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VH1 Storytellers for Save the Music Starring Billy Joel

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine recordings of Billy Joel.
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Broccoli

For Teachers K - 6th
Young scholars compose, notate, and evaluate their own rhythmic compositions using the song "Broccoli" for inspiration in this excellent elementary-level General Music lesson. Emphasis is placed upon four-measure patterns and the classic...
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Rondo with B-A-G

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners explore music notes. For this music lesson, students sing the song "Hot Cross Buns" and practice playing it on melody bells to find the letter and rhythm notation. They create a new phrase to the rhythm of this song. 
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Sakura

For Teachers 4th - 11th
Pupils 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.
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VH1 Goes Inside (Out) Trey and Dave Go to Africa

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers discuss the Western method of teaching and learning music and compare that to the aural transmission method used around the world. They practice singing two songs using aural transmission and watch a video showing...
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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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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.
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B is for Banana

For Teachers K - 6th
Students practice and perform the song "B is for Banana" using their knowledge of basic rhythms in 4/4 and student-created rhythm accompaniment based on speech. This excellent lesson is provided by the MENC (National Association for...
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Phytochemicals

For Teachers K - 6th
Students create movement, improvise rhythmic accompaniment, practice, and perform the song "Phytochemicals" in this excellent elementary-level General Music lesson. The lesson includes lesson challenges for more advanced students.
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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 lesson plan. The lesson plan nutrition messages links and student challenges for...
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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.
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Salad Sisters

For Teachers K - 6th
Students practice and perform 8 and 16 beat rhythmic patterns in 4/4 using the song "Salad Sisters" as a basis in this elementary-level General Music lesson. An amazing lesson for teaching cooperative music composition techniques and...
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Fifty States In Rhyme

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students perform "Fifty States in Rhyme" with correct posture, correct rhythms, and accurate pitches. They also identify and perform such musical terms as tone color, tempo, dynamics, phrases, and accents. Emphasis is placed on the...
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Younger Generation

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students discuss the composer Aaron Copland and the lyricist Ira Gershwin and their significance in/contributions to American music of their time while singing the song "Younger Generation" in the choir setting. Emphasis is placed on...
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"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...
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Lullabies From Around the World

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars investigate lullabies from Ghana, Poland, and India. In this music lesson, students learn several lullabies from several countries and find the rhythm and pulse within each song.
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Authentic and 1/2 Cadences

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore authentic and 1/2 cadences. They use authentic and 1/2 cadence and perform their works in small groups. Students use technology to notate all compositions. Students discuss the most common progressions in traditional,...
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Putting The Dance Back Into Mazurka

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students investigate the music and dance of Mazurka. They view a PowerPoint presentation that outlines some of the basic information. Then students listen to the music and dance to it. They are shown a new dance and then asked to perform...
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Understanding Place Value

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders study place value. After forming teams, they play a game called, "Who Can Line Up the Number." Students observe numbers in expanded form and place representative digits in the correct order.
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How to Use the Distributive Property of Multiplication

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders evaluate the distributive property of multiplication. In this multiplication lesson, 4th graders discover how the distributive property makes problem solving faster. Students complete several problems demonstrating their...
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Broccoli

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Young scholars sing a song and figure out the rhythm notation for pharases while describing the benefits of broccoli. They compose a four-measure pattern using the rhythms of these phrases. They play the rhythm patterns with the recording.
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Composing with Non-Chord Tones to Ornament a Melody

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students develop melodies based on a simple chord progression. They develop the tools need to begin to compose their own music. Students explore the qualities of each NCT and identify them in a composition. They develop listening skills...
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Sakura

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders perform the song "Sakura" from the Standard of Excellence book for peers and are assessed based upon that performance in this instructional activity for Beginning Band. Emphasis is placed upon positive comments and public...
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Groovy Time

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars compose their own eight measure melody in a D scale. Using a software program, they enter the half, quarter and eighth notes in the order they prefer. To end the lesson, they play their music for the class and critique...