Concordia College Archives
Introduction and Student Inquiry
Introduce young musicians to the history of and different styles of music with an inquiry-based learning activity that asks them to play detectives to determine the similarities and differences among the sheet music found at a series of...
Canada's National Arts Center
Vivaldi and The Four Seasons
Did you know that Vivaldi’s orchestra was largely made up of girls from an orphanage? Fun facts like this fill a 34-page teacher's kit designed to accompany a cross-curricular study of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons.
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Lesson: Elizabeth Peyton: Artist's Community: The Real
What is real or imagined? The lines of beauty reality, and imagination are blurred in Elizabeth Peyton's portraits of her community. Learners analyze her use of artistic technique in conveying real and imagined communities. They then use...
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Lesson: Elizabeth Peyton: Pictures of Royalty: The Imagined
Elizabeth Peyton is an artist who creates images of people (often famous) that she doesn't personally know. These images become part of her imagined community. Learners analyze her work, her community of imagined friends, and then create...
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Musical Mountain
Students listen to low, middle, and high pitches of music and identify if they are low, middle, or high. For this musical pitch lesson plan, students visually see low, middle, and high pitches on a mountain.
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Jazz In America - Lesson Plan 8
Fifth graders explore the current jazz scene and how it reflects American culture. They listen to jazz recordings of current artists and speculate on which direction jazz is likely heading.
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Singing for the Animals
Students examine the correct attitudes and poster for a concert. In this "Singing for Animals" instructional activity, students created charts to diagram information about the homeless animals they were singing for. Students used correct...
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Performance Evaluation
Students evaluate in class performance of music previously prepared by the ensemble. The rubric and assessment criteria are adaptable to any orchestra setting which allows the teacher to choose music to be assessed. Critical thinking...
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Sondheim: Secret Metaphors
Students explore the work of Stephen Sondheim. In this musical theater lesson, students examine the musicals Merrily We Roll Along and Sunday in the Park with George. Students identify and anaylze linear and nonlinear structural patterns...
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African Americans Seen Through the Eyes of the Newsreel Cameraman
Fifth graders learn about this history of jazz music. For this musical influences lesson, 5th graders read God Bless the Childand listen to a recording of it. Students create a KWL chart on jazz and early 1900s music and dance. Students...
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Connecting Literature, Writing and Music
Learners assess the impact of music to portray emotions and tell stories. Examples are taken from the life of Rosa Parks and a piece of band music called "A Movement for Rosa". Evaluation is accomplished through in-class participation...
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Classroom Builder
Students explore music theory by discussing a classic song. In this musical notation instructional activity, students listen to the song "My Favorite Things" and discuss and share their personal tastes with the class. Students practice...
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Create a Composition
Students select an instrument and create a musical composition. In this musical composition lesson, students invent an original piece of music that is 16 measures long. Students hum and record their pieces.
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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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Understanding the Music of the Civil Rights Movement
Students examine protest music and songs from the Civil Rights movement. In this music of the Civil Rights era activity, students listen to selected music before working in groups to determine who the music was directed at, what social...
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Paint & Paper: Free-Form Musical Art
Students explore painting their feelings as they enjoy this musical art activity. In this early childhood visual art lesson, students use paint to respond to music.
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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 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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Mood in Music
Students portray the mood of a piece of music in a drawing. For this mood in music lesson, students discuss how music creates a mood. Students listen to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," "The Wreck of The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" as...
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Music Listening-What's The Sound
In this lesson, Music Listening-What's The Sound, students practice playing different instrument. Students listen as the instruments are played to determine the sound of each instrument. Students will match the instrument to the sound....
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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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Patriotic Performance
Students participate in a patriotic performance. In this patriotic lesson plan, students sing, do reader's theater, tell historic facts and joke. This lesson plan includes several attachments including the script that was used.
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Hot, Hot, Hot, Cold
Learners dance the image of falling snow. They move, swing, fall, and rise to music working to depict snow falling, the sun, and high/low movements. This is a well-thought out lesson that aids them in seeing movement as a form of...
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Music Storytellers
Students identify the quality and effectiveness of musical performances through the use of music telling a story. They will compare and contrast philosophy and form of song segments.