Exploring Tempo

Year Level

Prep (Foundation Year)
Class Size: 30 students
Duration: 45 minutes
Subject: Music
Unit: Exploring Music Through Play
Lesson: 9 of 30

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Curriculum Alignment

Western Australian Curriculum - The Arts: Music - Foundation Year

• Content Descriptor:
  Explore and express ideas about tempo using voice, body, and instruments
  (Aligned with AC9AMUFD01 related to playful exploration of musical elements in Foundation Year)【2:AC9AMUFD01.md】
• General Capability: Literacy (listening and comprehension)
• Cross Curriculum Priorities: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures (recognising different musical styles and soundscapes)【2:AC9AMUFD01.md】【10:AC9AMUFE01.md】

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Learning Intentions (WALT)

WALT: Discover the concept of tempo.

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Success Criteria

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

• Identify and demonstrate fast and slow tempos using body movement and classroom instruments.
• Recognise tempo changes in simple musical examples.
• Use a metronome as a tool to guide and understand tempo.
• (Extension) Create a simple visual tempo chart showing fast and slow tempos.

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Differentiation

• For diverse learners, including students with dyslexia:
  • Use dyslexia-friendly reading aids such as large, clear fonts and visual symbols rather than text-heavy instructions.
  • Provide verbal and visual (picture/icon) cues for tempo concepts and instructions.
  • Use a metronome to give consistent auditory cues for tempo, helping students who benefit from structured sensory inputs.
• For students who may find the concept challenging:
  • Pair with peers for guided practice to reinforce learning through social interaction.
  • Use body movement activities to embody tempo (e.g., marching and tiptoeing).
• For advanced learners:
  • Extension activity to create a tempo chart using visuals or words to represent different tempos and to label the chart with their own tempo terms (e.g., very fast, very slow).
  • Encourage them to lead small groups in demonstrating tempo changes.

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Resources Needed

• Metronome or metronome app.
• Various percussion instruments (e.g., drums, tambourines, claves, shaker eggs).
• Visual aids: pictures showing fast/slow animals or action (e.g., rabbit for fast, turtle for slow).
• Whiteboard/chalkboard and markers for tempo chart creation.
• Printed tempo icon cards (e.g., fast = running figure, slow = snail).
• Comfortable space for movement activities.

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Lesson Plan Structure

Time	Activity	Description	Differentiation / Notes
0-5 mins	Introduction: What is Tempo?	Gather students sitting in a circle. Teacher introduces the term 'tempo' as how fast or slow music goes. Use simple language: "Tempo means speed in music." Show picture cards: fast animal and slow animal. Briefly explain.	Keep language simple and clear. Use visual supports. Anchor concept in familiar real-world ideas (animal speed).
5-15 mins	Body Movement Warm-up: Moving to Tempo	Ask students to move in place or around the room to represent slow tempo (e.g., slow marching like a turtle) and then fast tempo (e.g., quick hopping like a rabbit). Alternate several times. Use vocal counts or clapping alongside.	Provide space for movement. Support students needing rest by allowing seated rhythmic clapping. Use peer modelling.
15-25 mins	Instrument Exploration: Playing with Tempo	Distribute percussion instruments. Teacher plays or uses metronome to set slow tempo; students play instruments along. Then increase tempo to fast; students match it. Repeat with simple tempo changes. Use metronome sounds to guide.	Dyslexia-friendly: Show simple visual tempo icons on the board. Use clear auditory cues via metronome. Peer support for following tempo.
25-30 mins	Listening and Identifying Tempo	Play 2-3 short recorded musical clips or teacher plays live—some fast tempo, some slow. After each, students raise picture card (fast or slow) to identify tempo.	Use clear, distinct tempo contrasts. Repeat clips if needed. Provide affirmative feedback.
30-40 mins	Extension Activity: Create a Tempo Chart (Group Work)	Divide class into small groups. Each group creates a simple chart on butcher paper or board with two columns: 'Fast' and 'Slow'. Groups draw or write symbols representing tempo examples (e.g., fast = running dog, slow = sleeping cat). Groups share their charts with the class.	Allow scribing assistance. Provide stencils or templates for drawing. Encourage verbal explanations in groups. Advanced students can lead the creation.
40-45 mins	Wrap-up and Reflection	Gather students back in circle. Discuss: "What did we learn about tempo today?" Sing or clap a simple tune twice—once fast, once slow. Reinforce that tempo is about how fast or slow music goes. Praise effort and participation.	Use questions and language that invite multiple participation modes (verbally, with gestures, with instruments).

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Assessment and Observation

Informal formative assessment will be through:

• Observation of students' ability to demonstrate fast and slow tempos using movement and instruments.
• Responses to tempo identification activities employing picture cards.
• Participation and contribution in group tempo chart creation.
• Ability to follow metronome beats for tempo guidance.

Teacher notes will be kept regarding individual students who may need further support or enrichment.

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Additional Teaching Tips to Impress

• Use role-play: Invite students to "become" the metronome, tapping steady beats to keep tempo for the group.
• Incorporate a story about a "musical race" to emphasise tempo changes (e.g., a slow turtle and a fast rabbit race).
• Use colour-coded scarves to represent different tempos during movement or instrumental play (blue = slow, red = fast).
• Record short video clips of the class demonstrating tempo to revisit and reflect in upcoming lessons.
• For inclusivity, always check the physical comfort of children during movement; provide alternative seated options with clamouring rhythms on the knee or desk.

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This lesson fully embraces the Western Australian Curriculum’s focus on playful, sensory exploration and foundational musical concepts for Foundation Year students, targeting specific content elaborations such as movement, vocalisation, instrument playing, and listening skills to explore tempo【2:AC9AMUFD01.md】【10:AC9AMUFE01.md】. The use of metronomes helps introduce students to structured musical time, supporting both diverse learners and those ready for extension.

If you require further lessons or detailed unit plans linked to the Western Australian Curriculum, please ask!