Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mozart and Music

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders experience performing arts by participating in a music performance. In this music history lesson, 5th graders practice playing notes on an instrument in class and discuss the challenges associated with making music....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Syncopation and Rhythm in Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Rap Music

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students 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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Class Rap

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore rap music and its components. They listen to examples of rap music and discuss their common features. After selecting a topic, they compose a rap with both words and the beat and sing it to the class. As a class they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Heart Healthy Food Musical Chairs

For Teachers K - 2nd
Pupils participate in a game of musical chairs that discusses heart health. In this health lesson, students walk around a group of chairs and when the music stops they sit down. Some chairs will have index cards with a picture of a food...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Gospel Beginnings

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers identify musical characteristics of gospel and sing a gospel selection. They practice the call and response technique. After going through individual parts, they sing the entire song with piano accompaniment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Music Styles: Blues - Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music Styles

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
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.
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Ragtime: The First "American" Music?

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners investigate the concept of ragtime music and the times associated with it in American history. They conduct research using a variety of resources and listen to a sample before writing down some of the results of the information...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Popular Music

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Pupils explore popular music of West Africa. In this musicians lesson plan, students complete listening tasks that challenge them to analyze the music of Oumou Sangare, Angelique Kidjo, and Baaba Maal.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Beat the Beat!

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Students develop a sense of pulse by listening to music with strong beats. In this music beats activity, students listen to marching band music examples. Students then practice showing the beat while listening to the song.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music in South India-Kerala

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify various instruments and styles of music from South India-Kerala. In this music lesson, students discover main languages of South India and the Kathakali dance drama. Students discuss the types of singers and dancers in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Musical Alphabet-Stepping Up

For Teachers K - 5th
Learners explore the music alphabet. They step up from any letter of the musical alphabet. Students practice stepping up or skipping from various letters within the musical alphabet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cover the Music

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners explore U.S. history by listening to musical pieces in class. In this Civil War era instructional activity, students discuss the types of musical instruments that were available to soldiers during the war and the themes of their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music Notes

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students identify music notes. For this music notes lesson, students toss bean bags between partners the number of times of a note (quarter, half, dotted half, etc) value.  Students also practice underhand tosses. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native American Music and Dance Activity

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Learners demonstrate keeping steady beat through practice exercises and stepping to the beat using instruments such as conga drums, tambourines and rhythm sticks.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Lesson 1

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers identify many careers within the music industry such as producer, A&R representative and recording studio engineer. They connect achievements of noted artists with their roles in the music industry.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cave Paintings: Leaving a Message

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders create cave paintings to leave behind a message for the future civilizations about how they live today.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Musical Chair Review

For Teachers K - 1st
Young scholars play a simple game designed to reinforce letter names, sounds or sight words. They walk in a circle as music plays, and stop in front of a chair when the music stops. Each chair has a letter or sight word that the child...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Musical Tapestry

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the terms and structure of a bluegrass tune. They participate in a listening exercise that will challenge them to identify specific elements within a bluegrass musical arrangement.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Letter Sound Accuracy, Musical Chairs

For Teachers K
Students explore word structure by participating in a game of musical chairs. In this phonics lesson plan, students discuss the letters of the alphabet and identify words that begin with each letter and the sounds they make. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music in America - Lesson 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers listen to many examples of Motown music and explain the relationship between the word "Motown" and the city of Detroit. They examine and identify distinctive musical elements of the early "Motown Sound."
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America Music In America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study early New Orleans Jazz music and recognize Louis Armstrong as an early jazz artist. They recognize the elements and roots of Jazz.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Viennese Musical Clock"

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders learn about musical patterns as they play a game called fudge. Students are assessed based on whether they were able to identify and play a steady beat, use the appropriate form, and clap the rythmic patterns.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning Musical Terms

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students observe and discuss the following musical terms and their symbols: staff, measure, bar line, double bar line, treble clef, bass clef, time signature, common time, cut time, quarter note, half note, dotted half note, whole note,...