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Rhythm Compositions
Fourth graders collaborate in small groups to create simple rhythmic patterns in different time signatures. Each group creates rhythms in a competitive "game" atmosphere and then constructs entire rhythmic groups for presentation to...
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Songs from Two Generations - Lesson 2
Students identify popular songs from 1968 era and analyze some of the topical and musical elements. They focus on social protest songs and other songs of social conscious.
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Note Names & Piano Games
Students identify the letter names of notes, demonstrate simple rhythms, and combine the two to play short melodic phrases using Bug Band. They create their own melodies and play them using Bug Band and various instruments.
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VH1 Driven: Kanye West
Learners watch a video excerpt about the life of Kanye West. They draw connections between his life and their own and compose a rap song in the style of West, using his song, "Through the Wire" as an example.
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Teaching the Instruments of the Orchestra to Young Students using the San Francisco Symphony Kids’ Website
Using the San Francisco Children's Orchestra web site, first graders build listening and instrument identification skills. Each child wears head phones, listens to ID, and finds various instruments on the included worksheet.
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The Ultimate Instrument!
Third graders identify the four instrument families of the symphony orchestra. They listen to the instruments and compare the similarities and differences of each of the four families. They design and create an instrument that belongs to...
San Francisco Symphony
Learning Adjectives through the Duke
Duke Ellington, jazz, and jive kick-off a fun and creative lesson on responding emotionally to music. The class will learn about jive talk used in the 1920s and the life and music of Duke Ellington. They'll listen to a selection of his...
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Landscapes of the Mind
High schoolers review Emily Dickinson's biography and examine themes and forms of some of her poems. They measure ways Graham integrates aspects of Dickinson's life and the themes and forms of her poetry into Letters to the World.
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The Play's the Thing
Students describe to a partner theater experiences they have had in their lives that were memorable, and analyze why. They study about one director's original artistic choices for staging Shakespeare by reading and discussing "Nature's a...
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VH1 Driven: Kanye West, Lesson 3
Learners compose a beat in the style of Kanye West. They listen to and analyze the song, "Through the Wire" by Kanye West, compose a beat, and complete a worksheet.
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Lines & Spaces; Another Round
Fourth graders recall the letter names of the notes of the C-major scale and identify the names of the C-major scale. They identify the names of the lines and spaces on a music staff. They sing rounds.
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Boombox Classroom: Native American
For this music worksheet, students circle names of Native American tribes or nations. They answer three true/false questions. Students answer 3 multiple choice question about the history of Native America. They name 8 music notations.
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Dynamics
First graders review Frere Jacques and perform crescendos and decrescendos. In this music lesson plan, 1st graders also learn about the dynamics of music including piano, forte, mezzo piano, and mezzo forte.
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Moving Rhythms
Learners explore the elements of tempo, beat and rhythm. They create rhythm patterns and an original dance. In groups, students perform their phrases for their peers. As a class, they explore choreographic principles, processes and...
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Concert Ettiquette
Students investigate the concept of social ettiquette. They complete exercises that are targeted at finding the right kind of behavior to display while performing in a concert setting. They make a list of the most desirable behaviors for...
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Folk Rock Singers and Songwriters
Students listen to and analyze songs of folk rock musicians of 1970 and then compose and perform a song in a popular or folk style for acoustic guitar and voice or for two acoustic guitars.
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From Broadway: Fosse
Students examine the life and contributions of choreographer and director Bob Fosse. They analyze reviews, write a review after watching one of Bob Fosse's films, and view and compare Fosse dances to current music videos.
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Creating with "Found Sounds"
Students are placed in small groups for this project. Groups collect and use ordinary objects to create a "Stomp" like performance.
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VH1 Ultimate Albums Bob Marley - Legend Episode #3
Students compare Reggae to other musical genres and identify rhythms. They study the history and musical significance of Reggae as a musical genre.
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Dance Tag
Pupils get moving instantly while reviewing already learned dance movements, the levels concept, and the self-space concept.
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Let's Play Again
First graders use rhythm instruments to explore dynamic fluctuations in music. They experiment with clapping, body movement, recorded music and pitch instruments to explore the concept of tempo.
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Triple Meter
Learners chant "Mabel, Mabel, Set the Table" in beats grouped in 4's using a percussive pattern. They repeat using 3's. Students sing a song in 4's and in 3's. they move to recorded music to practice threes. Learners create Orff...
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The Sorcerer's Apprentice
Third graders listen to "The Sorcerer's Apprentice". Using the music, they identify the high and low parts in the orchestal composition. They compare the elements of a story to the piece of music and respond to the music and state how...
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Symphony No. 8 "Unfinished" by Franz Schubert
Students review vocabulary words and look at a piece of art work with one subject and play any or all of the familiar musical examples listed. They then identify the melody of each example and make a comparison between the art subject...