Playing Instruments Teacher Resources

Find Playing Instruments lesson plans and worksheets
Showing 71 resources
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Singing "What's New With Me"

For Teachers K
Kindergarteners sing the song, "What's New With Me" adding rhythm with each go around. They clap, tap, and sing along with the teacher. Note: The song or song lyrics are not included.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

String Instruments and Pitch

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students make predictions and explore how pitch is altered in string instruments. In this acoustic science lesson, students learn the types and parts of string instruments and create their own. They listen to classical music and identify...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Original Rhythm Compositions for Poetry

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students create and perform original musical compositions using poetry as a basis for the creative process. This cross-curricular two-day lesson plan can be done in two 45 minute class periods. Students evaluate performances as part of...
Worksheet
Curated OER

African Music

For Students 6th - 10th
In this African music worksheet, students read about how family life, community music, and rhythms are part of the culture and music of Africa.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pitch Drills

For Teachers K - 6th
Stduents reinforce pitch recognition. Changing passing tones to hums and later to just thinking them in the mind s ear, the pitch phrase is reduced to the skip or interval desir
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Haydn 's Surprise

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars explore the background of Haydn's Surprise and the texture of the music. The teacher uses mouse and lion puppets to demonstrate soft and loud music. They tiptoe and stomp to display the concept. and play a soft/loud...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Viennese Music Clock

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the music concepts of ryhthm, melody, form, and harmony in a three-lesson plan unit. They listen to the Viennese Music Clock and demonstrate moving to the beat, create improvised melodies, and play percussion accompaniment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Concerto for Recorder, Oboe and Bassoon by Antonio Vivaldi

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study the life and music of Antonio Vivaldi. They analyze and practice playing the various parts of Concerto a la Vivaldi on recorders. They record themselves and compare their performance to that of the same composition...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Multistep Problems

For Students 4th - 5th
In this multi-step problem solving worksheet, students analyze a chart that shows musical instruments and their prices. After reading the instructions and examples provided, students solve two multi-step problems.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Places in a School

For Students 4th - 8th
In this places in a school crossword puzzle, students use the 12 sentence clues to correctly complete the word puzzle that pertains to school words.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Singing In Canon

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders analyze and discuss the four seasons and how each can be represented in song form. This lesson is intended for the third grade Music classroom but could be adapted for any elementary grade. State and National Standards...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

William Tell Overture

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the musical concepts of rhythm, melody, expression, and tone color in a three-lesson unit about the William Tell Overture. They identify dynamics and tempo and play a vocal tone color singing game.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Haydn's Surprise

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students listen to Haydn's "Surprise" and use the score to create themes and variations with other rhythms. They create poems using Haydn's rhythm in the symphony and research his life. They also use "body percussion" to play parts of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

William Tell Overture: Finale

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students analyze the William Tell Overture for meter and conducting, among other musical concepts in a three-lesson unit. They practice conducting patterns and identify eighth and quarter notes and chord roots.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bam, Chi, Chi, Bam

For Teachers K
Students create a class poem based on the song, Bam, Chi, Chi, Bam. The class participates in a brief discussion of the music of Jamaica and the feelings conveyed by this music. After listening to the song, students create a poem to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Let's Write a Song"

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders brainstorm ideas that answer the question, "What is a song?" They determine the parts of a song, read lyrics, and listen to a song while identifying the chorus. They repeat the procedure with a new song before working in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geo Jammin' - Day 4, Lesson 15: Geo Jingo Jivin'

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders explore how musical instruments h ave varying geometric shape, and how those geometric shapes correspond to three-dimenaional shapes that students have studied.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tony Bennett VH1 Storytellers for VH1 Save the Music

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore what messages lyrics give to their listeners. They use music from Tony Bennett and the Backstreet Boys.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Singing in the Round

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders experience different songs that are themed to match the seasons of the year. Each season will have a different song for the students to play non-pitched instruments, moving in rhythm and learning the pattern of a round.
Interactive
PBS

Pbs Kids: Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: Music Shop

For Students Pre-K - 1st
During this interactive game based on the PBS Kids series Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, Daniel Tiger and his friends practice playing instruments in a music shop. [Requires Flash Player].
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Working the Battery!

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson focuses on teaching the final percussion number in a band performance. Students practice the technique of marching while playing instruments. The lesson also focuses on rhythmic interpretation, timing, and musicianship....
Article
Other

Pay the Piper

For Students 3rd - 8th
A resource for children who want to play a musical instrument, and their parents, this website includes answers to such questions as "Where do you get lessons?" and "How much will a new instrument cost?" Also included are informational...
Interactive
New York Times

New York Times: Crossword Puzzle: Musical Instruments

For Teachers 9th - 10th
An interactive and printable crossword puzzle developed by the New York Times Learning Network. The theme of this puzzle is Musical Instruments.

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