M.CR.1: Generate musical ideas through reading, notating, and/or interpreting music.

K.M.CR.1.3 Improvise movement (non-locomotor and locomotor) appropriate for the musical elements heard in various listening examples.

Student Actions

Teacher Actions

• Move their body to show music elements heard in listening examples (beat/meter, pitch, tempo, melody, dynamics, form).

• Improvise movement to show music elements heard in listening examples.

• Provide listening examples for students to move to with distinct beat/meter, pitch, tempo, melody, dynamics, or form.

• Lead students in non-locomotor movements and locomotor movements appropriate for the musical elements heard.

• Provide movement props to aid students in their movement/improvisation.

Key Understandings

Teacher Insights

• Movement (non-locomotor and locomotor). 

• Non-locomotor movements do not cause the body to travel (bending, tapping, shrugging, swaying, etc.).

• Locomotor movements incorporate traveling from one point to another (jumping, hopping, skipping, sliding, tiptoeing, etc.).

• Students need clear parameters during locomotor movement and need to be reminded of them often (are there areas of the room they can not travel, how should they be traveling, should they be touching their classmates or things in the room).

Resources

Lesson Ideas

Supporting Resources

• Identify a musical element to focus your lesson on (beat/meter, pitch, tempo, melody, dynamics, form). Use scarves, ribbons or flowing material to interpret two - three contrasting pieces that focus on the single element. Try to use pieces that clearly feature the element to reduce confusion. 

• The Best Movement Activities for K-1 - Becca’s Music Room Lesson ideas including nursery rhymes, scarves, and video examples.

• Awesome Easy and Free Creative Movement Activities-SingPlay Create blog Includes the benefits of using creative movement and links to free body percussion cards.

• Move, Move, Move: Three Approaches to Movement Through Movement - John M. Feierabend Movement activities based on Feierabend’s First Steps in Music curriculum.

• First Steps in Creative Movement - John M. Feierabend Movement activities based on Feierabend’s First Steps in Creative Movement curriculum.

• Favorite Kindergarten Music Activities - Aileen Miracle Five activities to incorporate movement to show musical elements.

• The Best Movement Activities for the Elementary Music Classroom-Oodles of Music Extensive collection of successful K-5 movement activities.

• Elementary Music Beat and Rhythm Movement Activities-SingPlayCreate blog Using movement to teach steady beat and rhythm.