Music Performance Lesson Plans

Eighth graders are introduced to a brief history of musical theater in America. They listen to various pieces of music, watch videos, and study their composers and lyricists.

Students observe global cultures by listening to music and watching videos. In this Latin American dance lesson, students define merengue, salsa and other dances from the Hispanic culture while listening to Latin rhythm music. Students view educational DVD's which discuss reggae as well as the tango.

Sixth graders research musical styles and forms throughout history. In this musical styles and forms lesson, 6th graders research the history of music by examining the similarities and differences in the form of opera and American musical theatre. Students then create their own opera or musical theatre production for their class.

Ninth graders discuss how a song can represent a culture or part of a culture and the role of the musician. They will discuss and prepare projects that compare and contrast the music to be performed for an audience.

Students explore, filter and study media images. After studying media episodes, students plan, create and present a segment of a morning TV show. They discuss methods to analyze and critically evaluate television morning news.

Students study the folk music and dance of the island of Mauritius. In this music and dance lesson, students study the style of music and dance that is called sega. They learn about how the traditional music comes from the islands off the coast of Africa.

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 focus on age-related generations to assess how traditional music is transmitted from one generation to another and how music functions for people within a generation. They compare/contrast and explore music in their own generational music communities.

Learners identify and interpret the styles and elements of music in three major folk regions of Louisiana within specific traditional music genres. Then they hear the diversity of music in the state and identify the major genres of traditional music by how they sound and where they most ofter occur. Students also identify the context within which to consider their own musical landscapes that they look for and listen to different versions of songs.

Fourth graders build language skills in the context of creating a classroom magzine. They participate in activities which help students communitcate ideas and information for a variety of purposes and for specific audiences using the conventions of written language; read materials for different purposes; express, respond to, and communicate ideas, topics, and opinions in oral and visual formats.