Halloween Music Lesson Plans
Halloween music lesson plans can provide students a motivating way to learn about writing, dance, and rhythm.
By Barbara Moseley
It's time for some Halloween fun. Get out the pumpkins, cut and paste the crafts, and sing silly songs with a spooky theme. But keep it light, not too scary for the little ones. Here's a fun activity that will have students giggling in no time. Take any simple rhyming song, for example, "Mary Had A Little Lamb". The class will take the rhyming words and syllables and change the theme to Halloween lyrics. Now you have, "Mary Had A Pumpkin Patch". This is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
To really get things rocking, play some fun music for your fall or Halloween bash. For example, "Rock Lobster", "The Monster Mash", "The Blob", "The Munster's Theme", and "Thriller" by Michael Jackson. This is sure to keep the mood light, yet spooky.
For classical music, one of my favorites is "Hall Of The Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg. This is a classic, and a fun piece for piano. Another great piano piece that is romantic, yet slightly creepy at times, is Nocturne in B flat minor (Op.9 No.1) by Chopin.
If you would like to spook your teenagers, the "Requiem for a Dream" soundtrack is extremely creepy. But beware of nightmares; this is not for the faint of heart. It shows how powerful music can be; even when no lyrics are included, it can create a strong emotion.
Whether you are searching for light spooky or seriously creepy, music will make the holiday richer and educational. What follows are some lesson plans that can help make Halloween music lessons special.
Halloween Music Lesson Plans:
Halloween Songs: Third graders dance and play percussion to "Halloween Night" and "Monster Mash".
Non-Halloween Activity: Fourth grade students work on writing descriptions using their senses, other than sight. They work on using descriptive language, and poetic conventions when writing their songs.
Long and Short Sounds For Halloween: First grade students observe and listen to music and chant, clap, and identify short and long sound patterns.
Night On Bald Mountain: Kindergarten students sing Halloween songs to learn about tone and rhythmic phrases.
