Classics for Kids
Composers and Their Countries
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...
Curated OER
Louisiana's Legendary Musicians
Young scholars identify and interpret what legendary traditional musicians of Louisiana that allows them to hear new genres of traditional music. They also identify what it means to be a legendary artist and read, write, and create a...
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Musician Extraordinaire Based on the DC Quarter Reverse
Learners develop an understanding of the role of a musician, composer, and conductor. In this musician instructional activity, students examine the District of Columbia quarter and see that Duke Ellington is on the reverse side. They...
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Duke Ellington: Great American Musician and Composer
Students delve into the life and music of Duke Ellington as a major American musician and composer. The elements that made the sound of his orchestra unique and the talents of his band members are explored in this lesson plan.
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Classics for Kids: Josef Haydn
In this Josef Haydn worksheet, students read about the composer and his works. Students then respond to a musical instrument question, a word scramble question, and solve a word search.
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African-American Musicians
Students research three African-American musicians and compose a report based upon their research in this Music Appreciation lesson for the middle level classroom. The lesson could be adapted for various student levels and abilities.
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Poets Got Them Blues
Contemplate what music learners listen to and why they listen. Can they find poetry within music lyrics? Specifically hone in on blues lyrics and ruminate upon the social issues prevalent in the themes. Particular song lyrics coincide...
Berklee College of Music
Create Your Own Afro-Latin Groove
The backbone of Latin American music is the beat! Young musicians work on blending Afro-Latin rhythms and beat patterns before incorporating the major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, and blues scales in their own compositions.
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Kotekan: A Cooperative Music Activity
Young musicians explore the rhythms and sounds of Balinese gamelan music, then create their own. They listen to several examples of gamelan music, then use their instruments to mimic the rhythms they hear. After a warm up and practice,...
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Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor
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...
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Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Duke Ellington
Students read Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis Pinkney. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the life of the 20th century composer. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and...
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Mozart's Magic
Students become familiar with the young composer through his life's story and his music. They get to make some music of their own by using musical instruments that exist both online and all around them.
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Unionized We Stand
Students compose a statement of basic rights to protect their own health and well-being. They research the history, power and purpose of unions in the United States before creating their own union to promote the interests of students.
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Music of the Great Depression
Eleventh graders take a closer look at the music of the Great Depression. In this 1930's America lesson, 11th graders read and analyze the provided lyrics of 6 songs from the era. Students then compose their own lyrics for songs that...
iTheatrics and Broadway
School of Rock the Musical: Education Guide
That old fashioned rock and roll comes alive as theatre arts students prepare to attend a live performance of the musical School of Rock. Packed with both pre- and post-production materials, the guide has it all. Rock on!
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200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons
Learners define the term "exoticism" and identify musical elements used by 19th and 20th century composers and modern pop icons to convey exoticism.
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Wyclef Jean for VH1 Storytellers
Students watch a video with Wyclef Jean. They identify lawful uses of copyrighted materials and explain the interrelated roles of composer, lyricist, publisher, performer, agent, and record company.
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A Cultural Look into the Faces of Mexican History
Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Manuel de Elias, and Alfonso Garcia Robles have greatly inspired and sculpted Mexican cutlure and history.
Library of Congress
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance brought forth many American art forms including jazz, and the writings of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. Using a carefully curated set of documents from the Library of Congress, pupils see the cultural...
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Vienna in 1900
Vienna in the 1900's was a place alive with new ideas, music, and innovative art.
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Musical Roles
Learners watch a videotape on the musical career of Aretha Franklin and explore the different careers in the music industry.
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Global Music: Steve Reich – Ghana, Bali, America and Germany
Students explore the music of Steve Reich. In this global music lesson, students compare the music compositions of Steve Reich to African and Balinese music. Students discuss their personal comparisons.
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Inspired by Muses, Graces and Fates
Young scholars examine how artists express the Muses through the arts. In this art and history lesson, students work cooperatively to identify the Greek Muses, Graces and the Fates. Young scholars will identify the attributes of each,...
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Black American Musicans: Precursors of Jazz
Students trace the course of Black music from the 1900's to the beginning of the jazz age. They realize that when education is defined as enlightened training for a place in society and for individual personal development, it was highly...