Indigenous Music Teacher Resources

Learn about the music of Latin America! Four types of music are defined by their instruments, uses, and cultural impact or influences. Indigenous, Iberian, African influenced, and Urban music are all discussed. 

What's the most popular music style in Brazil? What about Cuba? Or the Dominican Republic? An immersive project teaches young learners about the salsa, the samba, and the merengue with research assignments and dance performances.

Fifth graders examine musical instruments used by the indigenous people of the rainforest, and analyze how music is used in their daily lives. They create a model, using natural materials, of a musical instrument used by indigenous...

Students are introduced to several forms of indigenous European music. Students become familiar with instruments, musical and forms and styles from Spain, Sardinia, Austria and Switzerland. Students recreate selected rhythms and styles.

Fourth graders are given a worksheet stating the goal of the day, different sections to visit, and time spent on each section. They are given the CDs, 4th graders are told to insert the CDs into the computer. Students go to The Plains...

Discover the rich cultural traditions and remarkable ingenuity of indigenous people and African slaves by learning about one of the most popular percussion instruments in the world today.

Students explore the music from Burundi, Zimbabwe, and Pygmy cultures. They listen to and discuss music from the African cultures, analyze the musical elements, write a song, and perform music.

Students explore indigenous and Native cultures, and promote appreciation for the contributions from these cultures. They explore the concept of cultural conservation and gain more understanding about the issues that tribes face today. ...

Sixth graders investigate the meaning of different types of Native American music and dance. They determine how this music and dance has contributed to modern music and dance. They problem solve to determine the average length of the...

Students study Kenya's culture and see how people and things can be different and similar at the same time. They create a pictograph of objects from each culture that are used in similar ways and examine a few Swahili words.

In this lesson, students will examine Hawaii's issues of colonization, authority, authenticity and cultural identity, and understand the distinction between native and non-native Hawaiians. This lesson includes links to videos, links to...

A 154-page anthology explores the life, culture, and history of Native Americans. Eight lessons follow the routine of introducing the reading, conducting the reading, discussing it, doing word work, then taking part in an extension...

Students explore three animals indigenous to Asia. They dress up like an Asian animal, listen to Asian music and explore the countries the animals are native to.

Students discover the history of the American family and the affects of immigration. In addition, they examine the contributions of minority families to American culture. In groups, students explore the pros and cons of dual-income...

Learners discuss the impact of environmental change on people and culture; create musical instruments that reflect cultural influences. apply musical concepts, evaluate Internet resources, and make a meaningful presentation.

Fourth graders use Publisher to create their own magazine. In this online magazine instructional activity, 4th graders follow the instructions to create a magazine using text, pictures, and colors within the Publisher system.

Barrio de Paz is the story of Nelsa Libertad Curbelo, a nun, who works with the gang youth of Guayaquil, Ecuador. The 17-minute documentary focuses on her explanations for the rise of gangs and for how gang culture reflects societal values.

Charles V was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire during its (arguably) most tumultuous period: the Protestant Reformation. Examine Charles V's rise to power, lofty objectives, and ultimate failure with a video from Crash Course World...

Young scholars explore the culture of Korea. In this Korean culture instructional activity, students examine visual and textual works regarding Korea. Young scholars also examine dance, architecture, and food of the country.

Young scholars investigate the lure of snack-food advertisements to explain how snacks can fit into a healthy diet.

Students discover how to find authoritative resources. In this research skills lesson, students examine strategies for using the Internet effectively to research global development issues.

In this International Jazz Day learning exercise, students complete activities such as reading a passage, phrase matching, fill in the blanks, correct words, multiple choice, spelling, sequencing, scrambled sentences, writing questions,...

Middle schoolers comprehend that Mexico is a country. They identify two types of regions in Mexico. Students comprehend that many people in Mexico speak Spanish. They use three Spainsh words. Studnents begin to relate simple words...