Lesson Plan
Curated OER

KEYBOARDS

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders become familiar with appearance and characteristic sound of piano, identify piano as part of percussion family, find middle C on the keyboard, observe scale, chord, and "broken" chord, and listen to a well-known classical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Baga Drum

For Teachers K - 12th
Students draw and design a musical instrument that incorporates a human figure or animal. In this musical lesson plan, students will discover the differences between African drums. This lesson plan is designed for elementary, middle,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spanish: La Fiesta!

For Teachers Pre-K - K
Students sing a Spanish song to celebrate Latin American culture. In this fiesta lesson, students sing the words and do hand motions to the song "Que Linda Manito." They create paper bag maracas and enjoy a fiesta. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

FIVE LITTLE PUMPKINS

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore the rhythm instruments as part of a rhythm band to accompany the well-known poem, "Five Little Pumpkins." They study instrument names, playing techniques, and playing at the appropriate time. They study how to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tap Your Feet

For Teachers K - 1st
Students listen to, analyze, and describe music. They experience performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Maracas

For Teachers K - 8th
Students create Maracas out of various supplies while learning about percussion instruments in this Art and Music lesson for the elementary and middle level classroom. Detailed directions for two different methods are given.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lucha Music

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers listen to four styles of Mexican music, and create percussion instruments which they use to play each style. Additionally, learners create Lucha Libre masks which are also a part of the colorful culture of Mexico. These...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America (My Country 'Tis of Thee)

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students perform a song using correct rhythms, accurate pitches, and dynamic phrasing. They perform an accompaniment to "America" on Orff instruments.
Lesson Plan
Digital Forsyth

Old Salem Speech

For Teachers 4th
The focus of the lesson is rhythmic speech and 4/4 time. The topic of the lesson is trades common in Old Salem during the colonial period. Learners will practice keeping time with their voices and body percussion. They will then research...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Winter Through the Arts

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students read the book The Snowy Day and discover various winter themes. In this winter lesson, students develop movements to express the feeling of a snowstorm. Students also construct winter-themed art pieces.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Listening Walk

For Teachers K - 2nd
Young scholars play instruments that reflect sounds in the story: hoots, toots, creaking, shrieks, clacking, crunching, whooshing, etc. They make vocal sounds from the story: whispered, sniffled, sigh, giggled, croaked, laughed. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Classical Orchestra

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the classical orchestra in this technology-based general music lesson for the high school classroom. Emphasis is placed on the use of the "Microsoft Musical Instruments" software. This lesson can be accomplished in one...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Let's Play Again

For Teachers 1st
First graders use rhythm instruments to explore dynamic fluctuations in music. They experiment with clapping, body movement, recorded music and pitch instruments to explore the concept of tempo.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rhythm and Nature

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders listen to song "Listen to the Water," discuss nature sounds and importance of water to life, perform quarter and eighth notes from notation, play instruments in rhythm patterns of quarter and eighth notes, and write rhythm...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating a Song

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Young scholars work cooperatively to compose a twenty measure song using the computer program GarageBand. Guidelines for the student compositions are available and include instrumentation and specific length.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native American Song and Dance

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine the importance of the drum and drumming in the cultural context of the Native American. Musical insturments and native dance is employed to support the focus of the lesson.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Connections

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders listen to, analyze, and describe music. They are assessed as to whether they are distinguishing between A and B sections through different types of music. Students imitate echo, motive, phrase and AB or ABA. Finally,...
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

The Sounds of an Island: Jamaican Music for the Classroom

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Introduce young explorers to the music and history of Jamaican culture through game songs and dances. As a bonus, class members get to play simple songs transcribed for the recorder.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rain Stick

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create a rain stick.  In this rain stick lesson, students construct their rain stick using a cardboard tube, stickpins, a cup of rice, and decorative paper.  Students follow given instructions and listen to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

H1 Classic Presents: Paul McCartney: Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students are introduced to the various songwriting techniques of Paul McCartney. They explore and compare the basic melodic, harmonic, and lyrical tendencies of the different types of pop music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Totally Ternary

For Teachers 1st
First graders compose a simple nursery rhyme with percussion and instrumental accompaniment in the general music classroom setting. AB form and rhythmic patterns are emphasized in this 35-40 minute lesson plan.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tinker, Tailor

For Teachers 1st
First graders practice the song "Tinker, Tailor" using percussion instruments, Orff instruments, and their voices in this Music lesson for the 1st grade. The lesson is intended for use within an Orff unit of study and includes...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How They Get Building Materials Out of the Ground

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students experience a virtual quarry. In this science musical lesson plan, students understand how materials are quarried and manufactured from rocks, musically interpret a quarrying sequence with untuned musical instruments, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rhythm - "Yankee Doodle Dandy"

For Teachers 1st
First graders practice rhythm and beat. In this music lesson plan, 1st graders sing and clap to the song "Yankee Doodle Dandy".  They find the rhythm of the music and practice making rhythm with other instruments.