1st Grade Develop Active Listening Skills By Identifying And Responding To Different Musical Elements (E.G., Dynamics, Tempo, Timbre). Lesson Plan Example

Topic: Musical Elements

Objectives & Outcomes

• Students will be able to identify and describe the three musical elements of dynamics, tempo, and timbre.
• Students will be able to listen for and identify changes in musical elements in a song.

Materials

• Audio recording of a song featuring a variety of musical elements
• Construction paper
• Pencils
• Scissors

Warm-up

• Play the audio recording for the students and have them close their eyes and listen to the song.
• After the song is finished, have the students open their eyes and raise their hands if they heard any changes in the music.
• Ask the students what they heard and if they could describe the changes they heard.

Direct Instruction

• Introduce the musical elements of dynamics, tempo, and timbre.
• Using the handouts, explain what each element means and give examples of each.
• Have the students listen to another song and identify the different musical elements.

Guided Practice

• Play a short segment of a song and have the students identify the different musical elements.
• Continue with several more short segments of different songs.

Independent Practice

• Have the students choose a favorite song and create a poster that shows the different musical elements.
• Have the students present their posters to the class and explain how the different musical elements affect the overall feel of the song.

Closure

• Review the different musical elements and have the students share examples of each.
• Ask the students to think about how they can use the different musical elements to better enjoy and understand their favorite songs.

Assessment

• Observe the students during independent practice and make notes on their ability to identify and respond to the different musical elements in their chosen songs.
• Have the students complete a written reflection on their experience with active listening and the different musical elements.