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Interactive
American Museum of Natural History

Sounds of the Silk Road

For Students 6th - 12th
Young explorers may not be able to travel the Silk Road but they can listen to music that was played on instruments of the time and create their own songs with the help of an interesting interactive resource. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Parallel Harmonies

For Teachers 4th - 8th
What is a parallel harmony? You and your class can explore musical terminology through song. You define what a parallel harmony is, the class identifies parallel harmony in music they hear, and then you all sing some examples together....
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Simple Sharps

For Students 3rd - 6th
If you want to play music, you need to learn how to read sharps and flats. Young musicians practice reading and playing these simple sharps. Each sharp is given a word that connects it to the note it is related to. For example: Charles...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kindergarten Music Lesson

For Teachers K
Singing, clapping, moving up and down with the melody, it all sounds like a great music lesson. Kinder-musicians sing three different songs to practice memory, speaking, and movement skills. They'll move to the melody, build memory with...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Multicultural Music: Israel

For Teachers 2nd
Do a grapevine to the left, lift your hands in the air, and sing out, "Hey!" These are the steps second graders will do when they sing and dance the Israeli folk song, "Achshav.”  They will explore the concept of multicultural music and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Musical Accent Activity

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Budding instrumentalists take on the task of reading accent marks and playing them correctly. They practice playing the provided rhythm or beat, focusing on emphasizing notes that have accents over them. The handout included provides...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fats Waller, Handful of Keys

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Playing piano is great fun and playing jazz is even better. Kids watch a video of Fats Waller playing the song, "Handful of Keys," they then use either a piano key print out or Orff instruments to practice his signature stride piano...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music: Caterpillars, How They Grow!

For Teachers 1st
Put on some music and get moving as a way to represent the life cycle of a caterpillar. Kids listen to the story The Very Hungary Caterpillar, discuss the life cycle, then create vocal expression that represent each stage of the cycle....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Singing a round

For Teachers 4th
Kids use their hands, bodies, and voices to explore the musical concept of a round. They say vegetable words while stomping and clapping out a rhythm in unison and then in a round. They then sing a round while maintaining a steady beat....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Garage Band to Enhance 2nd Grade Composition

For Teachers 2nd
Your second graders can become composers with a little help from the Garage Band software. You pre-select several drum, piano, and guitar loops for the groups to choose from, then they put them together following an ABA looping pattern....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My (musical) Valentine

For Teachers K
Get out those bells, sand blocks, and sticks! Your kindergarteners use their singing voices to ask and answer friendly questions while keeping rhythm. They take turns in a group and in pairs singing questions and answers while keeping...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kindergarten Music Time

For Teachers K
Little ones are led through a series of rhythmic songs and chants while they march, clap, and use their tummies as percussive instruments. They work on singing in pitch, chunking, and keeping a steady beat. 
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PPT
Curated OER

Exploring Pulse & Rhythm

For Teachers K - 2nd
When we play music, we count beats both high and low. This introductory music activity explores tempo and rhythm. Learners will follow along as they clap to the beat, they clap high in the air and low. A very good introductory lesson.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grade 2: Music/Valentine's Day

For Teachers 2nd
Play and sing a Valentine's song with your second graders. They'll follow along allow as you demonstrate how to sing and keep a steady beat on non-pitched percussive instruments. While the music lesson has a Valentine theme, that theme...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Upward and Downward Motion of Melody

For Teachers 1st
First graders explore the notion of upward and downward melody motion. They hum, sing, and listen as the melody moves up and down. To show what they know, they put their thumbs up or down as the melody shifts.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

General Music: Star Spangled Banner

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
"The Star Spangled Banner" became our country's national anthem, but why? Second and third grade musicians read about the song, analyze the lyrics, and discuss patriotism. They then complete a related word search.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music: Sounds on the Farm

For Teachers Pre-K - 2nd
Singing is a great way to build memory, music, and verbal communication skills. Little ones sing the song, "Old Mac Donald had a Farm." They make the sounds of each animal on the farm paying attention to signaling cues, singing high, and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Singing: Mi, So, La

For Teachers K
Little ones learn the tones mi, so, and la by singing an answer to a sung question. They play a name game to identify beat, then discuss songs with no beat. If there is time during this musical instruction instructional activity, they...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning AB Form: Music

For Teachers 3rd
Third grade musicians play Orff instruments while they learn about the AB Form. First they learn part A of a song, then they listen to when the song changes. After they understand the concept of AB form, they learn to play part B. Note:...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning Refrain and Verse

For Teachers 1st
Instruct your young musicians on the terms verse and refrain. They listen to two songs, and point out the verse and refrain as they occur. Students then play drums when they hear the verse and the refrain. Note: Song lyrics, sheet music,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Singing: "I Mailed Myself to You"

For Teachers 1st
Keeping a steady beat, singing soft, loud, and in unison - sounds like music class to me! First graders practice these skills while listening to the song, "I Mailed Myself to You" for Valentine's Day. This is a simple and age appropriate...
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Lesson Plan
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Halloween Sing Along

For Teachers 1st
First graders get ready for Halloween while engaging in a spirited sing-along. They sing the song "Halloween" along with the teacher as they clap to keep rhythm with the music. Note: This song or song lyrics are not included. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Harmonic Vision’s Music Ace Software to Reinforce Basic Music Skills

For Teachers K
If you have access to Harmonic Vision’s Music Ace Software, then this lesson could work for you. Kindergarteners use the video music software to place, identify, and read musical notes. They listen in and identify both high and low...
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PPT
Curated OER

Exploring Descriptive Sounds

For Teachers K - 2nd
"The Carnival of the Animals" is a piece written by Saint-Saens, and is full of descriptive sounds that help tell a story through music. Included here are a set of images that represent the animal sounds in the piece.