Benjamin McCarley

Talbot MUS 149

Vocal Song Lesson Plan
Previous Learning:
The students will have learned what note values are and have been exposed to different aspects
of what makes a piece of music, such as dynamics, pitch changes, and basic chord structures.
The students today will learn about when a piece speeds up or slows down in specific spots and
connect on how these changes in music make them feel.
Essential Question:
How can changing speeds in music influence the amount of emotion within a specific piece of
music?
Grade Level: 3rd Grade

Standards:
MU:Cr1.1.3a Improvise rhythmic and melodic ideas, and describe connection to specific purpose
and context (such as personal and social).
MU:Cr3.2.3a Present the final version of personal created music to others, and describe
connection to expressive intent
MU:Pr4.2.3a Demonstrate understanding of the structure in music selected for performance
MU:Pr4.3.3a Demonstrate and describe how intent is conveyed through expressive qualities
(such as dynamics and tempo).
MU:Re9.1.3a Evaluate musical works and performances, applying established criteria, and
describe appropriateness to the context.
MU:Cn10.0.3a Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and
intent when creating, performing, and responding to music.
Learning Objectives:
Students will define ritardando and accelerando
Students will identify music notation for a ritardando and accelerando
Students will create ideas of emotions within music regarding tempo changes
Students will perform music with tempo changes
Materials:
A good singing voice!
An open place for a circle
The song “The Cows are Lost”

Bailey, J. (2020, April 02). Songs to Teach Tempo in the Music Room. Retrieved September 26,
2020, from https://singtokids.com/songs-to-teach-tempo-in-the-music-room/

Glossary of Terms/Abbreviations:
Accelerando- Gradually accelerating or getting faster. 
Ritardando- A directive to perform the indicated passage of a composition with a gradual
slowing of the tempo, or to gradually delay the tempo.
Tempo Change- A change in the speed at which a piece is being performed.
Procedure:
1. Once class has started, the teacher will get the class’s attention by beckoning them to
form a circle 
2. The teacher will then display to the students the various hand signs and other indicators
for the exercise 
3. The teacher will then sing part of “The Cows are Gone”, beckoning the students to repeat
after the teacher
 4. The teacher will go through the piece bit by bit in a round style until the piece is
completed
5. Once the piece has been completed once, the teacher will make the phrases longer for the
students to repeat back
6. After repeating the piece multiple times to the point where the students are singing the
entire song with the teacher, the teacher will start singing, but adding in tempo changes
7. The teacher will demonstrate what the tempo changes do, and how the students can use
them within the piece
8. The teacher will incorporate different times for tempo changes within the pieces, and
repeating them so the students understand
9. The teacher will then flip the tempo changes within the piece, with the students repeating
10. The teacher will then have the students sing the song with tempo changes in different
locations
11. After doing this and changing where the tempo changes go, the teacher will conclude the
circle and a discussion will occur.
Assessment:
Teacher will assess the singing of the kids and seeing if they are singing with the tempo changes
after the teacher has sung a specific section by looking for either a 1 or 2 determining their
opinion on what they think is the better tempo change (or the one that they like better)
Teacher will assess identification of tempo changes within music by creating an exit ticket that
asks the student’s thoughts about how each tempo change makes them feel
 Check: The students completed the exit ticket and explained the emotions that tempo
changes made them feel
Teacher will assess creation by assessing student’s ability to include tempo changes throughout
the exercise.
 Checkmark += performs with both fast and slow tempo changes accurately
 Checkmark= performs with one tempo change well, the other may be incomplete
 Checkmark -= missing both tempo changes
Teacher will assess performance of the students by examining how they sing the song while
learning it, and making sure they can keep up with the tempo changes
 Checkmark: Student can keep up with tempo changes
 Checkmark -: Student has trouble keeping up with tempo changes
Extension Learning
After completing this exercise, the students will then experiment with new ways to include
tempo change within music, such as with dynamics or rhythms
The students will be given the opportunity to bring into class their favorite song that includes a
tempo change to share and give them a broader concept of modern music encompassing tempo
changes
Honor Code:
I affirm that I have upheld the highest principles of honesty and integrity in my academic work
and have not witnessed a violation of the Honor Code.
Benjamin Phillip McCarley