Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

African American Music: Let’s Sing and Play Clapping Games

For Teachers K - 2nd
Two lessons focus on making a beat. Using popular African American music of its time, scholars listen and analyze the rhythm then recreate it with hands drums, and cups. 
PPT
Curated OER

Music Patterns

For Teachers K - 1st
Little ones can listen and follow along with the images to practice making rhythmic patterns. They clap and play to a variety of simple beats. This is a great way to build coordination, listening skills, pattern recognition, and music...
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Jamaican Song, Dance, and Play: Experiences with Jamaican Musical Traditions

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young musicians experience song, dance, and play of the Jamaican culture. Scholars listen for and recreate beats, they play tunes, make up original dances, and play a game that challenges pupils to pass stones to a specific beat.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

7.RP Music Companies, Variation 1

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
We've got the beat! And your musically-minded mathematicians will tap their toes as they determine which music company would be getting a better deal based on their offers to buy out TunesTown. The topic is extended in an additional...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Michael Jackson's “Beat It” Dance

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Looking for a line dance? Look no further. This dance is performed to Michael Jackson's "Beat It". It is comprised of four eight-counts. The moves consist of walking forward, swinging the hips, doing the grapevine, walking backwards, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Michael Jackson's "Beat It" Dance

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Learn this 32-count line dance. There are four eight-counts that repeat throughout the song. The steps include walking forward, walking backward, pivots, grapevine, and some jumps. All in all this is a simple and quick dance to learn....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

To The Beat

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
This activity is two-fold in that it addresses having youngsters get a feel for different rhythms in music and in practicing their underhand tossing skills. Gather all kinds of equipment to throw, such as: yarn balls, spider balls, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Math, Fractions, and Music

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discover the relationship between musical rhythms and fractions. They add musical notes together to produce fractions and create addition and subtraction problems with musical notes. Students complete worksheets and create their...
Activity
Amani Project

Make an Instrument

For Students 3rd - 8th
Create a little harmony with Amani Project! Young musicians create their instruments using found or recycled objects. As an introduction, class members first experiment with sounds they can make with their bodies (clapping, stomping...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Your Pulse Rate

For Teachers 5th
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...
Lesson Plan
Little Kids Rock

The Latin Rhythms of “Despacito”

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
When you hear the first few beats of "Despacito," the unrivaled Latin pop hit of 2017, you can't keep your feet from moving! A music analysis lesson plan examines the intoxicating hit by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee and introduces the...
Activity
Curated OER

Musical Activities for Early Childhood Inclusion

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
Get your movers and shakers grooving to the beat with this series of musical activities designed to meet everyone's needs! Ten games, using an assortment of instruments, bring awareness to one's body, brain, and social interactions in a...
Handout
Music Fun

Time Signatures

For Students 2nd - 12th
You'll never miss a beat with a resource packet filled with puzzles, quizzes, and activity worksheets that focus on time signatures. Don't quaver or rest until you score this packet.
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Feel the Beat of the Drums

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
These percussion instruments have a rich history and a variety of uses.
Activity
Amani Project

The 5 Elements of Music

For Students 3rd - 8th
A series of activities teach young musicians that they don't need a room full of instruments to make music. The second activity in the Amani Project has participants use their hands, feet, and voices to demonstrate the five elements of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MUSICAL MYSTERIES

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the concept of steady beat and develop listening skills.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Visual Aural Impressions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students view a piece of impressionist art, listen to a piece of jazz music and then write a piece about the picture in the style of beat poets. They compare their writing and look for differences in their perceptions.
Activity
Kansas Music Educators Association

Games for the Elementary Music Classroom

For Teachers K - 6th
Perfect for music specialists, classroom teachers, and substitutes, a packet of 18 games includes complete lessons as well as short activities for when you have some extra time at the end of class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Singing a round

For Teachers 4th
Kids use their hands, bodies, and voices to explore the musical concept of a round. They say vegetable words while stomping and clapping out a rhythm in unison and then in a round. They then sing a round while maintaining a steady beat....
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Singing for Justice: Following the Musical Journey of “This Little Light of Mine”

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Scholars go on a musical journey to discover the origin, importance, and evolution of the song, "This Little Light of Mine". Class members boost their voice talents and clap to the beat while learning the lyrics in both English and Zulu....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Viennese Musical Clock"

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders learn about musical patterns as they play a game called fudge. Students are assessed based on whether they were able to identify and play a steady beat, use the appropriate form, and clap the rythmic patterns.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Beat, Earn and Win Exercise

For Students 4th - 5th
In this vocabulary recognition worksheet, students read examples of using the terms beat, earn and win, apply them to fill in the blanks completing sentences, and create additional sentences. Students write 18 answers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beat a Leaf

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
A simple, yet effective classroom activity is described in this resource on leaves and how they grow. The activity should lead pupils to discover how plants make their own food and what they need to survive. In the activity, they create...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Musical Rhythm and Pulse

For Students 4th - 5th
In this music worksheet, students examine the use of rhythm and pulse in musical pieces. They practice clapping beats that include rests in the given rhythm boxes. They compose their own beat in a rhythm box.