Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Instruments from Various Cultures
After a review of orchestral instruments and instrument families, learners make their own. They listen to the song "Simple Gifts" and identify the instruments heard in the piece. Then they draw an instrument of their own invention,...
Curated OER
Dancing the Colors of Birds
Students explore colors through storytelling and dance. In this visual arts lesson, students view the painting "Bird and Cornstalk Rug" and identify three colors. Students express how the colors make them feel through the rhythm of...
Curated OER
Instrument Families
From the clarinet to maracas, this PowerPoint covers various instruments in the 4 instrument families: woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion. Descriptions and pictures of instruments in the four families are provided. Slides 19-22...
Curated OER
Find the Main Idea
It's important for learners to be able to identify the main point in an article, paper, or essay. Start by having them identify the main idea in a short paragraph. There are three short paragraphs (each with four multiple choice options)...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Rhythm Patterns
Fractions can be tricky. Why not have kids think of fractions like they think of eighth, quarter, and half notes? In teams, the class creates four-measure patterns with their percussion instruments. They need to explain their rhythm...
Sargent Art
Rainsticks
This rainstick lesson isn't just about making art; it's about understanding Native American symbols and culture. Kids read about the use of rainsticks and why specific symbols were used to decorate them. They then make their own...
Quaver
Large Coffee Can Bongo
Want to make some music but you don't have the instruments? Get a start on your percussion section with a creative bongo drum project! Young musicians use a coffee can, packing tape, and colorful paper to create the perfect percussive...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Push and Pull
I love mixing arts lessons with core content! Here, the class will discuss energy, motion, and force (push/pull) as they review dance vocabulary and movements. They preview vocabulary for force and dance. Then they pair-up to dance a...
Curated OER
Elementary Lesson Plan - Instruments
Fourth graders identify two different types of mallets, discuss how percussion instruments are played, recognize that there are many types of mallets that produce different sounds on percussion instruments, and work in small groups to...
Curated OER
There Ya Go, Bobby McFerrin, Creativity ans Jazz
Students examine the percussion sounds used to create percussive sounds and identify the instruments that Bobby McFerrin imitates in his scat vocals. A scat version of the musical piece "So What" is improvised in this lesson.
Curated OER
Sound
Learners examine ways to produce sound. In this sound science lesson, students brainstorm ways to make sound and participate in several centers to demonstrate sound. An example of a center is using a clothes hanger and a thin rope to...
Curated OER
Lucha Music
Middle schoolers listen to four styles of Mexican music, and create percussion instruments which they use to play each style. Additionally, learners create Lucha Libre masks which are also a part of the colorful culture of Mexico. These...
Curated OER
Creative Expressions: Making Puppets
Students are introduced to the very basic geography of Indonesia. In groups, they examine the different types of puppets and decide on which one to make. They travel between various stations to complete their puppet in which they use...
Curated OER
9 Easy to Make Musical Instruments for Kids
Students create various musical instruments out of everyday and recycled items.
Curated OER
Sounds Like Science - Drums
Students see that understanding how sound is produced makes it possible for us to manipulate it so we can decrease the number of unpleasant sounds we encounter. They make a drum to explore the concepts of force, pitch and volume.
Curated OER
Singing a round
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....
Curated OER
Rhythm in Motion
Any age of elementary student can demonstrate their understanding of the connections of elements of art and music by creating their own slit song. You will investigate and study the Melanesian Slit Song with Kindergartners through Junior...
Curated OER
Hunt the Fact Monster Hunt #23
In this internet research activity, students answer three multiple choice and seven short answer questions by using the Fact Monster search engine.
Curated OER
And the Beat Goes On...
Students respond to the Indian folktale, The Drum. In this philanthropy lesson, students reflect upon the folktale and demonstrate ways one person can make a difference in the world. Students construct a Powerpoint presentation as a...
Curated OER
K-2: Dino-Rhythms
Second graders read rhythm notation and combine four-beat rhythms. In this rhythms lesson, 2nd graders read quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests in rhythms that are written on dinosaur shapes. They clap, snap, or stamp out the...
Curated OER
The Listening Walk
Learners play instruments that reflect sounds in the story: hoots, toots, creaking, shrieks, clacking, crunching, whooshing, etc. They make vocal sounds from the story: whispered, sniffled, sigh, giggled, croaked, laughed. The...
Curated OER
Yes We Can! Students with Autism & Down-Syndrome on the Drums!
To learn about various topics and improve their social skills, learners with special needs play along with music on drums and other sound objects. Teachers take digital pictures of the learners participation and use them to make bulletin...
Curated OER
Maracas
Students create Maracas out of various supplies while learning about percussion instruments in this Art and Music instructional activity for the elementary and middle level classroom. Detailed directions for two different methods are...
Curated OER
Filling in the Picture
Young scholars study archaeological sites. They discover some of the problems inherent in choosing sites and what parts are chosen for excavation. They evaluate and explain their choices for study and articulate the process of...