Curated OER
Blues Improvisation
Students practice playing and improvising while playing the 12 bar blues. They practice compositional skills, evaluate and perform musical pieces focused on the blues.
Curated OER
Jazz: Expression through Improvisation
Students watch a video on improvisation. They improvise original melodies over given chord progressions. They develop criteria to evaluate the merits of improvisational performances and apply the criteria in their personal listening and...
Curated OER
Jazz Forms and Improvisation
Students listen to an original recording of Louis Armstrong and discuss instrumentation. They identify an AABA song form as they listen. They list similarities between the following: traditional meets modern and small group vs. big band.
SoundTree
Teaching Jazz Structure with 2-track Stereo Digital Audio Software
Melody, solo, melody. After a discussion of the structure of a jazz tune and of improvisation as it relates to jazz, young musicians listen to a jazz CD and then, using 2-track stereo digital audio software, place and label markers in an...
Curated OER
Performance of routine movements
Students explore movement in dance routines. They observe movements and transform everyday gestures into choregraphy. Through activities, students develop improvisational skills. They evaluate and critique work.
Curated OER
Jam Sessions
Young scholars examine the connection between sense of humor and jazz improvisation by identifying the musical instruments imitated by comedian Bill Cosby. They listen to another recording by Clark Terry and write what they think he...
Curated OER
Solo Dance Composition
Students conclude the semester with an individual movement study utilizing basic elements of dance and choreography previously covered in class. They will choose from three choreographic prompts presented a few days before giving them...
Curated OER
Pantomime vs. Abstract Gesture
Students explain dance as a way to create and communicate meaning and demonstrate the difference between pantomiming and abstracting a gesture.
Curated OER
Composing Your Melody
In this music instructional activity, learners perform a given melody of four phrases. Students also improvise their own melodies using notes G, A, C, D, and E.
Curated OER
Time in Jazz
Learners examine time and meter in the jazz idiom. They analyze Take the A Train and Take Five. They research websites featuring Ella Fitzgerald and her music.
Curated OER
Now's the Time, Charlie Parker Now's the Time, Eddie Jefferson
Students delve into the music of bebop style jazz and the life and talents of some of the great musicians. The styles of Charlie Parker and James Moody are compared and contrasted in this lesson.
Curated OER
Louis Armstrong Hot Five
Students investigate the history and development of jazz by studying the Louis Armstrong Hot Five. They listen to music and define how Armstrong strengthened the concept of the solo as a part of jazz. They complete guided listening lessons.
Smithsonian Institution
The Sounds of an Island: Jamaican Music for the Classroom
Introduce young explorers to the music and history of Jamaican culture through game songs and dances. As a bonus, class members get to play simple songs transcribed for the recorder.
Curated OER
Black and Blue: Jazz in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man
Students analyze the impact of jazz on the novel, "Invisible Man," by Ralph Ellison. They read and discuss excerpts of the novel, write an essay on the influence of jazz on Ralph Ellison as a writer, and view video excerpts on jazz...
Curated OER
Everybody's Boppin', Lambert, Hendricks and Ross
Students probe the musical style of scat singing with imitation instruments. While listening to the musical pieces, they identify when one singer finishes and another begins. The singing groups' styles are contrasted in this lesson.
Curated OER
Guitar Techniques - Lesson 2
Students discuss the different guitar techniques of David Crosby, Stephen Stills, and Neil Young. They experience the guitar technique of "alternate tuning". They also discuss CSNY's 'Ohio' and Kent State.
Curated OER
Musical Instruments - Percussion
Students research and analyze various percussion instruments from different countries and cultures in this Music lesson plan for the upper-elementary classroom. Emphasis is placed on internet research and hands-on drumming techniques...
Curated OER
Somebody's Knocking At My Door
Students perform animal sounds and movements, demonstrate a steady beat using both feet, and perform portions of the song "Somebody's Knocking At My Door" in this Music activity for the Kindergarten classroom. State and National...
Curated OER
Louis Armstrong
In this reading comprehension worksheet students read a biography of jazz musician Louis Armstrong. Students answer 6 questions.
Curated OER
Indian Music
In this music worksheet, students will read about the 3 main parts of Indian music, complete 5 short answer questions about those parts, and read descriptions of 4 common Indian instruments.
Curated OER
The Parts of Indian Music
In this Indian music activity, 7th graders examine a graphic organizer that displays the three parts of the music. They read about the Tala, Raga, and Drone before answering 5 short answer questions based on the reading.
Curated OER
VH1 Legends Sam Cooke Lesson 2
Learners examine the reasons and controversy regarding Sam Cooke's transition from gospel to pop.