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Echo Songs

First graders learn to sing echo songs (call and response) — listening to a leader, then singing the part right back — building listening skills, memory, and confidence singing together.

Grade 1Singing30 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 an echo song.
  • ✓Listen and echo.
  • ✓Order the steps.
  • ✓Take turns leading.
Essential Question

In an echo song, one person sings a part — and then YOU sing it right back, like an echo! How do you play an echo 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
Put in Order · Interactive

Order the Echo-Song Steps

Project this and have children put the steps of an echo song in order — from listening to taking a turn.

🎤 Put the echo-song steps in order!Try it
Tap the first step!
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 — Echo Echo!

4 min

One person sings, and YOU sing it back like an echo — how?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sing a line to echo.
  • Ask them to echo.
  • Warm up.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Listen.
  • Echo.
  • Warm up.
2

Explore — Explore Echo Songs

8 min

Children explore.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Send children to Order the Echo-Song Steps.
  • Order them.
  • Listen closely.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Order them.
  • Listen.
  • Explain.
3

Create — Create

9 min

Children create.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Echo a sung line.
  • Echo the next line.
  • Sing it the same way.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Echo it.
  • Echo more.
  • Match it.
4

Perform — Perform

6 min

Children perform.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Sing a whole echo song.
  • Take a turn leading.
  • Be kind.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Sing it.
  • Lead it.
  • Be kind.
5

Reflect — Reflect

3 min

Children respond.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Name the first step.
  • Say how to be a good echo.
  • Complete the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Name it.
  • Say it.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the National Core Arts Standards (Music).

NCAS
MU:Pr4.2.1

Sing echo (call and response) songs.

NCAS
MU:Pr6.1.1

Perform music with others.

NCAS
MU:Cr1.1.1

Explore melody by echoing.

NCAS
MU:Re7.1.1

Listen and respond to music.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Step picture cards.
  • Sentence frame: “First ___, then ___.”
  • Model an echo song.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Start with listen and echo.
  • Echo one line.
  • Copy the leader.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Lead an echo song.
  • Add hand motions.
  • Echo a longer song.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Screen / board
  • 🎵Echo songs
  • 💻Order the Echo-Song Steps
  • 🎤A pretend mic
  • 🖍️Crayons
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

echo songa song you sing backcallthe leader’s partresponseyour part backlistento hear closelyrememberto keep in mindechoto sing it backleaderthe one who sings firsttake turnsto each have a turn
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 is the FIRST step in an echo song?
Listen to the leader sing a part.
QUESTION 2
What do you do after you listen?
Remember it and echo it back the same way.
QUESTION 3
In an echo song, do you sing it back the same or different?
The same — like an echo.

Reflect: echo it.

Have children play an echo song with a family member, taking turns being the leader. A printable echo 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.

🃏 Echo SongsFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
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Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

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

📝 Echo SongsQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
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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.

🖨️ Echo SongsPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: call, echo, echo song, leader, listen, remember, response, take turns
  1. the one who sings first
  2. to keep in mind
  3. your part back
  4. to sing it back
  5. to each have a turn
  6. to hear closely
  7. the leader’s part
  8. a song you sing back

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What is the FIRST step in an echo song?
  2. What do you do after you listen?
  3. In an echo song, do you sing it back the same or different?
Answer key — Part A: 1) leader · 2) remember · 3) response · 4) echo · 5) take turns · 6) listen · 7) call · 8) echo song
Part B: 1) Listen to the leader sing a part. 2) Remember it and echo it back the same way. 3) The same — like an echo.