Illinois Music Education Conference
Taking the “General” Out of Middle School General Music!
Middle schoolers will sing the praises of this music program. The resource, designed as an overview for music instructors, is loaded with ideas, activities, and links. Not a sour note in the packet.
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Middle School General Music Unit Plans
Here's a collection of unit plans for middle school musicians. Topics include the mbira, opera, rhythm and culture, music in Africa, music in the movies, music theory and notation, blues and jazz, and the ocarina. Definitely worth a look.
Illustrative Mathematics
Musical Preferences
If you like rap music, are you more likely to like rock music? Use statistical analysis to determine if there is a positive association between rap and rock in this particular sample. While the problem is relatively simple, the...
General Motors Corporation
Jazz
Over the history of the world, music has been at the heart of some of the greatest social and political movements. Scholars discover their musical roots as they dive into the sounds and emotions of renowned jazz players. They see how...
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African American Music
Students investigate a variety of sites to gather relevant information for a
presentation about African American musical forms in this general Music activity for middle school and high school. Resource links are provided to aid...
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American Music Styles: Blues - Lesson 2
Students describe some of the distinguishing characteristics of blues music. They compare and analyze two versions of the same 12-bar blues song. They read and identify notation symbols for rhythm and tempo.
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Draw Me the Music
Students explore and investigate the foundation and history of jazz music. They listen to various pieces of music while creating drawings, develop a timeline of jazz history, and read and discuss biographies of famous jazz musicians.
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Listen Up! Swinging with some Big Band Music
Students read about the music and life of Glenn Miller. They listen to Miller's "Jeep Jockey Jump" and analyze the piece for instrumentation, formal structure and stylistic characteristics.
EngageNY
Displaying a Data Distribution
Pupils analyze a display of data and review dot plots to make general observations about the highest, lowest, common, and the center of the data. To finish, learners match dot plots to scenarios.
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Patriotic Music: Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue
Middle schoolers examine the patriotic songs of the 1940's and compare them to those of today. They identify elements that classify a song as patriotic, listen to several examples and complete Venn diagrams contrasting different examples.
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Rhythm In Motion
Sixth graders work independently and with a partner to demonstrate proficiency of steady beat, meter and basic note values while creating written rhythmic patterns for class performance. State and National Standards are addressed.
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Rhythmic Expression
Students discover movement and expression to music/sound through a series of teacher-led exercises and role plays. This instructional activity is ideal for the middle school drama class with possibilities for adaptation to any level of...
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I've Got the Blues!
Students identify the musical form of the 12-bar blues. They identify a problem from the "Farming in the 1940's" section and compose a 12-bar blues song. make comparisons between problems of the 1940's and today.
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Introduction to Musical Theater
Students made oral presentations of a famous muscial theater performance. They research the musical, view selections, and listen to music.
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Protest Songs
Students analyze and perform an American social protest song. They describe its historical setting, consider the effectiveness of the music and recognize that popular music is a reflection of American culture.
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History of Ponce de Leon in Florida
Based in sound Educational Theory, this lesson uses art to convey the story of Ponce de Leon. Mild to moderately disabled middle schoolers hear the story of the Fountain of Youth, examine a paining of Ponce de Leon, and act out a scene...
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Career Exploration Using HyperStudio
Eighth graders conduct research on various careers that are of interest to them. They conduct Internet research on a selected career choice, and create a nine card stack using HyperStudio to describe their career's salary, required...
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Bravo!!
Second graders study and experiment with rhythm and sound. In pairs, they practice reading and performing simple melodies from sheet music. Individually, they choose one piece to perform for the class.
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Careers in Health
Middle schoolers will identify several professions in the healthcare field along with the characteristics of effective healthcare providers. They will also consider if any of the occupations covered in class are appropriate career paths....
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Thomas Edison's Bright Ideas
Thomas Alva Edison may be one of the most well-known scientists to elementary or middle schoolers. Use his story to show that he invented more than just the light bulb and to inspire youngsters to work hard! You could use this on the...
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Flip and Flop: An Adaptation Through Dancing Echoes with Shapes and Locomotor Movement
Dancers practice echoing through dance. They listen to a story "Flip and Flop" and then are put into pairs. One partner is Flip, while the other is Flop. Flip creates a shape by dancing, and Flop, the other student, echoes that shape by...
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Fighting The Horse Race: Creating Ads Which Explore 2008 Presidential Candidates & Issues
What is advertising? What role does it plan in an election? Middle and high schoolers discuss advertising and its purpose by sifting through different magazines and discussing the products they find. Then they relate advertisements to...
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VH1 Storytellers for Save the Music Starring Billy Joel
Learners use a Billy Joel song to write a scenerio about it.
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Teaching Serialism with Technology
Eighth graders compose serialistic tone-row melodies using music notation software. This lesson includes an email address to receive all materials and worksheets involved in the week-long study.