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Storytellers: Coldplay

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students discover the importance of lyrics in the successful combination of music and words in the process of composing a song. They discuss how emotion-based lyrics influence the creative aspects in composing a song.
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ABBA - Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students identify and notate the musical device known as a "hook". They notate and perform rhythmic and melodic patterns in the ABBA song "Mamma Mia".
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Tracking the Monster: Ashley Judd and Indie.Arie Confront AIDS in Africa - Lesson 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers are introduced to the field of music therapy. They listen to new music and gain a better understanding of the AIDS worldwide epidemic. Small groups develop a music therapy program.
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Behind the Movie Chicago

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the genre of the musical film and its history. They draw conclusions on relationships between a stage musical and a musical film. They share the results of their research as a class.
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Whitman and Lincoln

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students determine if Lincoln and Whitman ever met and write a dialogue between the two men. In this Whitman and Lincoln lesson, students read Whitman's poem "Beat! Beat! Drums!" and connect it to the events of Lincoln's presidency....
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Babar's Travels

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students read the story The Story of Babar and have a class discussion about his travels, discuss their families, design a map, pick music, and more. In this cross curricular musical lesson plan, students create a music map for each of...
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And You Don't Stop - 30 Years of Hip-Hop

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students discuss the role of the rapper in Hip Hop music and how the rapper promoted their group's DJ. They compose a short rap about a fellow student highlighting that student's accomplishments and good traits.
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Bob Marley - Legend Episode #3 - Lesson 4

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze and describe Reggae music using correct musical terms to discuss tonality, instrumentation, meter and tempo. They experiment with singing and dancing to Reggae music in a style appropriate to the genre.
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Gospel Beginnings - Lesson 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students identify genres of music that influenced musical style of Aretha Franklin. They identify musical characteristics of gospel and sing a gospel selection. They pay particular attention to the call and response style.
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VH1 Presents the 1980s - Lesson 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners identify different genres of music popular in the 1980s. They study musicians of the 1980s examples of the songs that they made popular. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan to categorize the music.
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What I Want to be When I Grow Up

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders discover different careers in music. In this career exploration lesson, 6th graders explore four different categories of music careers: music education, music performance, music business and music therapy. Students...
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Rock Art Around the World

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze rock art. In this rock art lesson, students research cultures that created rock art, analyze their art pieces, and compose essays regarding their findings.
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Boosting Rap's Rep

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners consider the negative image that some have of rap and hip-hop music through discussion and reading an opinion piece from The New York Times. They create CD cover artwork reflecting these messages.
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25 Greatest Protest Songs

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers analyze the lyrics of protest songs as a catalyst for social change. They discuss the influence of music on behavior and explain the use of music as historical record.
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Bob Marley - Legend Episode #3 - Lesson 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pupils recognize and describe elements of Bob Marley's life that influenced his song writing as evidenced in the song "No Woman No Cry". They identify the elements of music characteristic of Reggae.
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From Sacred to Secular: Exploration of Vocal Styles/Crossing between styles - Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners identify some of Aretha Franklin's vocal qualities and techniques. They have a discussion of styles of music they heard on the video, including gospel, jazz, pop, rhythm and blues, and opera.
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A Song for Today - Lesson 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze musical and topical elements in popular songs and compose song as a classroom effort. They write a short paragraph evaluating the effectiveness of the song in conveying the message of the lyrics.
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The Young One

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students explore the challenges faced by a woman in the male-dominated music business. They consider all information from a film or television production carefully, and come to personal conclusions based on all available evidence
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Compare and Contrast Composers

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners identify various pieces of music that are familiar to them and define how the music made them feel. Then they select their favorite piece of music heard and the activities in which they like to do. Students also attend a...
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Rock and Poetry: A Thematic Project

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore poetry. In this literature lesson, students examine music and lyrics by Natalie Merchant in order to make the transition to analyzing poetry by Keats and Wordsworth.
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Just the Facts, Jack

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders listen to music and discuss their responses to different styles separating their comments into facts and opinions. They evaluate a worksheet of statements by classifying the statements into fact and opinion.
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Introduction to Poetry

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are introduced to poetry and music. They discuss what the two have in common. They identify a song as their favorite and explain why.
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The Poetry of Langston Hughes

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students read aloud Langston Hughes poems. They select a poem and read aloud to music.
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Instrumental Rehearsals for Excellence - Lesson 3

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pupils identify some characteristics of successful music teachers and rehearsals. They develop a list of criteria for evaluating the quality of a performance, and apply those criteria to a specific performance.