Curated OER
Musical Alphabet-Skipping Up
Students will read a study sheet about skipping up from one note to another, and complete a worksheet, filling in blanks and writing a skip up from given letters. A grading rubric is included.
Curated OER
Sondheim: Voice of Cultural Change
High schoolers explore Stephen Sondheim's contributions to musical theatre in the context of the dramatic cultural shift that occurred in American life in the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Music of African American History
High schoolers examine role spirituals have played in African American history and religion, examine Harriet Tubman's use of spirituals in her work, explore power of spirituals in Civil Rights Movement, and work with oral tradition,...
PBS
The Sixties: Dylan Plugs in and Sells Out
Before Woodstock, there was Newport. Get plugged in to the social changes of the 1960s with a lesson that looks at Bob Dylan's performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival as a symbol of the radical changes that marked the era.
Education Closet
West Side Shifts
Combine math, language arts, music, and dance with an activity focused on "America" from West Side Story. After listening to the song, learners compare the film to Romeo and Juliet, analyze the song's meter, design choreography, plan...
Jazz Academy
Let Freedom Swing
Three lessons in the Let Freedom Swing concert tour resource guide packed with information, materials, and activities that provide the context for any study of American history.
Curated OER
M.C. Bard: Hip-Hop and Shakespeare
What is poetry? Does hip-hop qualify as poetry? Do Shakespeare's monologues qualify as poetry? Class members grapple with these questions as they examine the poetic elements and themes presented in different texts. Groups of four study...
Curated OER
Welcome To Ella Fitzgerald: the Singer Not the Song
Students study the life and musical works of Ella Fitzgerald. They investigate how technology influences art using this series of web and video based lessons. They create their own melodies.
Curated OER
Set a Poem to Music
Students consider the role of rhythm and meter in poetry. In this integrated arts lesson, students discuss the attributes of poetry and use their music skills to set picture book poetry to music by creating "singable" poems.
Curated OER
TE Lesson: Energy Transfer in Musical Instruments
Students study concepts of energy and energy transfer. They look at how these concepts apply to musical instruments. They study the law of conservation of energy. They use the concepts studied in the lesson to design a musical instrument.
Curated OER
Poetry in Music
Sixth graders look at poetry in music. In this language arts lesson, 6th graders listen to and read the lyrics of songs to find the poetic aspects of them. They focus on similes and metaphors and write their own songs lyrics.
Curated OER
Music Education, The Blues
This lesson examines both the content and form of lyrics in blues songs. In addition to highlighting the basic musical form of a blues song, it also addresses the use of floating verses in blues music, both within the context of the...
Curated OER
'Cross the Wide Missouri
Students perform a song, identify melodies, and discuss the history of folk songs.
Curated OER
Give My Regards to Broadway
Learners investigate aspects of Broadway shows. They apply word attack skills to decide what the titles of actual Broadway shows mean. They discuss the history of Broadway shows and why they become successful before completing the...
Curated OER
Mariachi:Intermediate Lesson
Young scholars research the history of mariachi music. In this music lesson, students identify mariachi music and investigate it from its origins to the present. They compare it to country music.
Curated OER
200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons
Upper graders explore pop culture and pop music as a forum for female role models. They explore women who have currently contributed to our pop world and why they could be considered role models. They each interview a woman in their...
Curated OER
Tango Bingo
Learners research tango music and dancing and research where it comes from. In this tango lesson plan, students research Argentina and South America while learning about the tango and making posters of it.
Curated OER
Escolas de Carnaval
Students create a carnival display displaying the different themes they have studied. In this carnival lesson plan, students display the work they have studied through the samba schools in Brazil. Students also incorporate music in their...
Curated OER
Arctic Monkeys
High schoolers can enhance Internet research skills by using the Internet to find the answers to these trivia questions. They all pertain to the band Arctic Monkeys. In total, there are ten questions.
Curated OER
It's a Long Way!
High school pupils sharpen Internet research skills with this online lesson. It asks 10 questions about the band AC/DC.
Curated OER
Melodia Sight-Singing
Pupils practice sight-singing skills in this Choral lesson for the High School mixed-choir. Emphasis is placed on State and National Standards in the Arts and the song "Dirait-on", a piece by Morten Lauridson, based on the French poetry...
Curated OER
VH1 AIDS: A Pop Culture History Lesson 2
High schoolers examine messages in popular music, and observe the musical elements of the Rhythm and Blues and Rap genres.
Curated OER
The Prairie Dog That Met the President
Students study the history of jazz music. They listen to various examples of jazz music and complete a worksheet in which they must identify the individual instruments they hear and identify characteristics of the genre of jazz music.