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...

Jazz, Blue Grass, Hip Hop, Swing. Gospel, R&B, Ragtime, Disco. So many music genres born in the USA. After reading an article about the fate of New Orlean's Jazz after Hurricane Katrina, class members investigate the life cycles of...

Engage little learners in this moderately developed three-lesson unit on the composer Camille Saint-Saens and his piece "The Carnival of Animals." Each lesson includes a listening, discussion, and an art project to engage your class in...

How do a person's musical preferences influence the way they compose music of their own? Learners analyze the sound and lyrics of Alicia Keys in relation to musicians that came before. Jazz, blues, and soul music from the past are shown...

Students discover the United Nations through the use of musical examples and performance. This two day lesson requires two forty-five minute sections and delivers information about different cultures around the world. Emphasis is on...

Upper graders view the animated short, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and analyze how the music score was chosen to express the scene. They create an animation as they listen to a classical recording to experience the connection between...

Middle schoolers explore different types of music. In this music diversity lesson, students are divided into groups to listen to an assigned type of music. Middle schoolers list characterisitcs of each type of music then assign...

Students examine protest music and songs from the Civil Rights movement. In this music of the Civil Rights era lesson, students listen to selected music before working in groups to determine who the music was directed at, what social...

Students explore the music alphabet. They step up from any letter of the musical alphabet. Students practice stepping up or skipping from various letters within the musical alphabet.

Fifth graders demonstrate how to find their pulse and count the beats after a certain amount of time. In cooperative pairs, 5th graders use a stopwatch to keep track of their partner's heart rate in seconds. Pairs make a graph from their...

Using the San Francisco Children's Orchestra web site, first graders build listening and instrument identification skills. Each child wears head phones, listens to ID, and finds various instruments on the included worksheet. 

Brainstorm the reasons why a healthy heart is important. Using a diagram, label and locate the heart and discuss its function. Practice finding your heartbeat and describe the effects of physical activity on the heart. Also perform an...

Students examine the interconnectedness of different art forms. They listen to music and watch a video while determining the similarities of the themes. They make connections between books, movies, opera, dance, and music.

What is the relationship among the heart, circulation, and exercise? Your class members will explore first-hand how different physical exercises affect an individual's heart rate. They will begin by learning how to measure their own...

Students are introduced to the concept of sound and how it is presented in the world around them. Using scientific terms, they describe the properties of sound and create their own definitions of sound, music, and noise. They demonstrate...

Pupils get to encounter simple musical notations, basic keyboarding and improvisation. Students exercise on creative thinking skills. Pupils create their own musical notes.

Students explore music theory by discussing a classic song. In this musical notation lesson, students listen to the song "My Favorite Things" and discuss and share their personal tastes with the class. Students practice writing notes on...

Students explore musical pitch. In this cross curriculum musical instruments and "sound" physics instructional activity, students identify and describe common traits of woodwind instruments. Students research "pitch" and what causes...

Students study concepts of energy and energy transfer. They look at how these concepts apply to musical instruments. They study the law of conservation of energy. They use the concepts studied in the lesson to design a musical instrument.

Students understand how to successfully work in a group. Students create and perform their own autobiographical rap songs. Students conclude how rap music and music in general can help us to deal with emotional issues.

Students discover the "rule of thirds" technique used in photography through the investigation of magazine and newspaper pictures and an in-class discussion. The work of photojournalist Jeff Bizzel is emphasized.

Students explore the human voice through teacher-directed exercises and experiments in the Kindergarten or 1st grade general music classroom. Textbook references are mentioned and an assessment pattern is given.

Students investigate the history and development of jazz by studying the Louis Armstrong Hot Five. They listen to music and define how Armstrong strengthened the concept of the solo as a part of jazz. They complete guided listening lessons.

Students attend a musical and tour the Kennedy Center. They are quizzed on the Kennedy Center and theater etiquette. A discussion occurs after the field trip.