Musical Forms Lesson Plans

Students identify different patterns within music, visual arts, and dance.  In this fine arts and pattern lesson, students discuss how dancers, artists, and musicians create patterns like AB in their art.  Students create their own music, visual art, or dance using different patterns. 

Students are introduced to the music technology programs for the next school year. They practice reading notes and playing piano. They use the internet to research careers in music.

Students receive a worksheet on music terms. As a class, they unscramble a couple before attempt them on their own. They then write the meaning of each to research the meaning of the musical terms.

Students discuss style and characteristics of musical time periods as well as the definition of "pop culture." They compare and contrast modern-day popular icons to music icons throughout history.  This lesson requires a video, which is not included.

Students investigate the relationship between pitches and notes. In this musical pitches and notes lesson, students use different sized bottles, water, and sugar to demonstrate different sounds. Students create musical notes.

Explore the inception and evolution of hip-hop music as a springboard for writing music reviews and researching other genres of music. Learners will read and discuss the Times' article, From Underground Music to Fashion Statement to then write a persuasive review on their favorite music or artist.

Teach your students to appreciate classical music. They listen to and share thoughts about a piece of classical music. Then they will write a piece of music or poem, and analyze their peers' work and their own creative processes.

Listen and analyze various samples of genres of music. After reading an article, learners will 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. In the end, they share their information with the class in an oral presentation.

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

What is American Roots music? Examine the relationship between music, culture, and history as it relates to America. Middle schoolers will discuss how one can use music to survive culturally. They will also discover the role of music in preserving Native American culture.