Criteria for Assessing Teacher Resources

Turn your classroom into a music studio as groups work together to determine why music sounds different when performed live versus a recording. After listening to some different music, each group picks a poem, creates a recording, and...

Young composers demonstrate their understanding of the stylistic features of descriptive music, including pitch, tempo, dynamics, rhythm, and timbre, by developing a melody and countermelody for a main character in a story. As part of...

Students study the role of the flute in Native American music while determining what an exemplary example of flute music sounds like. They develop a method of assessing a Native American flute performance. They perform a Native American...

Students examine individuality.  In this music video instructional activity, students listen to music by India Arie to determine how music shapes our ideas of what normal is as well as how music is a form of poetry.  Activities are...

Bats usually get a bad rap. Scholars learn about the importance of bats and the threat their declining population has on the environment. They then build bat houses to attract and welcome bats into the area.

High schoolers assess the impact of music to portray emotions and tell stories. Examples are taken from the life of Rosa Parks and a piece of band music called "A Movement for Rosa". Evaluation is accomplished through in-class...

Students listen to a portion of Handel's Water Music Suite and hypothesize about what would happen if you tapped on the edge of a glass with varying levels of water. They experiment with the glasses and, in small groups, compose their...

Students evaluate in class performance of music previously prepared by the ensemble. The rubric and assessment criteria are adaptable to any orchestra setting which allows the teacher to choose music to be assessed. Critical thinking...

Between the time scientists discovered Pluto and reclassified it as a dwarf planet, it did not even make one full revolution around the sun. In two activities, scholars investigate scale models and their properties. Pupils find that it...

In this excellent music and history instructional activity, 1st graders watch movies and listen to music sung by Elvis Presley, then draw and write as if they were a famous singer. This entertaining and inventive instructional activity...

Even an outline can give you enough information to execute an awsome project. The tasks for each of the seven weeks of this project are defined, as well as the objective and specific content facilitated through the project. Learners will...

Students use recyclable material they bring from home to create a musical instrument. They play their instrument for the class and work as a class to play as in a band or orchestra. Students discuss recycling, and other uses they can put...

When would two paws up denote a blockbuster film in your classroom? Only when young writers create movie reviews from a pet's perspective in this imaginative expository writing practice. This engaging topic begins with a class discussion...

Second graders practice dance using different speeds of music and types of movement. In this dance instructional activity, 2nd graders view a clip of tap dancing and analyze the speed of music in coordinating with the speed of dance...

Third graders define, identify, measure, and assess the level and impact of violence in media. The media forms evaluated include music, sitcoms, news, and other programs that are identified and shared by the class. 

Students perform in musical ensembles using the district adjudication sheet to assess their performance. They practice for the district music festival.

Students create and perform original musical compositions using poetry as a basis for the creative process. This cross-curricular two-day lesson can be done in two 45 minute class periods. Students evaluate performances as part of...

The students discuss what the purposes of performances are and what different types of performances a musician can participate in. The students analyze both visually, and audibly different performances, discuss the performances, and...

Students in groups present their research as a group and each student delivers a shoe box of their total work. They assess the process of how to research a topic and present it in a meaningful multimedia presentation. Each group chooses...

Students explore various aspects of French life. They determine which topic dealing with French history, art, food, music, dance, celebrations or traditions they research and present.

First graders sing about their body. In this music activity students sing the songs "I Shake My Thumb" and "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes". After they sing the songs and add different body parts to extend the songs they label a...

Pupils are introduced to the elements in poetry. After listening to music, they discuss how it made them feel and what the lyrics mean to them. Individually, they are given specific elements to write their poem and share it with the...

Students determine what designates a place as a region. They apply their criteria for a region to the US map. They work in groups to write a rap about their region that describes its organization, type and structure.

Students examine various sounds that are played on musical instruments. They conduct an experiment to listening to different instruments. They define significant vocabulary like "vibration" and "oscillation". Students suggest ways that...