Musical Mood Magic

Lesson 6: Why Does This Song Make Me Feel Happy?

Duration

30 MIN

Objective

Students will be able to identify the mood of a piece of music and describe how it makes them feel using movement and visual prompts.

Materials Needed

Slides: Music and Feelings
Musical Moods Chart
Mixed genre music playlist
Colorful crayons or markers

Key Concepts

Mood & Emotion

How music feels inside.

Happy vs. Sad

Major vs. minor musical tones.

Calm vs. Excited

Tempo and energy in music.

Instructional Arc

5 MIN

Mood Matching Warm-up

Teacher makes a face (Happy, Sad, Scared, Silly). Students must mimic the face and then move their body in a way that matches the feeling (e.g., small, shaky steps for "Scared").

5 MIN

Discuss Music & Emotions

Show slides with different emoji feelings. Play short clips of music. Ask: "Which emoji matches this song? Why?" Introduce words like "Bright," "Heavy," "Fast," or "Floating."

10 MIN

Listen & Identify Moods

Students use the "Musical Moods Chart." Play four distinct songs. For each, students color in the face that matches the music and use a color they think "fits" the song.

7 MIN

Emotion Dance Activity

Clear the space. "We are going to dance our feelings!" Play a series of clips. Change from a bouncy pop song to a slow cello solo. Help students transition their body language.

3 MIN

Cool-down with Calming Music

Play very soft, slow lullaby-style music. Students lie on their backs and pretend they are floating on a cloud. Finish with one big "calm" breath.

Color & Sound

Encourage students to associate colors with sound. "What color is this trumpet? Is it bright yellow or dark blue?" There is no right answer, only their personal connection.

Listening Tips

Use "Carnival of the Animals" by Saint-Saëns. The Swan (calm), The Elephant (heavy/slow), and The Kangaroos (excited) are perfect for this age group.

Musical Mood Magic

Musical Mood Lesson Plan

Music and Feelings Slides

Musical Moods Chart Worksheet