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"Mambo" from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein
Students encounter and study "Mambo" from "West Side Story," by Leonard Bernstein. They practice utilizing musical elements (instrumentation, tempo, and dynamics) to create a certain mood for a scene with music. Each student interprets...
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No Title
Pupils, through musical improvisation and utilizing a video, demonstrate how music is used to advance a storyline. They are introduced to program music and as they enter the room they will see the opening scene from Jaws playing on the...
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Songs that Bring Us Together - Lesson 5
Learners compose song as a classroom effort. They write a one-paragraph essay about "message" songs in 100 years and include three ideas for topics along with the style of music (such as folk, rock, blues, rap, etc.) that would match.
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A Song for Today - Lesson 3
Learners analyze musical and topical elements in popular songs and compose song as a classroom effort. They write a short paragraph evaluating the effectiveness of the song in conveying the message of the lyrics.
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And You Don't Stop - 30 Years of Hip-Hop
Students discuss the role of the rapper in Hip Hop music and how the rapper promoted their group's DJ. They compose a short rap about a fellow student highlighting that student's accomplishments and good traits.
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The History of Rock and Roll: Part 6 - My Generation - Lesson 2
Students identify musical characteristics of baroque, jazz, and psychedelic music. They arrange traditional music into the style of baroque, jazz, and psychedelic music.
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Vocabulary Songs: Vocabulary Reinforcement Activity
Students compose songs using vocabulary words. For this vocabulary lesson, students are introduced to a new set of vocabulary words and their definitions. Students collaborate in groups of three or four to write new lyrics to the tune of...
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Timbre: Identifying the Tone Color of the Saxophone
Students explore the concept of timbre. For this timbre lesson, students experience timbres produced by saxophones in contemporary music. Students explore the science behind the music.
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"West Side Story"
In this music history worksheet, students discover the musical "West Side Story" by first reading a summary of the plot. Students answer 5 questions about the story line. Students then read and analyze the lyrics to "America" and discuss...
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William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar: Fate versus Free Will
Tenth graders explore Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. After reading specific scenes, they brainstorm and discuss free will. Students observe a clip from the Dr. Phil television show entitled, "Afraid to Age" and make connections from the...
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VH1 Storytellers for Save the Music Starring Billy Joel
Students use a Billy Joel song to write a scenerio about it.
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Songwriting
Students watch the "The Greatest TV Moments: Sesame Street Music A to Z" video and brainstorm what the songs may be about. They choose a theme for a song, write a short topic-related poem, and compose music for it.
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Overture to 'William Tell' by Gioacchino Rossini
Students create an awareness of how music creates a setting in a story or legend. They identify the instrumentation, dynamics and tempo used to create various settings for a musical story. They perform rhythmic patterns from listening...
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Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen
Students use the music of Bruce Springsteen to learn literature techniques.
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And You Don't Stop - 30 Years of Hip-Hop, Episode 2, Lesson 1
Students discuss Public Enemy's lyrics and compare and contrast them with songs popular during the Civil Rights Movement. They write their own rap song that expresses feelings of oppression or freedom from oppression.
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25 Greatest Protest Songs - Lesson 3
Students analyze the lyrics of protest songs as a catalyst for social change. They discuss the influence of music on behavior and explain the use of music as a means of self-expression.
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James Brown: Life and Times
Students trace James Brown's rise from "Little Junior" in Depression-era Augusta, Georgia, to the "Minister of the New Super Heavy Funk" and create a collage that captures his impact on American music.
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Aaliyah Biography
In this biographical reading / writing worksheet about the singer Aaliyah, students first read a one page biographical essay. Students then compose 11 short answer responses to the following questions.
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Folk Rock Singers and Songwriters
Young scholars 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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Jazz: An Expression of Cooperation - Lesson 3
Students describe ways in which the principles of students or citizens working together are interrelated with those of musicians working together. They demonstrate their knowledge of the concept of "swing" in various jazz styles.
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VH1 Storytellers for Save the Music Starring Billy Joel
Students examine recordings of Billy Joel.
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Beat the Greeks
Young scholars conduct research of the history of atomic theory. Information is presented from Democritus and Aristotle to the early Renaissance using the Internet and video.The integration of technology allows for a vast amount of...
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Wyclef Jean for VH1 Storytellers
Students use different folk songs to learn chords and other musical elements.
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VH1 Goes Inside (Out) Trey and Dave Go to Africa
Students discuss the Western method of teaching and learning music and compare that to the aural transmission method used around the world. They practice singing two songs using aural transmission and watch a video showing musicians...