Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Renaissance Feast & Fancy

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders investigate the recreation, music, clothing, and food of the Renaissance period. In small groups, they research a topic, and plan activities, music, food, and costumes to be used in a Renaissance Feast.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Instruments In Action

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Students read and demonstrate eight measures of four beats. In this music reading activity, students read and demonstrate through movement their mastery of eight measures of four beats. Students also classify instruments.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scops, Rappers and You: Historians with Style!

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine the epic poem Beowulf. In this analyzing poetry lesson, student compare listen to the Will Smith song "Wild, Wild West" and read Beowulf. Students analyze the song and the poem. Students then research an influential...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Picture's Worth a Thousand Notes

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students listen to classical music and create a listening map for each piece. In this classical music lesson plan, students select a piece of classical music and create a visual map for the piece. Students set their pictures to music in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rockin’ the World: Rock and Roll and Social Protest in 20th Century America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore protest songs. For this interdisciplinary lesson, students examine issues-based music by summarizing lyrics and revealing inferences, generalizations, conclusions, and points of view found in the songs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock the Rocky Road

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders keep a steady beat, pay attention to tempo and watch the conductor.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Two by Two Guitars!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students play three simple chords on guitar while singing American folk songs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rhythmic Travel Around the World

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students explore and play rhythm sticks while listening to songs from around the world. They locate the countries of origin on a map, and tap their rhythm sticks to the beat of the music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Louis Armstrong Hot Five

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students investigate the history and development of jazz by studying the Louis Armstrong Hot Five. They listen to music and define how Armstrong strengthened the concept of the solo as a part of jazz. They complete guided listening lessons.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Read Aloud/ Narrative Analysis

For Teachers 4th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rhythm in Language - Feel the SWAMP BEAT!

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Learners explore the rhythm of words. In this reading skills lesson, students read Bedtime at the Swamp and use rhythm instruments to find the cadence in the words of the story. Learners listen for rhythm in other written text as they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hank Williams: Still Singing After All These Years

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers research the life and music of Hank Williams. They take a quiz on country music, watch a video about Hank Williams, research Williams' song lyrics, create a poster and write a bio poem about his life and work.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Singing II

For Teachers 4th
In this music worksheet, 4th graders study terminology associated with vocal music. Students are then asked to complete five multiple choice questions and provided with one extra credit option.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Louis Armstrong

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discover the music of Louis Armstrong. In this jazz lesson, students are introduced to Armstrong's trumpet and vocal art in a matching game, then listen to a sampling of his music and respond in writing.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meter Readers Turned Composers

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students compose eight measures of music after they practice interpreting time/signature meter.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Summertime - Miles Davis

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Pupils examine the George Gershwin opera, "Porgy and Bess." The rhythms to some of the musical pieces are mimicked and identified as belonging to the music of jazz.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meet the Instrument Families

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders listen to a recording of a string quartet and ask questions about what kinds of instrument they think they are listening to and describe what they think the instruments look like. Then they discuss musical ideas such as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Form and Theme in the Traditional Mexican Corrido

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine the traditional Mexican musical form of corridos. In this cross curricular history and music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of popular corridos and the corridos' importance in Mexican culture. Students will...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Past and Present Labor Injustice through Music

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore early 19th century labor conditions through the use of period songs. In this tolerance lesson, students listen to period songs and respond. Students write their own song that protests unfair and dangerous working...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Satchmo's Blues

For Teachers 4th - 11th
Students work cooperatively to create a jazz composition using the computer program GarageBand and incorporating the musical stylings of musician Louis Armstrong. Internet access is required for this lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Four-Note Range in Music

For Teachers K
Students sing melodic patterns and songs within a four-note range using sol, la, and mi. They echo simple melodic patterns and maintain the tonal center singing two Thanksgiving-related songs, "Hello, hello..." and "Five Fat Turkeys."
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Guitar - 12 Bar Blues

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the chord chart for 12-bar blues in C and then play the scales on the guitar. They play their scales at a moderate tempo and practice related arpeggios. After listening to "Band in the Box" music tracks, students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Duke Ellington

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discover a variety of Duke Ellington compositions and the elements that make his sound unique. In this jazz lesson plan, students participate in a Duke Ellington Matching Game and an activity based on his music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Honor Choir Rehearsal

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars practice singing with complete vocal warm-ups in a unified tone. They perform sections of the following songs: "Lamentations of Jeremiah," "Soonah Will Be Done," and "Fairest Lord Jesus." As students sing, they practice...