Exploring sound and song
Students start the year listening closely to music and learning to copy short rhythms and tunes. They notice loud and soft, fast and slow, and try out their singing voices in class.
What does a student learn in
This is the year music shifts from simple play to making real musical choices. Students start inventing short rhythms and melodies of their own, then practice them so a song sounds the way they meant it to. They listen to music and talk about how it makes them feel and what the composer might have wanted. By spring, students can perform a short song for the class and explain one choice they made while preparing it.
- Singing and rhythm
- Making up music
- Performing songs
- Listening skills
- Music and feelings
Year at a glance
How the year usually goes. Every school and district set their own curriculum, so treat this as a guide, not official pacing.
- 1
- 2
Making up music
Students invent their own short patterns of sound, using voices, claps, or simple instruments. They draw on songs they know and ideas from their own lives to come up with something new.
- 3
Shaping a piece to perform
Students pick a song or pattern they want to share and practice it until it sounds the way they want. They learn that performing takes choices about what to keep, what to fix, and how to play it.
- 4
Sharing music with others
Students perform for classmates and talk about what a song means to them. They also listen to music from different places and times, and say what they like, what they notice, and why.
Mastery Learning Standards
The required skills a student should display by the end of Grade 1.
Connecting
Connecting
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Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art
Students connect what they already know and what they've lived through to the music they make or respond to.
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Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural
Students connect a song or piece of music to the time, place, or people it came from. Learning where music belongs in the world helps students understand why it sounds and feels the way it does.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art | Students connect what they already know and what they've lived through to the music they make or respond to. | MU:Cn10.1 |
| Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural | Students connect a song or piece of music to the time, place, or people it came from. Learning where music belongs in the world helps students understand why it sounds and feels the way it does. | MU:Cn11.1 |
Creating
Creating
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Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work
Students come up with their own musical ideas, like inventing a short melody or a rhythm pattern, and start turning those ideas into something they can sing or play.
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Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Students take a musical idea, like a short rhythm or melody, and arrange it into a simple song or pattern they can share with others.
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Refine and complete artistic work
Students revisit a song or rhythm they made and change what isn't working until it sounds the way they want. They finish the piece and share it as complete work.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work | Students come up with their own musical ideas, like inventing a short melody or a rhythm pattern, and start turning those ideas into something they can sing or play. | MU:Cr1.1 |
| Organize and develop artistic ideas and work | Students take a musical idea, like a short rhythm or melody, and arrange it into a simple song or pattern they can share with others. | MU:Cr2.1 |
| Refine and complete artistic work | Students revisit a song or rhythm they made and change what isn't working until it sounds the way they want. They finish the piece and share it as complete work. | MU:Cr3.1 |
Performing/Presenting/Producing
Performing/Presenting/Producing
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Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation
Students choose a song or piece of music to perform and explain why they picked it.
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Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation
Students practice a song or rhythm until it sounds the way they want it to. They learn that performers rehearse and improve before sharing their music with others.
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Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work
Students perform a song or rhythm for others and make choices, like how loud or soft to sing, that match the feeling of the music.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Analyze, interpret, and select artistic work for presentation | Students choose a song or piece of music to perform and explain why they picked it. | MU:Pr4.1 |
| Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation | Students practice a song or rhythm until it sounds the way they want it to. They learn that performers rehearse and improve before sharing their music with others. | MU:Pr5.1 |
| Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work | Students perform a song or rhythm for others and make choices, like how loud or soft to sing, that match the feeling of the music. | MU:Pr6.1 |
Responding
Responding
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Perceive and analyze artistic work
Students listen to a short piece of music and describe what they notice, such as whether it is fast or slow, loud or quiet, or happy-sounding or sad.
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Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work
Students listen to a short piece of music and explain what feeling or story it seems to tell. They back up their idea with something they actually heard, like a fast beat or a quiet melody.
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Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work
Students listen to a piece of music and decide what they like about it, using a simple reason like "the beat is fast" or "the instruments are quiet." They practice saying why something sounds good, not just that it does.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Perceive and analyze artistic work | Students listen to a short piece of music and describe what they notice, such as whether it is fast or slow, loud or quiet, or happy-sounding or sad. | MU:Re7.1 |
| Interpret intent and meaning in artistic work | Students listen to a short piece of music and explain what feeling or story it seems to tell. They back up their idea with something they actually heard, like a fast beat or a quiet melody. | MU:Re8.1 |
| Apply criteria to evaluate artistic work | Students listen to a piece of music and decide what they like about it, using a simple reason like "the beat is fast" or "the instruments are quiet." They practice saying why something sounds good, not just that it does. | MU:Re9.1 |
Common Questions
What does music class look like this year?
Students sing, clap, move, and play simple instruments like rhythm sticks, shakers, and small drums. They start making up short musical ideas of their own, perform for the class, and talk about what they hear in a song. Most learning happens through doing, not worksheets.
How can I help with music at home if I am not musical myself?
Sing in the car, clap along to a favorite song, or tap a steady beat on the table while music plays. Ask what the song made students think of or feel. Five minutes of paying attention to music together counts as practice.
Does my child need to read music or play an instrument yet?
No. The focus is on hearing the difference between loud and soft, fast and slow, and high and low, and keeping a steady beat. Reading notes on a staff comes later.
How should I sequence the year?
Start with steady beat, singing voice, and listening routines in the fall. Move into simple rhythm and pitch patterns in the winter. Save short student-made pieces and small performances for spring, once classroom routines are solid.
What does it mean for students to make up their own music at this age?
It can be as small as clapping a four-beat rhythm they invented or singing a short answer back to a question. The goal is for students to try a musical idea, keep what they like, and change what they do not.
Which skills usually need the most reteaching?
Steady beat under changing rhythms is the big one, along with matching pitch when singing in a group. Plan to revisit both in short bursts all year rather than teaching them once and moving on.
How do I help when a song is stuck in repeat at home?
Use it. Ask what instruments are in it, whether it speeds up or slows down, and what part of the song is the loudest. Then try clapping the beat together. That is exactly the kind of listening expected in class.
How do I know students are ready for next year?
By spring, students should keep a steady beat, sing a short song in tune with the group, take part in a small performance, and say something specific about a piece of music they heard, such as how it changed or how it felt.