Curated OER
Music Styles
Students identify many genres of music and connect styles of music with various cultures. They watch "The Greatest TV Moments: Sesame Street Music A to Z" and list music styles: folk, jazz, rock, etc.
Curated OER
American Music Styles: Blues - Lesson 2
Students describe some of the distinguishing characteristics of blues music. They compare and analyze two versions of the same 12-bar blues song. They read and identify notation symbols for rhythm and tempo.
Curated OER
Styles in Context: Is it Music?
Students view the video, Behind the Music: 1992, and discuss the new genres of pop music that were emerging in that era. They discuss the content of the music and what it's like on the surface. They write an essay comparing it to other...
Curated OER
America (My Country 'Tis of Thee)
Students perform a song using correct rhythms, accurate pitches, and dynamic phrasing. They perform an accompaniment to "America" on Orff instruments.
Curated OER
Down By the Riverside
Young scholars discuss the musical genre of spirituals and its influence on our musical history. They perform various songs, and read the student score for, Down By the Riverside.
VH1
Lesson 3: Behind the Movie Chicago
In small groups and then as a class, young musicians compare and contrast two pieces from the musical film Chicago. They pair up to look at the elements that make each piece similar and define the elements or arrangements that make them...
Curated OER
Singing for the Animals
Students examine the correct attitudes and poster for a concert. In this "Singing for Animals" lesson, students created charts to diagram information about the homeless animals they were singing for. Students used correct diction and...
Syracuse University
Harlem Renaissance
The music and literature of the Harlem Renaissance defined American culture, including its poetry. Using a poem from the period, individuals explore its musical qualities and how it is reflective of the period. Then, they use what they...
Curated OER
Studying The American Musical Theatre
Students discover the group dynamics necessary to produce an American musical in this six day lesson. Themes and characterization techniques are explored during collaborative small group research projects.
Curated OER
Mariachi Mania
Ninth graders examine mariachi music and its different musical forms. In this music history lesson plan, 9th graders compare and contrast mariachi music from its beginnings to the present. Students research different aspects of the...
Curated OER
Basketball Notes
Learners add the value of various musical notes to win a chance to shoot a basketball. They compete in teams and consider the values of quarter, half and whole notes to complete related math problems.
Curated OER
The Life and Music of Celia Cruz
Students create a set and design a costume for a musical performance. In this Life of Celia Cruz lesson, students study biographical facts about Celia Cruz on the exhibition web site. Then students share their creations with the class.
Curated OER
Storytelling: Performance and Art Learning Center
Tenth graders explore the process of telling stories without words. In this literature lesson, 10th graders watch a music video performance made by Alaska Native students, and then examine art objects that may be used to tell a story,...
VH1
Lesson 2: Moulin Rouge
The pop movie Moulin Rouge was based on the opera La Boheme. Learners watch the last 30 minutes of each musical to compare and contrast social opposites. They'll first discuss the social differences of the main characters and how those...
Curated OER
Singing the Blues with Garageband
Music composition can be easy with a little software assistance. The class uses Garageband to listen to, write, sing, and record a blues song. They listen to the song provided through the software, write their own lyrics to the song,...
Curated OER
Ice -T's Rap School
Students research the history of rap and gain an understanding of the components of rap music. They experience the correlation between Shakespeare's poetry and rap music of today.
Curated OER
Jazz and World War II: A Rally to Resistance, A Catalyst for Victory
Learners examine the impact of WWII on the development of jazz music and consider how jazz music helped to boost morale of both soldiers and those left at home. They identify the function of jazz as a cultural export and discuss its...
Curated OER
Using Poetry As Inspiration for Composition
A reading of Robert Frost’s "The Road Not Taken" launches an interdisciplinary study of the connection between the meters of a poem and a melody. After identifying the number of beats in each line of the poem, young musicians use...
Curated OER
Music - Dancing To the Beat
Second graders discover the rhythm in music. Students walk around in a circle, swinging a ribbon to the beat of music. While keeping a steady beat, 2nd graders respond to suggested alterations to their rhythm.
Curated OER
VH1 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll Lesson 3
Students examine female artists who perform in the genres of rhythm & blues, jazz, soul, and hip-hop/rap. They compose lyrics and melody in one of these genres.
Curated OER
And You Don't Stop - 30 Years of Hip-Hop, Episode 2, Lesson 3
Students discuss how Run-D.M.C. brought Hip Hop into mainstream popularity. They discuss why melding two styles of music is popular and what the results have been through history. They take two songs and combine elements to make a new...
Curated OER
True Spin
Students gain an understanding of concepts of marketing and promotion in popular music. They pretend as if they are in the position of employee in a recording label's promotion department and determine what type of promotion is needed...
Curated OER
Introduction to Musical Theater
Students made oral presentations of a famous muscial theater performance. They research the musical, view selections, and listen to music.
Curated OER
Music In Your Neighborhood - Lesson 6
Learners demonstrate an awareness of music as part of daily life. They recognize that music is found throughout their neighborhood and see that music is found in neighborhoods of other cultures.