Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Sakura Sakura" and the Kumoijoshi Scale of Japan

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students listen to a recording of "Sakura" and determine where it is from. In this global sound lesson, students view pictures of cherry blossoms and connect its significance to Japanese culture. Students sing the score while...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

William Tell Overture: Finale

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students analyze the William Tell Overture for meter and conducting, among other musical concepts in a three-lesson unit. They practice conducting patterns and identify eighth and quarter notes and chord roots.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An American Ballad - Lesson 1

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers listen to and analyze the ballad "American Pie." They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan. They circle the appropriate descriptive words of the song's medium form, melody, tempo and dynamics, and style.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Mary J. Blige

For Students 4th - 8th
For this famous person worksheet, students read a passage about Mary J. Blige and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rockin' Chair, Louis Armstrong and Jack Teagarden

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students examine the life and music of Louis Armstrong, the first great jazz musician. The musical techniques of call and response is listened to and then copied in musical conversations in this lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Blues Improvisation

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students practice playing and improvising while playing the 12 bar blues. They practice compositional skills, evaluate and perform musical pieces focused on the blues.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

VH1 Ultimate Albums Bob Marley - Legend Episode #3

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students compare Reggae to other musical genres and identify rhythms. They study the history and musical significance of Reggae as a musical genre.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Vitamin A

For Teachers K - 6th
Students explore non-locomotor movements and instrument improvisation creating accompaniments to the song "Vitamin A" in this elementary-level General Music instructional activity. The instructional activity nutrition messages links and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pitch, Intonation, Harmonic Theory

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students listen to pitches and determine if they are in tune, flat or sharp. Using Aurelia computer software and playing as a band, students practice pitch theory, and play two-octave major scales. They practice and discuss how to tune...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

KEYBOARDS

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders become familiar with appearance and characteristic sound of piano, identify piano as part of percussion family, find middle C on the keyboard, observe scale, chord, and "broken" chord, and listen to a well-known classical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students compare and contrast Jamie Foxx's early musical career with the careers of J.S. Back and F.J. Haydn. They watch and discuss a segment of "VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx," listen to a hymn, and complete a worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Commemorations Across Cultures

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explore how different cultures commemorate people and events. They research how commemorations are created through music, painting, sculpture, photography, architecture, and poetry. In collaborative, students create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kandinsky Color Studies

For Teachers K - 8th
Students study the artist Wassily Kandinsky as well as his art and and music. In this art appreciation lesson, students view a variety of Kandinsky's work and circular color studies. Students relate the use of color to emotion...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

VH1 Road to Fame: Harry Connick Jr.

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students sing songs by Harry Connick Jr. and then learn different musical terms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning to Play Together

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars listen to and discuss American music genres, specifically ragtime, bebop/bop, and swing, and experiment with improvisation on traditional tunes and rhythms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Haydn's Surprise

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students listen to Haydn's "Surprise" and use the score to create themes and variations with other rhythms. They create poems using Haydn's rhythm in the symphony and research his life. They also use "body percussion" to play parts of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

William Tell Overture

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the musical concepts of rhythm, melody, expression, and tone color in a three-lesson plan unit about the William Tell Overture. They identify dynamics and tempo and play a vocal tone color singing game.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx, Lesson 3

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars examine the blues, poetry, the Harlem Renaissance, and the 12-bar blues form. They watch a segment from the video, "VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx," participate in a class discussion, and listen to songs by Ray Charles and a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Taking it to the Streets

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars explain the concept of cultural diffusion. They give examples of cultural diffusion throughout history; e.g. the development of Cuban music and dance. Students explain how cultural diffusion impacts civilizations, past...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pay it Forward

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students explore the basic concept of micro-financing. In this economics/literacy lesson, students listen to One Hen by Katie Smith, in which a small loan changes the life of the main character. Students employ comprehension strategies...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Runaway Slaves

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine struggles for freedom. In this Underground Railroad lesson, students listen to "Follow the Drinking Gourd" and "Freedom" to lead them into a discussion regarding freedoms . Students watch the video "The Freedom...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sakura

For Teachers 4th - 11th
Students create, notate, and perform the melody of and a rhythmic accompaniment to the traditional Japanese folk song, Sakura. This lesson requires a networked computer lab with headphones.