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Africa: Small Sounds From a Big Country
Students explore the music from Burundi, Zimbabwe, and Pygmy cultures. They listen to and discuss music from the African cultures, analyze the musical elements, write a song, and perform music.
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Improvising in the Birthplace of Jazz
Students recognize significant developments in New Orleans jazz music. They improvise blues licks using notes from a minor pentatonic scale.
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And You Don't Stop - 30 Years of Hip-Hop, Episode 2, Lesson 1
Students discuss Public Enemy's lyrics and compare and contrast them with songs popular during the Civil Rights Movement. They write their own rap song that expresses feelings of oppression or freedom from oppression.
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"Mambo" from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein
Students encounter and study "Mambo" from "West Side Story," by Leonard Bernstein. They practice utilizing musical elements (instrumentation, tempo, and dynamics) to create a certain mood for a scene with music. Each student interprets...
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Fan(tom) of the Opera
Students explore the ways in which the worlds of popular music and opera can work together to complement the other. They work in small groups to analyze plot, characters, setting and themes of a popular opera using a summary of that...
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Dave Matthews Band - Lesson 3
Learners discuss the impact of cultural diversity in the world around us, how it shapes conflict and unity, and relate the music of Dave Matthews Band to these societal issues and their own experiences. The compare Dave Matthews music to...
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100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll - Lesson 4
Students analyze the genres of folk and country music and the importance of the singer/songwriter. They compose their own lyrics based on an inspiring event.
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Dance: African Drumming
Students evaluate the messages in music. In this communication through music lesson, students listen to various musical selections and determine the message being conveyed in the song. Then, students create their own message as they...
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Wild and Wacky Warmups
Learners explore vocal music techniques. In this vocal music lesson, students follow a series of warmup exercises modeled by the teacher, then participate in specific breathing and vocalizing exercises.
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Music Dynamics - America the Beautiful
First graders sing America the Beautiful and understand the words to the song. In this singing social studies instructional activity, 1st graders become familiar with the images and vocabulary in America the Beautiful while singing...
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Smithsonian Jazz Class: Ella Fitzgerald
Students play "Ella's Match Game" to learn an overview of Fitzgerald's life and career. In this Ella Fitzgerald lesson, students listen to excerpts of Fitzgerald's music and respond by creating writing prompts.
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Save the Music Concert: Part 2 Composition
Learners examine why music is considered to be the "universal language" and study the expressive quality of a musical performance. They compose a melody using a computer and software which they perform on an instrument.
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Electronically Composing Music
Students complete a worksheet and discuss components of musical composition. Students familiarize themselves with the program, Finale. Students then work cooperatively to compose a musical suite.
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Musical Alphabet- Skipping Up
Students explore the musical alphabet. In this music lesson, students are introduced to the concept of skipping up and stepping up. Students complete a worksheet to reinforce the concepts taught.
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Reading Music Notation
Ninth graders develop an understanding of music notation and become proficient at reading rhythms by sight. They explore rhythms base on divisions of two and four and triplets.
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Music History: Part One
Students research the various music composers of the Baroque music period. They conduct Internet research, take notes about their selected composer, and write an essay that includes important information about their composer.
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Painting to Music
Students play a kind of musical chairs, painting around a table to music, and stopping when the music stops.
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“And Still I Rise” Proud Black Women
High schoolers examine the experiences of African American women. In this poetry lesson plan, students use their literary analysis skills to compare the poetry of Maya Angelou to rap music performed by Queen Latifah and Lauryn Hill.
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Japanese Music-Some Songs for Children
Students explore songs from Japan. In this music lesson, students listen to four Japanese folk songs and identify the characteristics of the music.
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Mexican Music
Learners explore Mexican music. In this multicultural music lesson plan, students read the lyrics of songs such as "Poll Parrot" and sing along with a recording of the song. Learners practice the pronunciation of Mexican lyrics.
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The Musical Alphabet- Stepping Up
Learners learn the musical alphabet. In this music lesson, students complete a worksheet which reinforces stepping up on the musical alphabet. Learners are graded based on the correctness of the worksheet provided.
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Bells - Making Music
First graders are introduced to the basic concepts of music. Using bells, they ring their bell when their color card has been shown. They practice a musical song with their classmates and are assigned to one bell for them to focus on. ...
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High School Lesson Plan -- Music
Students are introduced to the concept of minimal music. In groups, they identify its characteristics and its relationship to minimal art. Using the internet, they research the various historical time periods in which it was popular. ...
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Musical Alphabet- Stepping Down
Students complete a worksheet where they learn about the musical alphabet and stepping down. In this music instructional activity, students learn the definitions of down and step. Students will demonstrate their knowledge by writing a...