Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Cloud Sculpting
Dance is a fantastic way to communicate thoughts, feelings, and even science concepts. Make this activity a part of your next unit on weather and clouds. Kids will discuss types of clouds, how they look, and what they do. Then, they will...
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Native American Song and Dance
Students examine the importance of the drum and drumming in the cultural context of the Native American. Musical insturments and native dance is employed to support the focus of the lesson.
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The Percussion Family
Second graders complete a unit to learn about the percussion family and African and Latin drumming. In this percussion instructional activity, 2nd graders complete 9 lessons to learn about the percussion family. Students learn to use...
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VH1 Driven: Kanye West, Lesson 3
Students compose a beat in the style of Kanye West. They listen to and analyze the song, "Through the Wire" by Kanye West, compose a beat, and complete a worksheet.
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Caloric Expenditure in Powwow Dancing
Sixth graders investigate the meaning of different types of Native American music and dance. They determine how this music and dance has contributed to modern music and dance. They problem solve to determine the average length of the...
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Dancing Hands, Abstract Drawings
Students discover African musical rhythms by performing Ancestral Spirit Dances. In this musical lesson, students research Willis "Bing" Davis and the abstract work he created. Students listen to Yoruba drum music and...
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Where Blues and Jazz Started
In this blues and jazz music worksheet, students read about the origins and basic concepts of blues and jazz music in 2 brief articles. Students then respond to 12 short answer questions regarding the music with its roots in slavery times.
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Instruments
In this musical instrument word map worksheet, students study the names of 12 musical instruments. Students place these names in word maps. The instruments all begin with capital letters even though they are common nouns.
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VH1 Driven: Shakira, Lesson 3
Students watch a video about the life of Latin singer/pop star, Shakira and identify the elements that make her music unique. They explore Latin music and dance and research the music and dance of a specific Latin American country.
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Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Plain - Kenya
Students accompany music to the story Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Plain - Kenya to show how sound and music can accompany story description. In this music instructional activity, students learn how to show sound during a story.
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Math and Music
First graders play a variety of learning games to reinforce addition and subtraction skills.
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Tony Bennett VH1 Storytellers for VH1 Save the Music
Students explore what messages lyrics give to their listeners. They use music from Tony Bennett and the Backstreet Boys.
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Elements of Music
Students identify three of the essential elements of music: rhythm, melody and harmony. They discover a simple song which will illustrate these three elements separately and bring them together in a final form. They analyze and critique...
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Music: Cut Time
Sixth graders examine the concept of cut time prior to a band performance. After observing a DVD of a snare drum performance, they determine if the piece is in 2, 3, or 4 time. Finally, they play solos that are recorded and analyzed.
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Rhythm in Language - Feel the SWAMP BEAT!
Students explore the rhythm of words. In this reading skills lesson, students read Bedtime at the Swamp and use rhythm instruments to find the cadence in the words of the story. Students listen for rhythm in other written text as they...
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Meter Readers Turned Composers
Students compose eight measures of music after they practice interpreting time/signature meter.
Reed Novel Studies
Pippi Longstocking: Novel Study
Have you every known someone that marches to the beat of a different drum? That is exactly what Pippi from Astrid Lindgren's Pippi Longstocking does! Scholars complete a worksheet packet as they read about Pippi's outrageous...
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The Role of the Musician and His Instruments in the Civil War
Fifth graders listen to and discuss the music of the Civil War Era in order to better explain society during this time period. They identify the musical instruments and write their own word to accompany the music of one of the songs.
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High and Low Tones
Learners perform movements to trigger high and low tones in music produced by percussionists.
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Dance is B.E.S.T.: Time
Students demonstrate dance activities and rhythm activities to whole, half, quarter, and eighth notes. They clap and move to notes individually and in 16 count metric phrases. As they create different 16 count metric phrases and...
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Storyline Drum Circle
Students perform story songs. For this rhythmic motives lesson, students practice melodies, variations, and accompaniments as they read Peter Seeger's Abiyoyo and create compositions to present it as a story-song.
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Where Blues And Jazz Started
In this music history worksheet, students will read five paragraphs about the history of blues and jazz music and respond to 10 short answer questions.
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Rhythmic Expression
Students discover movement and expression to music/sound through a series of teacher-led exercises and role plays. This lesson is ideal for the middle school drama class with possibilities for adaptation to any level of drama or general...
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Le Rejouissance
In this music worksheet, students read about "Le Rejouissance" by Handel. The story begins with King George II of Great Britain in the Spring of 1749.