Education Closet
West Side Shifts
Combine math, language arts, music, and dance with an activity focused on "America" from West Side Story. After listening to the song, learners compare the film to Romeo and Juliet, analyze the song's meter, design choreography, plan...
Curated OER
Song Writing
In this music worksheet, students identify specific tips for composing a song. They use strophic form where each verse has the same melody. Students also select a chord sequence and use cadences at the end of each phrase and modulations...
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Classroom Builder
Students explore music theory by discussing a classic song. In this musical notation instructional activity, students listen to the song "My Favorite Things" and discuss and share their personal tastes with the class. Students practice...
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6-8 Meter Madness
Students identify time signatures, the down beat, and begin to understand conducting patterns. In this meter patterns lesson, students identify the signs for 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 and play an excerpt from a song. Students use tennis balls to...
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Read Aloud/ Narrative Analysis
Fourth graders read passages of Koya's Cousin Del before answering questions in a discussion setting. They listen to a variety of musical pieces before detailing how the music makes them feel in a short piece of writing. They share their...
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Spanish - "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes"
Students begin lesson by singing, "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" in English as a class. They then are introduced to the song in Spanish using one body part at a time and repeat the song with the teacher singing slowly. Next, they...
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Abraham Lincoln's Young Years
Third graders explore the life of Abraham Lincoln. They read and discuss the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. Students write three sentences about an important part of the life of Abraham Lincoln. They edit and revise their sentences.
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Puttin' On the Hits
Students explore "summer songs." They compose a list of songs that they would put on a summer CD and write an essay that explains the images they would choose for the cover for this CD. They also create collages that represent their...
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Letter Recognition and Letter Sounds
In this letter recognition instructional activity, students name and practice the letter sounds "M" and "S." Students practice saying several words that begin with the letter "M."