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Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

The Vocal Blues: Created in the Deep South of the U.S.

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Bring the sounds of the deep South vocal blues to the classroom with a Smithsonian Folkways lesson. In preparation, scholars listen to and count the 12 bar blues patterns in several works and identify the I, II, IV, and V chords as well...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

A Step-to-Step Guide to Playing the 12 Bar-Blues

For Students 6th - 12th
For this playing the 12 bar blues music worksheet, students follow 4 steps outlined to introduce the 12 bar blues to them and then respond to 3 short answer questions.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Guitar - 12 Bar Blues

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the chord chart for 12-bar blues in C and then play the scales on the guitar. They play their scales at a moderate tempo and practice related arpeggios. After listening to "Band in the Box" music tracks, students...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Blues Music

For Students 3rd - 7th
In this music history activity, students will read 4 paragraphs about the history of Blues. Then students will answer six questions using complete sentences.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Twelve-Bar Blues

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine blues music. In this music genres activity, students discover details about the history of the musical genre and compositional techniques. Students then compose melodies of their own with 12-bar blues chord progression.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Blues Music

For Students 5th - 12th
For this blues music worksheet, students read a brief description of this genre of music and then respond to 6 short answer questions regarding the information presented in this worksheet.
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Worksheet
Special needs in Music

Music Work Sheet (Special Ed)

For Students K - 12th
Music is beneficial for all learners. Help your learners with special needs learn about different styles of music, as well as the ways that music is represented on paper, with 30 different worksheets. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Music Styles: Blues - Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students describe some of the distinguishing characteristics of blues music. They compare and analyze two versions of the same 12-bar blues song. They read and identify notation symbols for rhythm and tempo.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I've Got the Blues!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify the musical form of the 12-bar blues. They identify a problem from the "Farming in the 1940's" section and compose a 12-bar blues song. make comparisons between problems of the 1940's and today.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Blues Improvisation

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students practice playing and improvising while playing the 12 bar blues. They practice compositional skills, evaluate and perform musical pieces focused on the blues.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Signin' the Blues with Rock, Rap 'n Roll

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders listen to recordings and study jazz and the blues music. They identify the instrumentation and explore the 12-bar blues progression. After experimenting with different sound, 6th graders create their own arrangement, with...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jazz and Math: Improvisation Permutations

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students observe that there are myriad combinations of rhythms to choose from when improvising jazz and blues music, and recognize that while the variations seem infinite, they are in fact finite. They notate a 12 bar blues progression...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

VH1 Road to Fame: Harry Connick Jr. - Lesson 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students sing a vocal improvisation on a 12-bar blues progression. After watching a video on Harry Connick Jr., students try their own scat singing on the two-measure break.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tradition through storytelling and music

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students discover how storytelling can shape a person's tradition.Students examine different methods of storytelling such as music, biographies, and African folktales. They then demonstrate their knowledge of storytelling by writing...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx, Lesson 3

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the blues, poetry, the Harlem Renaissance, and the 12-bar blues form. They watch a segment from the video, "VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx," participate in a class discussion, and listen to songs by Ray Charles and a poem by...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to the Blues

For Teachers K - 12th
Students learn the basic elements of blues and different lyric structures.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

VH1 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll Lesson 3

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine female artists who perform in the genres of rhythm & blues, jazz, soul, and hip-hop/rap. They compose lyrics and melody in one of these genres.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America Music In America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study early New Orleans Jazz music and recognize Louis Armstrong as an early jazz artist. They recognize the elements and roots of Jazz.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing the Blues

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students assess the blues as musical poetry. They place the writing of blues music in historical context and write (and read) their own blues lyrics. They perform for the class and others.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jazz and Math: Improvisation Permutations

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners explore the various rhythmic combinations in jazz and blues music. They watch a video segment, apply a mathematical formula to calculate the number of possible rhythmic combinations, and perform a combination of notes and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Went to the Crossroads: The Faust Theme in Music, Film and Literature

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze song lyrics and discuss Faust theme in musical history. In this thematic lesson, students view a film clip and create a song lyric, poem or short story developed around the Faust theme. Students perform or present their...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Blues and Folk Music Workshop

For Students 6th - 7th
In these informational texts worksheets, students read the detailed flyer for the Blues and Folk Music Workshop. Students then answer 8 multiple choice questions about the text.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Listen to Music

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Learners listen to, analyze, and describe music. They identify examples of music forms including such as motive phhrase, 4-bar phrase, canon, and rondo. In addition, they perform a dance called a partner mixer and model the pattern for...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Robert Henri, the Harlem Renaissance and You

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine the artwork of Robert Henri. Using his pieces, they compare and contrast it to the works during the Harlem Renaissance. They create a HyperStudio project showing the Ashcan School of Art with music accompanying the...