Explore the world through music with two lessons that bring focus to four composers—Gabriela Lena Frank, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Bedrř˘ich Smetana, and Mason Bates. After listening to musical pieces and viewing informative videos, scholars...

The introduction to Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and the finale of his Symphony No. 4 provide young musicians with an opportunity to investigate the music elements composers employ to develop the themes they want to create. They compare the...

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...

What sound does a piccolo make? What's the difference between a violin and viola? What family does a timpani belong to? Take a tour through the different sections of an orchestra with an interactive reference tool.

Channel the masters with an interactive music composition activity! Learners use the online tool to create their own masterpieces one measure at a time.

Young musicians learn more about the greats with a straightforward activity on historical composers. As they click through a navigation guide, they choose a musical time period and a composer from that period before taking a short quiz.

Is your music appreciation class feeling a bit adagio this afternoon? Pick up the pace and get them feeling andante with a straightforward music theory activity. After defining several terms for musical dynamics and musical tempos,...

Is concertmaster another term for conductor, or is he or she another person entirely? Learn the specifics of the role of concertmaster with an activity focused on classical music. After learners define the term, they select a piece of...

Different pieces of music can elicit different emotions from audience members. A quick tempo can make you feel happy, while a largo piece may bring out a melancholy temperament. Elementary musicians learn more about the instruments and...

What song is playing? A music activity focuses on composers throughout history, their famous works, and the instruments in each piece. As pupils complete the learning exercise they play a short game to review music theory terms.

Take a quick tour through the last 350 years of music composition with an interactive timeline tool. As learners scroll through the years, they see which composers were born and working during the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern...

How many of the world's greatest composers were born in Austria? Or Germany? Or the United States? An interactive map provides young musicians with information about prominent composers in the last few centuries, as well as the periods...

What do Johann Sebastian Bach and Miles Davis have in common? Much more than class members might imagine. The comparison of these two famous composers is just one lesson in a unit that investigates many facets of the music industry...

Duke Ellington was one of the most prominent and exciting jazz musicians of the 20th century. After reading a brief passage on the famous composer, readers answer 10 reading response questions.

Students react to a series of statements about Beethoven, then read a news article about the sale of a 179-year-old manuscript by the musical genius. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and...

While this is not a instructional activity, it could potentially take as long as one. This is a 73-question test to administer to those studying music. They'll need to answer questions regarding general music terminology, theory, and...

VH1 Music Studio has put out another great lesson that incorporates analysis, compare/contrast, and musical terminology. Kids will listen to the song "Habanera" considering the use of specific instruments in evoking a sense of location....

Students design attractive posters to promote the work of Leroy Anderson, an American composer with an unusual style.

A reading of Robert Frost’s "The Road Not Taken" launches an interdisciplinary study of the connection between the meters of a poem and a melody. After identifying the number of beats in each line of the poem, young musicians use...

An outstanding lesson on music awaits your young composers! They learn about patterns found in music, the different sections of an orchestra, and see the differences between musicians and a composer. Excellent streamed videos and good...

A great source of nonfiction reading material, this resource consists of a series of five short reading passages about modern music, composition principles, and various composers. Accompanying each reading is a different activity for...

Students compose original songs in 4/4 time to learn the elements used in the formation of music: tempo, pitch, meter, rhythm, and melody. This introductory activity can be done in two 30-minute class periods.

This worksheet about Stravinsky's ballet, The Firebird, provides information about the composer, the ballet, and the "Infernal Dance." It also includes questions about the music, as well as extension activities such as a puppet show.

This music appreciation worksheet on "Hungarian Dance #5" by Johannes Brahms provides information about the composer and the piece. It also includes a "listening map", a music maze, and word scramble.