listening during musical selections, and a reduced-distraction environment helps students engage with subtle changes in tempo and dynamics. Additional time to process and respond to questions about musical mood or element identification ensures students can demonstrate their understanding without rushing.
ELL / MLL
Visual vocabulary supports pairing music terms such as forte, piano, largo, and presto with images, gestures, or color cues help make abstract musical concepts more accessible. Teachers may use demonstration and movement to convey meaning before asking students to respond verbally, and welcoming students to connect musical selections to cultural experiences from their home backgrounds deepens engagement with the unit's diverse repertoire.
At Risk (RTI)
Connecting musical selections to students' existing listening experiences helps build familiarity and confidence before introducing formal vocabulary. Offering movement-based or drawing-based entry points for responding to music reduces barriers for students who may find verbal description challenging, and pairing visual cues with new terms like tempo and dynamics reinforces concept recognition at a comfortable pace.
Gifted & Talented
Students who readily identify basic musical elements may be encouraged to analyze and articulate how a composer's specific choices — such as a shift in tempo or a change in instrumentation — create or change the emotional message of a piece. Inviting these students to compare two contrasting musical selections and explain the differences in expressive intent using music vocabulary supports deeper critical thinking within the unit's content domain.