Feel the Sound

Overview

Lesson 4 of 5 in the unit: Rhythm and Dynamics Exploration
Focus: Exploring musical dynamics with an emphasis on forte (loud) and piano (soft)
Duration: 45 minutes
Year Level: Years 4–6
Number of Students: 30

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Curriculum Links

Learning Area: The Arts – Music
Curriculum Level: Level 2–3 of the New Zealand Curriculum
Achievement Objectives (NZC Level 2–3):

• Develop practical knowledge: Explore and express musical elements including dynamics.
• Communicating and interpreting: Share music ideas using appropriate terminology (e.g., forte and piano).
• Understanding music in context: Recognise how contrasting dynamics can express mood, place, and culture.

The lesson also fosters the following Key Competencies:

• Participating and contributing – through group performance.
• Thinking – when analysing how dynamics influence music.
• Using language, symbols, and texts – in identifying and using musical terms.

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Learning Intentions

By the end of this session, ākonga will:

• Understand and accurately use the terms forte and piano.
• Demonstrate the ability to play or sing with different dynamic levels.
• Reflect on how dynamics change the mood or emotion of music.

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Success Criteria

Students can:

• Correctly identify examples of forte and piano in music.
• Perform short rhythmic patterns using both forte and piano.
• Work collaboratively in a group to create a short performance using dynamic variation.

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Resources Needed

• Instrument sets (non-pitched percussion) – e.g., claves, drums, tambourines, maracas (enough for groups of 5)
• Whiteboard and markers
• “Dynamic flashcards” – one with “Forte 🔊” and one with “Piano 🔉” per group
• Pre-loaded playlist of short, age-appropriate music clips with clear loud/soft changes (e.g., classical, Disney, Māori waiata)
• Dynamic movement cards (optional), with movements to match forte and piano
• Reflection sheets or printed exit tickets

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Lesson Breakdown

⏱ 1. Whakawhanaungatanga & Warm-up (5 minutes)

Purpose: Establish focus and prepare students’ bodies and minds for music-making.

• Begin with a short karakia or musical greeting.
• Quick body warm-up: Students echo body rhythms in different dynamics (e.g., clapping softly and loudly).
• Introduce today’s focus: “Today, we’re feeling the difference between loud (forte) and soft (piano). Let’s discover how sound changes the way we feel.”

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⏱ 2. Listening Discovery (10 minutes)

Purpose: Develop an aural awareness of dynamics.

1. Play three 30-second music excerpts:

   • Clip 1: Classical (Beethoven or Tchaikovsky – forte section)
   • Clip 2: Lullaby or waiata that uses piano
   • Clip 3: A short Māori or Pacific piece with changing dynamics

2. After each, students respond:

   • Was it forte or piano?
   • What emotion did it create?
   • What scene or story might go with that sound?

Teaching Tip: Write responses on a whiteboard using a Venn diagram to show how music can shift between dynamics.

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⏱ 3. Group Exploration (15 minutes)

Purpose: Experiment with dynamics using simple instruments.

• Divide the class into six groups of five.
• Hand each group three instruments and two dynamic flashcards (forte/piano).
• Set up a repeating 4-beat rhythm as a demonstration: 🥁 ta ta ti-ti ta

Task:

1. Groups practise performing the 4-beat rhythm twice, once using piano, once using forte.
2. A leader from each group holds up the appropriate flashcard before they begin.
3. The teacher walks around providing feedback on accuracy and expression.

Extension: Have groups combine dynamics in one mini-composition: 4 beats piano, 4 beats forte.

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⏱ 4. Showcase Circle (7 minutes)

Purpose: Share learning and build confidence.

• Arrange students in a big circle.
• Groups take turns performing their mini-compositions for the class using their dynamics.
• After each performance, short peer reflection:
  • “What dynamic did they start with?”
  • “How did the changes make it feel?”

Encourage tau kē (awesome) feedback: “I liked when your group played softly, it felt like a whisper!”

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⏱ 5. Reflection & Wrap-Up (5 minutes)

Purpose: Reinforce learning and assess understanding.

• Quick-fire quiz: Teacher says a household sound (e.g., “dog bark”) and students physically respond piano or forte with their hands or facial expressions.

Exit Slip (Paper or Line-Up Style)
Students answer this on their way out the door:

“Today I learned that forte means ____ and piano means _____. My favourite part was _____.”

Collect these to inform next lesson’s planning.

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Differentiation Strategies

• Visual learners: benefit from flashcards and movement prompts.
• Auditory learners: focus on listening tasks and verbal connections.
• Kinesthetic learners: connect through movement-based warm-ups and instrument play.
• Extensions: Students create a 3-part sound story using a beginning (piano), middle (forte), and end (piano) structure.

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Culturally Responsive Practice

• Incorporate Māori and Pacific musical examples that highlight the use of dynamics.
• Use Te Reo Māori where appropriate (e.g., rongo – listen, tākaro – play, kōrero – talk).

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Next Steps

In Lesson 5, students will:

• Apply their understanding of rhythm and dynamics to create and perform a short original group piece.
• Incorporate body percussion, found sounds, and vocalisations.

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Ka pai tō mahi – well done on bringing music learning to life!