Vocal Music Lesson Plans

High schoolers will learn to appreciate the civil rights movement with a focus on Little Rock, Arkansas. They will also acknowledge Louis Armstrong's unparalleled contributions to American music.

Students use the music of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young to examine Folk music.

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.

Melodic phrases in pieces of music are the focus of this music lesson. Young musicians study melodic phrases in vocal and instrumental music pieces. They listen to a variety of musical examples in order to identify the different phrases in each.

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.

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.

Third graders listen to the song, "Summertime," in a variety of forms. For this music lesson, 3rd graders compare the different versions, explain which version they preferred, and support their decision in writing using appropriate musical terminology.

Students examine the relationship of today's pop vocal music and other American vocal genres. They describe distinguishing characteristics of representative music genres and styles from a variety of cultures. After listening to short examples of CD's and tapes, students engagee in a classroom discussion about pop vocal groups from each decade from the nineties going back to the forties.

Fifth graders explore the impact of history, religion, and culture on music. They discover Renaissance genres, composers, and cultures as they sing, play songs, and participate in hands-on activities. Handouts and worksheets are included.

Ninth graders are provided with opportunities to develop the ability to assess how elements of music are used in a work to create images or evoke emotions. They listen to examples of program music.