Young scholars recognize and clap the syncopated rhythmic beat of a rap song and identify recurring rhythmic pattern in the excerpt of "Dance of the Adolescents" from Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.

Students explore the Vietnam War in music. In this Vietnam activity, students listen to and analyze popular music from the Vietnam era in order to understand the use of propaganda regarding the controversial war. Students develop...

Second graders keep a steady beat, pay attention to tempo and watch the conductor.

Ninth graders examine mariachi music and its different musical forms.  In this music history lesson, 9th graders compare and contrast mariachi music from its beginnings to the present.  Students research different aspects of...

Students analyze the movement of the blues from rural Mississippi to urban Chicago and how place and the environment affected the development of the blues. They define the blues, where it originated and how and why it moved to Chicago....

"People Everyday" offers class members an opportunity to develop their literacy analysis skills and to develop media literacy. Guided by an included list of discussion questions, groups examaine the word choice, literary devices used,...

Watch this video to learn the line dance steps that are performed to the song "Rock This Party" by Bob Sinclair. The written directions are a little confusing but after watching the video it all makes sense. This is a 32-count dance that...

Students interpret the themes in Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, create a 6-line poem based on the themes in the Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, and define musical terms related to the study of programmatic music in...

In this excellent music and history lesson, 1st graders watch movies and listen to music sung by Elvis Presley, then draw and write as if they were a famous singer. This entertaining and inventive lesson has a terrific assessment...

Young scholars 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...

Students examine influences on the creation and development of music.

Students listen to different types of music, such as bluegrass, rap and blues. They identify different styles of music and musical instruments. They discuss how the music reflects culture.

Students compose a written music review of one of today's popular bluegrass musicians after they read online essays and journals about the modern bluegrass music scene look over and discuss recent music reviews

Students explore popular music in its historical context. In this music lesson plan, students examine the lyrics, musicical arrangement, and video imagery of selected songs to interpret the messages and themes of the songs.

Students analyze rock art. In this rock art lesson, students research cultures that created rock art, analyze their art pieces, and compose essays regarding their findings.

Students explore their own responses to sound by hearing the music as a regular part of the class structure. They develop an awareness that certain art evokes certain sounds and moods and develop an intuitive responses to the music.

Fourth graders discover time keeping by analyzing technological advances in history.  In this time lesson, 4th graders create and complete a KWL chart based on their research of a famous timekeeping invention, such as a sundial....

Twelfth graders use music to aid them in interpreting poetry. In this poetry lesson, 12th graders analyze the lyrics, figurative language, and literary devices of selected music. Students compare the music to the poetry of Samuel...

Students explore the American dream. In this contemporary music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs by Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, and David Massengill. Students create 3-D representations of the American dream and write...

Students explore the connections between Langson Hughes and blues music. In this African American culture lesson, students compare and contrast blues music with poetry and short stories by Langston Hughes.

Students with disabilities are provided with a dance experience. This could be done as an inclusion activity. They dance to Jail House Rock by Elvis Presley.

Latin American culture is deeply embedded in American culture as a whole. From the Latin rock scene in San Francisco to the hip-hop world of New York, Latin American artists have influenced every genre of modern music. Learn about the...

High schoolers examine role spirituals have played in African American history and religion, examine Harriet Tubman's use of spirituals in her work, explore power of spirituals in Civil Rights Movement, and work with oral tradition,...

Students explore history of technological advances in making, recording, and listening to music that have intrigued and inspired musicians and scientists for decades.