Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teaching the Instruments of the Orchestra to Young Students using the San Francisco Symphony Kids’ Website

For Teachers 1st
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. 
Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Sounds of the Silk Road

For Students 6th - 12th
Young explorers may not be able to travel the Silk Road but they can listen to music that was played on instruments of the time and create their own songs with the help of an interesting interactive resource. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meet the Instruments of the Orchestra

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students examine the characteristics of the four families of instruments. They read an eBook, unscramble instruments and categorize them in the correct families, take a quiz, and explore the San Francisco Symphony website.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE LITTLE PRINCE

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students demonstrate knowledge of musical instruments and the families of the orchestra. They acknowledge different voice types found in opera. Students interpret emotional expressions through listening. They compose sounds to express...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Instruments of the Orchestra Race

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students receive a musical instrument of the orchestra and the family it belongs to. They run when the teacher calls either the instrument or the family.
Worksheet
Classics for Kids

Instrumental Sounds

For Students 4th - 5th
What sound does a piccolo make? What's the difference between a violin and viola? What family does a timpani belong to? Take a tour through the different sections of an orchestra with an interactive reference tool.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Brass Instruments of the Orchestra

For Students 7th
For this orchestra worksheet, 7th graders read about the brass instruments which include the French horn, tuba, trombone, and the trumpet. They fill in the blanks in 8 sentences about the brass section of the orchestra.
Handout
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Music Fun

Musical Instruments

For Students 2nd - 12th
Membranophones? Aerophones? How about strings? Percussion? You need not be a music instructor to benefit from a packet of 24 worksheets that introduce aspiring musicians to the various instrument families.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Ultimate Instrument!

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders identify the four instrument families of the symphony orchestra. They listen to the instruments and compare the similarities and differences of each of the four families. They design and create an instrument that belongs to...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Instruments of the Orchestra

For Students 9th - 12th
In this music worksheet, students find the words related to the musical instruments of an orchestra. The Answers are found at the bottom of the page.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Musical Instruments of the Orchestra

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students listen to "The William Tell Overture," identify instruments, sounds and other characteristics of the music. They compare and contrast orchestra music to large band music. Students discuss the musical composition and how the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Role of the Opera Orchestra

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners listen to and examine a recording of the opera Don Pasquale and study the various musical instruments in an orchestra. They discuss the difference between a symphony orchestra and an opera orchestra. Finally they play the music...
Activity
Canada's National Arts Center

Vivaldi and The Four Seasons: Teacher Resource Kit

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Did you know that Vivaldi wrote "Winter," the final concerto of his The Four Seasons, in the key of F minor to echo the sleigh ride pieces popular at the time? A teacher resource kit, designed to support a study of the work, is packed...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Orchestra: Exploring the Instruments

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the instruments of the orchestra. In this music appreciation lesson, students discover the four families of instruments and research each of them using selected Internet sources.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Instruments of the Orchestra- Flute and Oboe

For Teachers K - 5th
Young scholars name the different families in an orchestra, name many of the instruments in each family, listen to an orchestral recording to identify the flute and oboe and listen to the melody of a piece.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orchestra: Focus on Rhythm and Arranging

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High school orchestra is a great place to play music, like The Star Spangled Banner. Upper graders create new rhythms to the old song and perform them with the class. They rehearse their updated versions of the song using their...
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

THE TRAVELS OF BABAR: An Adventure in Scale : The Instruments of the Orchestra

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students classify the classes of instruments of the orchestra: strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion. They aurally and visually identify the instruments of the orchestra. Students become actively engaged in live performances by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Introduction To The Instruments Of The Orchestra

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students explore a variety of instruments to discover their sound. After watching an orchestra play, students discover the categories of instruments such as woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion. In teams, they listen to music and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Folk Songs, Instruments of the Orchestra

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders study Folk Songs and instruments of the orchestra in these lessons. They recognize the difference between folk songs and classical music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Musical Instrument Families

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Using graphics, and an easy-to-understand format, this resource outlines the different kinds of instruments and their characteristics. This presentation could be used as an introduction to instruments for students getting ready to...
Worksheet
Classics for Kids

Instruments Have a Family

For Students K - 3rd Standards
Are the instruments in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in the same family as those in George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue? Elementary musicians work on their music theory and their instrumental ear as they listen to clips of famous...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music: Instruments of the Orchestra

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars identify various musical instruments and explain their roles in an orchestra. Following a Powerpoint presentation, students discuss what they have discovered in small groups. Then, each groups devises four questions...
Activity
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Fun Music Company

Substitute Lesson Ideas For The Music Teacher

For Teachers K - 5th
Have to sub for a music class on short notice? Or have some extra time to play with? Never fear! Help is here in the form of 20 sure-fire music activities and worksheets tested and submitted by music teachers. A great resource to add to...