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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meet Antonin Dvorak

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils engage in a lesson that is related to the history of Antonin Dvorak. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students listen and identify some of the basic elements of music. The lesson includes background information...
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Handout
National Arts Centre (Canada)

National Arts Centre: Arts Alive: Music Resources: Famous Composers

For Students 3rd - 8th
Visit this site to read about the life and works of great composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Igor Stravinsky, George Gershwin, plus many more!
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Handout
Other

Dr. Estrella's Abridged Dictionary of Composers

For Students 9th - 10th
Would you like to know if a famous composer shares your birthday? At this site, simply click on the month and all known composers birthdays will appear! The composers also include links so you can read more about them.
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Handout
Naxos Digital Services

Naxos Digital Services: Composers

For Students 9th - 10th
From a major publisher of classical music, this website provides a brief biography and picture of literally hundreds of composers of classical music. The discographies at the bottom of each biography allow you to find CDs and often...
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Handout
Other

Dr. Estrella's Abridged Dictionary of Composers

For Students 9th - 10th
Find basic accurate information on more than 500 composers. Most of the content also contains links to other sites that can provide even more information.
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Interactive
Quia

Quia: Composer Timeline

For Students 6th - 8th
Try to put this list of nine famous composers in order from the earliest to the most recent. If you need help, click on "Give me a hint," or check your answers at the end of the quiz.
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Handout
PBS

Classics for Kids: Scott Joplin

For Students 3rd - 8th
A short biography of Scott Joplin (1868-1917 CE). Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.
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Website
Other

Classical Composers Database

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is a good resource for composer information. Photos, sound files, biographies and web links for hundreds of composers throughout history. Also, a calendar listing composer births/deaths for each day of the year plus a composer...
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Handout
PBS

Classics for Kids: Johann Strauss, Jr.

For Students 3rd - 8th
This site has a short biography of Johann Strauss, Jr (1825-1899 CE) with an audio clip of the 'Tritsch-Tratsch Polka.' Click to the past radio shows to hear his music and learn more about this famous composer.
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Handout
Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

For Students 3rd - 8th
Mozart wrote his first sonata when he was only four years old. He liked to play pool and enjoyed liver dumplings and sauerkraut. Use this resource to learn more about Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791 CE), famous Austrian composer, and...
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Interactive
Quia

Quia: Composer Fun

For Students 3rd - 8th
Choose one of four games (matching, concentration, flashcards, or a word search) to practice or review your knowledge of famous composers and their works.
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Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Music for Kids: Famous Pianists

For Students 9th - 10th
A site showing some of the worlds greatest piano players ever. Learn about famous pianist from all genres of music.
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Website
Ducksters

Ducksters: Music for Kids: Famous Guitarists

For Students 9th - 10th
Kids learn about famous guitarist on this site. Some of the best musicians to ever play the guitar.
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Website
Other

Famous Singers

For Students 9th - 10th
Biographical profiles of famous singers in major musical genres. Includes photo and links to snippets of their songs.
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Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of American History: Documents Gallery: Ellington and Strayhorn

For Students 9th - 10th
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, two of the greatest jazz composers, collaborated on hundreds of works. As you explore this exhibition, you will have an opportunity to view original music scores, listen to audio clips, and view videos...
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Website
Other

The Official Miles Davis Site

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about the famous jazz musician Miles Davis. Links to an extensive biography, music, pictures, and more.
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Activity
San Diego State University

Classical Rummy

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This card game serves as a learning aid to music students. They will learn to classify classical composers by the era in which they worked: Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Modern.
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Website
Library of Congress

Loc: The Leonard Bernstein Collection

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the Library of Congress provides information on perhaps the most important American musical figure of the 20th century has over 400,000 items housed in the Library of Congress. Photographs, his famous Young People's...
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Website
Other

Classical Midi With Words

For Students 9th - 10th
Resource has a vast array of Classical Music MIDI Song Files. Musicians and composers are listed under separate nationalities, such as: English and Scottish-English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, and Russian.
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Handout
Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Claude Debussy

For Students 3rd - 8th
Claude Debussy (1862-1918 CE), a famous French composer/musician, went to school to study piano, but failed. This resource describes how he was able to still become a famous composer. Also learn more about his life and his works. Use...
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Handout
Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Scott Joplin [Pdf]

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
A lesson plan that looks at Scott Joplin as a famous composer from Texas.
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Handout
Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: William Grant Still

For Students 3rd - 8th
This resource describes how William Grant Still (1895-1978 CE) started out playing the violin and then began teaching himself to play other string instruments as well as the oboe, clarinet, and saxophone. His most famous work is...
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Handout
Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Kids: Paul Dukas

For Students 3rd - 8th
What did composer Paul Dukas (1865-1935 CE) have to do with Disney movies? Find out by reading more about his work and life at this site. Listen to some of his most famous music using Real Audio or Windows Media Player.
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Handout
PBS

Pbs: Biography of Dizzy Gillespie

For Students 9th - 10th
This PBS biography about trumpeter and jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie includes photos, multiple audio features, and links within the text to other famous musicians.