Music Lesson Plans

From Music Theories to Music Around the World, find teacher approved music lesson plans that inspire student learning.

Music Guide: Barbara Moseley

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Music lesson plan ideas to incorporate into your curriculum
Links to great music lesson plans

Music Theories

43 Views: 6th - 12th Grade; 5.0/5.

Students explore the inception and evolution of hip-hop music as a springboard for writing music reviews and researching other genres of music. They read and discuss the Times' article, From Underground Music to Fashion Statement.

Country's Music

9 Views: 6th - 12th Grade; 5.0/5.

Students listen and analyze various samples of genres of music. After reading an article, they discuss the fate of New Orlean's Jazz after Hurricane Katrina. Using the internet, they investigate the life cycles of musical genres with roots in the United States. They share their information with the class in an oral presentation.

Submitted by Dylan Bennett

“Jazz is a great part of this country, this is a great way to teach my students the history of this great genre!”

Behind The Music: 1992

9 Views: 11th - 12th Grade; 5.0/5.

Students identify different genres of music popular in the 80's and 90's. They identify the current issues and musical elements that made them popular. They make comparisons to music of the 60's.

Submitted by Andrea Ferrero

“This behind the music lesson is a great way to make history and current events relevant to students. It starts natural dialog about important issues relating to music trends and music as a sign of the times.”

Save the Music Concerts

14 Views: 7th - 12th Grade; 5.0/5.

Students classify current artists into popular music genres. They evaluate the positive and negatives of collaborative performances. They gain an understanding of the different styles of popular music.

[PDF] Music into Words

73 Views: 7th - 9th Grade; 5.0/5.

Students use descriptive language and precise word choices in writing. They complete a worksheet to describe a favorite song or piece of music. A one-page description of the song using the words and phrases they wrote on the worksheet is written.

Grow a Musical Instrument

41 Views: Kindergarten - 12th Grade; 5.0/5.

Students participate in growing plants to make musical instruments. In this cross curricular music/science/social studies lesson, students learn about the gourd and how cultures around the world used it to make an instrument. Students plant and create gourd instruments.

Music in Words

25 Views: 6th - 12th Grade; 5.0/5.

Students listen to and share thoughts about a piece of classical music. They write a piece of music or poem, and analyze their peers and their own creative processes.

The Strength of Native American Music

14 Views: 6th - 8th Grade; 5.0/5.

Students examine the relationship between music, culture and history. They discuss how one can use music to survive culturally. They discover the role of music in preserving Native American culture.

Music Land

32 Views: 6th - 8th Grade; 5.0/5.

Students work in groups to research a musical time period. They use the information they find to design a "Music Land" theme park to report their information. The project incorporates a restaurant, souvenir shop, marquee board, time warp entry, any other stores or theme-park rides that show the important events of their time period and its music.

Music Around the World

53 Views: 4th - 5th Grade; 5.0/5.

Students recognize that different cultures have different types of music, students be responsible for finding a piece of music that represents their personal culture or nationality, playing that piece for the class, and explain the musical genre.