### Lesson Plan: Singing Songs
#### Grade Level: 1st Grade
#### Duration: 30 minutes
#### Subject: Music
### Objectives
- Students will be able to recognize and sing simple melodies.
- Students will understand basic concepts of pitch, rhythm, and tempo.
- Students will be able to participate in group singing activities.
### Materials
- Piano or keyboard (optional)
- Audio player and speakers
- Song lyrics handouts (age-appropriate simple songs)
- Whiteboard and markers
- Visual aids for musical notes (optional)
### Vocabulary
- Melody
- Pitch
- Rhythm
- Tempo
### Standards
- National Core Arts Standards (NCAS):
- MU: Cr2.1.1 (Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work)
- MU: Pr4.2.1 (Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation)
### Procedure
#### Introduction (5 minutes)
1. **Greeting and Warm-up:**
- Greet the students and briefly discuss what they will be learning—singing songs.
- Conduct a quick vocal warm-up. Lead the students in some simple vocal exercises such as humming “mmm” and singing “la-la-la” to get their voices ready.
2. **Introduce Vocabulary:**
- Briefly explain the key vocabulary terms: melody, pitch, rhythm, and tempo.
#### Instruction (10 minutes)
3. **Teach a Simple Melody:**
- Choose a simple, familiar song suitable for 1st graders (e.g., "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or "Old MacDonald Had a Farm").
- Play the melody on a piano or keyboard and ask students to listen carefully.
4. **Sing Along:**
- Sing the song line by line first while students listen.
- Then have the students repeat after the teacher line by line.
- Display the lyrics on the whiteboard or distribute handouts.
5. **Discuss Elements of the Song:**
- Highlight the melody: "This is the tune we are singing."
- Talk about pitch: "Some notes are high, and some are low."
- Introduce rhythm by clapping along with the song.
- Explain tempo: "This song is sung fast/slow."
#### Guided Practice (10 minutes)
6. **Group Singing:**
- Lead the whole class in singing the song together.
- Encourage students to sing along, focusing on following the melody and rhythm.
7. **Activity - Follow the Leader:**
- Sing the song using different tempos (fast and slow) and have the students follow the leader (the teacher).
- Use hand movements to indicate changes in pitch (high notes, lift hands up; low notes, bring hands down).
8. **Question and Answer:**
- Ask questions like "What did you notice about the tempo of our song?" or "Can you point out when we sang the highest note?"
#### Closing (5 minutes)
9. **Review and Summarize:**
- Review what was learned about melody, pitch, rhythm, and tempo.
- Sing the entire song one more time as a class, making sure everyone participates.
10. **Cool Down and Reflection:**
- Let students share what they enjoyed about the class.
- Cool down with a soft hum to bring the lesson to a calm close.
### Assessment
- Informal observation of students’ participation and singing during the lesson.
- Ask individual students to sing a line from the song to check their understanding of pitch and rhythm.
- Verbal questions to assess understanding of vocabulary (melody, pitch, rhythm, tempo).
### Extensions
- Introduce movements or actions to go along with the song to reinforce rhythm and make the lesson more engaging.
- Allow students to suggest songs they know and try singing them as a class in future lessons.