Curated OER
Kodaly Beat Lesson
Introduce rhythmic beat and melodic beat with a upbeat activity that asks young musicians to clap the beat to their favorite nursery rhyme. To introduce the rest beat, class members use small drums or other percussion instruments to play...
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A Place for Me in the Field of Music
Second graders listen to interviews with career musicians. They, in groups, present to classmates the life, music, inspiration, and goals of a favorite composer, performer, or group.
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Dance: African Drumming
Students evaluate the messages in music. In this communication through music lesson, students listen to various musical selections and determine the message being conveyed in the song. Then, students create their own message as they...
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Haunting Music
Students discover music that was inspired by the spooky and bizarre. In this music of Hector Berlioz and Camille Saint-Saens activity, students identify elements of music and listen to the Symphonie Fantastique and Danse Macabre....
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Music Composition
Students compose a simple melody using the notes of the D Major Scale. Criteria/Rubric for evaluation is provided with variations depending on skill level of students. A minimum of one forty-five minute class period is needed for this...
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Music from the Silk Roads
Students explore different types of musical instruments. In this musical instrument lesson, students create a replica of a sheng. Students utilize this instrument to understand different types of breathing used in different sounds....
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Quarter Rest Lesson
First graders indicate the silent beats (rests) with an outward motion of the arms. They indicate a measure clapped out with a quarter rest, and a measure clapped out without a quarter rest.
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Music Makers
Young scholars explore distinct styles that have characterized famous musicians and conductors. By studying one musician or conductor in-depth, students become experts on this person's musical style and are given the opportunity to share.
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Student Composers with Music Ace
Students compose short compositions using Doodle Pad. For this Musical composition lesson, students a clef and note lines to prior knowledge of the treble clef and note lines to write short songs on the computer. Students use Music Ace...
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Wild and Wacky Warmups
Students explore vocal music techniques. In this vocal music lesson, students follow a series of warmup exercises modeled by the teacher, then participate in specific breathing and vocalizing exercises.
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Rests, Pease Porrige Hot with Game:Music, Rhythm, Beats
Young scholars use the nursery rhyme "Pease Porridge Hot" to explore rhythm, beats and rests in music.
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To the Beat of a Different Drum
Students describe the sounds, moods and styles of two different types of music. After reading an article, they discover how a journalist uses language to describe and give feelings to the music. They review a type of music of interest...
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Musical Cares
Students explore ways in which music can relay messages of peace and how popular songs can be interpreted as commentary on current issues and themes.
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Learning the Beat
Students identify gifts found in folktales. In this folktale lesson, students read the Hindi folktale "The Drum" and discuss the value of gifts such as time, talent, treasure, etc. Students also create drum beats.
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Mitten Lesson Plan
Students compare The Mitten by Jan Brett to other versions of the same story, then create their own version. In this early childhood lesson plan, students create their own version of The Mitten, then use software to record a podcast. ...
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State of the Art
Students watch and discuss a scene from 'Cool Hand Luke,' then read the actor Kevin Costner's commentary on it. Then, each identifies one work of art that he or she loves and prepares a similar commentary on the details of that work's...
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Spin Art
The best part about spin art is that is demonstrates the concept of centrifugal force. Explore the magical spin of gravity as you make colorful art. This lesson idea is short, very simple, and requires a spin art machine.
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Sing a Song of Science
Using parodies of popular music to introduce and reinforce concepts in secondary classrooms.
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Utopia/Dystopia: The American Dream
America was founded by dreamers, and the American dream still resonates in our country today. Track the American dream from its Puritan beginnings to its optimistic descendants with a instructional activity that focuses on speeches by...
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The Hare and the Water: A Tanzanian Folk Tale
"The Hare and the Water," a Tanzanian folk tale, lends a global perspective to literary analysis. Learners spend the first two days reading and storyboarding. On day three, they examine folk tale elements (worksheet included), and design...
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A Shape-Note Singing Lesson
Students discover the shape-note method of singing. For this reading and notating music lesson, students learn the four shapes of the shape-note method and the tradition of Sacred Harp singers. Students sing the shapes of "Yankee Doodle"...
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MUSICAL MYSTERIES
Students explore the concept of steady beat and develop listening skills.
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Class Rap
Young scholars 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...
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Great Gatsby's Jazz
As Nick wanders the grounds of Gatsby's mansion, he observes the behaviors of the rowdy guests and listens to the music pouring over the lawn. Bring the music of the jazz age into the classroom with Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues,"...