Multicultural Music Lesson Plans

Young scholars gain a better understanding of the AIDS worldwide epidemic. They see how music is connected to other aspects of our lives and our world. They listen to and discuss multicultural music.

Students explore their family history.  In this series of roots lessons, students participate in a variety of activities to learn about families.  Students compare and contrast, discuss, read stories, and create art projects to help them learn and share about their family.

Third graders complete a unit of lessons on the singing, instruments, and dancing of Native Americans. They identify and play various instruments, complete worksheets, define key vocabulary, sing songs, and perform dances.

Fourth graders begin the lesson plan by listening and singing along to various songs from different cultures. In groups, they research the ways different groups have used music to express themselves and compare and contrast them in an organizer. They work together to create their own piece of music that represents their own culture. To end the lesson plan, they develop a new culture and another original piece of music.

Students explore traditional music of different societies around the world by listening to number of different musical recordings, discuss how music makes them feel, examine how music is central to cultural traditions, and compose short written responses.

Fourth graders sing, play, and listen to music from other cultures. In this cultural appreciation lesson, 4th graders compare and contrast the music of other cultures. As a culminating activity, students invent their own culture, define their culture's parameters for musical expression and compose a piece of music for their culture.

Students explore American ethnic music. For this multicultural music lesson, students review the musical instrument groups and listen to examples of American ethnic music. Students compose a melody accompanied by computer generated music using Audacity.

Students identify many genres of music and connect styles of music with various cultures. They watch "The Greatest TV Moments: Sesame Street Music A to Z" and list music styles: folk, jazz, rock, etc.

Fourth graders examine the different geographical regions of Ohio and how they have change d over time. The cultural groups of each region is examined looking for differences among them and certain changes over time.

Fifth graders study the Ohio regional cultures and the role music plays in culture. In this culture and music lesson, 5th graders complete research and make a presentation that illustrates an Ohio cultural group and its location, customs, practices, social behaviors, and music.