Tempo
Lesson One
Grade Level: Second Grade
Class: General music
State and National Standards this lesson addresses:
9.3.3. B. Know that works in the arts can be described by using the arts
elements, principles and concepts ( tempo)
MU:Pr4.3.1a Demonstrate and describe music’s expressive qualities (such as
dynamics and tempo).
Essential Questions:
How is music affected by tempo?
Objective or Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to demonstrate the difference between fast (allegro) and
slow (andante) music.
Students will be able to explain the differences between tempos using the new
vocabulary.
Prior Knowledge: musical opposites, speed
Materials needed: projector, computer, worksheet, pencil
The Tortoise and the Hare Fairy Tales and Bedtime Stories for Kids
Music Monday | Music Theory For Kids | Preschool and Kindergarten Music Class |
TEMPO 1
Organization: Whole group, individual
Teaching Procedures
Daily Routine: (10 min)
Crazy eights
Attendance
Introduction:
- How many of you have ever heard the story of the tortoise and the hare? Raise
your hand. (answer)
- Who knows what another name for a tortoise is? (turtle)
- Who knows another name for a hare? (Bunny)
- We are going to watch the story of the tortoise and the hare. As you watch, think
about which character is the fastest and which character is the slowest. (Watch
the video-8 min)
Procedure:
- Which character is the fastest and which character is the slowest? (Turtle and
hare)
- What other things can you think of that are fast and slow? (student answers)
- Music is another thing that can be fast or slow!
- We call the speed of music the tempo. Can everyone say tempo? (Tempo)
- Listen to me spell tempo first. (T-E-M-P-O) Now let’s spell it together.
(T-E-M-P-O) Now on your own. (T-E-M-P-O)
- We can have fast music and slow music.
- We use the word allegro for fast tempo. Can you say allegro? (Allegro)
- Let’s listen to music that is allegro, or fast. (play demonstration)
- We use the word andante for a slow tempo. Can you say andante? (Andante)
- Now let’s listen to music that is andante, or slow. (Play demonstration)
- We are going to listen to some more music and decide if it is fast or slow. Let’s do
the first two together.
- Here is the first piece. (play piece)
- Is this piece fast or slow? Thumbs up for fast and thumbs down for slow.
- What is the music word for fast? (Allegro)
- Here is the second piece. (play piece)
- Is this piece fast or slow? Thumbs up for fast and thumbs down for slow.
- What is the music word for slow? (Andante)
- Now we will listen to some more music and decide what the tempo is by circling it
on our worksheet.
- Once you get your worksheet put your name and your teacher’s name on it.
- Pencils down when you’re finished.
- Here is the first listening example. Circle the turtle if it’s slow and the rabbit if it’s
fast. (Play first example).
- Here is the second listening example. Circle the turtle if it’s slow and the rabbit if
it’s fast. (Play second example).
- Now, for question number three. Match the music word allegro to the correct
picture.
- Question four you will match the music word andante to the correct picture.
- For the next two questions you’ll circle the correct tempo. Allegro for fast.
Andante for slow.
- Here is question five. (Play example)
- Last, here is question six. (Play example)
Closure and Summarizing strategy:
- Great job everyone. Next, week we are going to move to music at different
tempos!
Assessment:
Students will complete the Tempo worksheet accurately.
Reflections on the lessons:
I wouldn’t change anything in this lesson. It worked perfectly and the students grasped
the concept quickly!
Practice Extension
Grade Level: Second Grade
Class: General music
State and National Standards this lesson addresses:
9.3.3. B. Know that works in the arts can be described by using the arts
elements, principles and concepts (tempo)
MU:Pr4.3.1a Demonstrate and describe music’s expressive qualities (such as
dynamics and tempo).
Essential Questions:
How is music affected by tempo?
Objective or Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to demonstrate the difference between fast (allegro) and
slow (andante) music.
Students will be able to explain the differences between tempos using the new
vocabulary.
Prior Knowledge: speed, tempo, fast, slow, andante, allegro
Materials needed: powerpoint
[Link]
Organization: Whole group
Teaching Procedures
Daily Routine:
Crazy eights
Attendance
Introduction:
- Who remembers what we talked about last class? What story did we watch?
(tempo, The Tortoise and the Hare)
- What animal went fast?
- What animal went slow?
Procedure:
- Who remembers what we call speed in music?
- Do you remember our two tempo words?
- Our tempo words from last week were allegro and andante.
- Raise your hand and tell me which tempo word means fast?
- Raise your hand and tell me which tempo word means slow?
- Good job everyone. Remember, allegro is fast and andante is slow.
- Today we are going to learn about very fast music and very slow music.
- Lets watch this video to learn about very fast and very slow music.
- As you watch, listen for the new tempo words they teach us! (Play video)
- What is one new tempo word you learned from the video?
- What is another new tempo word you learned from the video?
- What is the last new tempo word you learned from the video?
- Here are the three new tempos. Presto, Largo, and moderato.
- What speed is presto?
- What speed is largo?
- What speed is moderato?
- Let’s put all of our tempos in order from fastest to slowest! (organize tempos
together)
- We are going to listen to some songs today and move to the music!
- When I play the first song, start thinking of a movement you can do in your own
space. Remember, we are staying behind our desks and not in anyone else’
bubble.
- Here is the first song. (Play example)
- What is the tempo of this piece?
- Can someone show me a movement that we can do to this song?
- Let’s all do that movement together as we listen again!
- Great job. Here is the next song. Think about a new move we can do.
- Is this song allegro or andante?
- Can someone show me a movement that we can do to this song?
- Let’s all do that movement together as we listen again!
- (Continue for all listening examples)
Assessment:
Students will perform correct movements to different tempos of a piece of music.
Closure and Summarizing strategy:
- Great job today. Next week will be my last week so we are going to do a fun music
activity!
Reflections on the lessons:
The only thing I would add or change in this lesson is to have more drastic
tempos in the song examples that I picked.
Graphic Organizer Tempo
Name:_______________________________ Class:____________________
Circle the picture that matches the tempo of the song
1. 2.
Draw a line to connect the tempo to the matching picture.
3.
4.
Circle the word that matches the tempo of the song.
5. 6.
