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Fast & Slow

Second graders learn about tempo — how music can be fast like a marching band or slow like a lullaby — and how the speed of the music helps set its mood.

Grade 2Tempo30 minutes1 class periodArtistic ProcessExplicit teaching4 StandardsNCAS
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Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain tempo.
  • ✓Tell fast from slow.
  • ✓Match music to activities.
  • ✓Move to the tempo.
Essential Question

Some songs make you want to run and dance, and some make you feel sleepy! How fast or slow music goes is called tempo. How does tempo change a song?

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Lesson Phases
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Vocabulary Terms
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Standards Aligned
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Interactive Task
Explore · Interactive

Fast & Slow Check

Project each item and have children answer about fast and slow music. The tool explains tempo.

🏃 Understand fast & slow (tempo)Try it
Answer each question about fast and slow music.
The Lesson · Artistic Process (Listen · Explore · Create · Perform · Reflect)

30 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Listen — Run or Rest

4 min

Some songs make you dance, some make you sleepy — that’s tempo!

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Play fast and slow claps.
  • Ask which is which.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Guess.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Explore Tempo

8 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Fast & Slow Check.
  • Note tempo.
  • Move fast and slow.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Answer.
  • Note it.
  • Move.
3

Create — Create

9 min

Children create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Clap a fast beat.
  • Clap a slow beat.
  • Change speed.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Clap fast.
  • Clap slow.
  • Change it.
4

Perform — Perform

6 min

Children perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Move to fast music.
  • Move to slow music.
  • Be kind.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Move fast.
  • Move slow.
  • Be kind.
5

Reflect — Reflect

3 min

Children close.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name the speed word (tempo).
  • Give a fast song.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name it.
  • Give one.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Music).

NCAS
MU:Pr4.2.2

Perform music at different tempos.

NCAS
MU:Re7.2.2

Describe fast and slow tempo.

NCAS
MU:Cr1.1.2

Explore tempo in movement.

NCAS
MU:Re7.1.2

Recognize tempo in music.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Fast/slow picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “This song is ___.”
  • Move to the beat.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with fast vs. slow.
  • Use pictures.
  • Move along.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Speed up and slow down.
  • Match songs to moods.
  • Draw fast and slow.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎵Fast and slow music
  • 💻Fast & Slow Check
  • 👟Space to move
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

tempohow fast or slow music isfastquick, speedyslownot fast, gentlebeatthe steady pulse of musicmarchto step in timelullabya slow, soft songspeedhow fast something goesmoodthe feeling of music
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What do we call how fast or slow music is?
Tempo.
QUESTION 2
Would a marching song be fast or slow?
Fast.
QUESTION 3
Would a lullaby be fast or slow?
Slow.

Reflect: fast and slow.

Have children move fast to a fast song and slow to a slow song. A printable tempo sheet is in the Arts library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Fast & SlowFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Fast & SlowQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Fast & SlowPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: beat, fast, lullaby, march, mood, slow, speed, tempo
  1. the steady pulse of music
  2. how fast or slow music is
  3. how fast something goes
  4. not fast, gentle
  5. to step in time
  6. a slow, soft song
  7. the feeling of music
  8. quick, speedy

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What do we call how fast or slow music is?
  2. Would a marching song be fast or slow?
  3. Would a lullaby be fast or slow?
Answer key — Part A: 1) beat · 2) tempo · 3) speed · 4) slow · 5) march · 6) lullaby · 7) mood · 8) fast
Part B: 1) Tempo. 2) Fast. 3) Slow.