Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Instruments from Various Cultures
After a review of orchestral instruments and instrument families, learners make their own. They listen to the song "Simple Gifts" and identify the instruments heard in the piece. Then they draw an instrument of their own invention,...
San Francisco Symphony
Prehistoric Music
What was music like during the Stone Age? Learners listen to a CD entitled, Art of Primitive Sound as they consider the culture of people in the Stone Age. They use objects found in nature to create instruments, and then perform a...
San Francisco Symphony
Music and Early Man
Creative projects are great ways to increase interest in topical research. Middle schoolers learning about primitive life styles in the Americas explore the importance of music to hunter gatherers. They research and create musical...
Curated OER
Exploring the Families of Instruments
Students investigate the families of instruments. In this instrument lesson, students discuss how each instrument family makes their sound. Students then make their own instruments. Students write a paragraph about their favorite musical...
Curated OER
Chinese Instruments
Students explore Chinese instruments. In this Chinese instrument music lesson, students listen to a performance by Liu Fang and describe the sounds they hear. Students classify western and Chinese instruments according to their...
Curated OER
Designing Musical Instruments
Students examine musical instruments as main part of the study of sound energy. In this designing instruments lesson plan, students focus on the elements of an instrument that cause sound to be created and design a unique musical...
Curated OER
Making Music
Students create auditory musical patterns. In this patterns lesson, students create a pattern using their hands, feet, dancing, and snapping their fingers. Students use a recorder to recreate a pattern.
Curated OER
Instruments of the Orchestra Race
Middle schoolers receive a musical instrument of the orchestra and the family it belongs to. They run when the teacher calls either the instrument or the family.
DiscoverE
Arts and Engineering Activity Packet: Grades 3-5
Art and science sometimes go hand in hand. A set of four activities for learners in grades 3-5 teaches engineering concepts as part of art projects. Class members build homemade robots, elastic puppets, musical instruments, and...
Quaver
World Percussion — Latin America Project Book
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.
Curated OER
Catch the Gullah Beat: Rhythm and Percussion
Students explore the Gullah culture. In this social studies instructional activity, students construct and play instruments similar to those of the Gullah people.
Curated OER
Class Rap
Students explore rap music and its components. They listen to examples of rap music and discuss their common features. After selecting a topic, they compose a rap with both words and the beat and sing it to the class. As a class they...
Curated OER
Musical Milfoil
Students play a game that is a version of musical chairs to introduce them to invasive aquatic plants. In this aquatic plants lesson plan, students play 4 rounds of this game.
Curated OER
9 Easy to Make Musical Instruments for Kids
Students create various musical instruments out of everyday and recycled items.
Curated OER
Lucha Music
Middle schoolers listen to four styles of Mexican music, and create percussion instruments which they use to play each style. Additionally, learners create Lucha Libre masks which are also a part of the colorful culture of Mexico. These...
Curated OER
Science of Sound- Music Sandwich
Students investigate the science of sound. In this music activity, students create sound and vibration by constructing a "music sandwich." Students use craft sticks, an elastic band, and a drinking straw to create the musical instrument.
Curated OER
Music in the Common Schools
Students sing songs from the common schools era and compare music from the common schools era and today. In this music lesson plan, students look at pictures, fill out Venn Diagrams, and listen to music.
Curated OER
Wind
Students make a wind vane, anemometer, wind spiral, and wind streamer to calculate wind movement. In this wind lesson plan, students test each of their wind instruments, and graph the results of the wind speed in different locations.
Curated OER
Music in Nature
Students research the Incan civilization. In this Incan civilization lesson plan, students study the geography of the Andes mountains and play an Andean siku. Students discuss how the sounds of nature influenced their musical piece.
Curated OER
When I Was Young In Appalachia
Students comapre and contrast the lifestyles of the people of the Applachian region with their own community through in-class discussions, creative projects, hands-on activities, food preservation, homemade remedies, home construction,...
Curated OER
Activities Using Music From Saint-Saens & Moussorgsky
Student create a fish and listen to music while imagining their fish are swimming. In this music lesson, students identify instruments played and move their fish to the movement. Students work with kangaroos and elephants to music as...
Curated OER
Music and Technology
Students analyze the lyrics, instruments, sounds and technology from the song "Vertigo" by U2. They view a video presenting interviews with the band and complete a stage design for the live playing of the song.
Curated OER
Make a Theme Song
Pupils listen to music and the different messages it sends and then they make a theme song for a campaign. In this theme song lesson plan, students learn about propaganda and the importance of music.
Curated OER
Study Guide for Lelavision's Physical Music
Students complete activities for physical music analysis. In this physical music lesson, students read the biography for Lelavision musical sculptures, complete a sound and motion activity, and a making music activity. Students also...