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Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

The Birth of an Icon: Learning and Performing the Origins of the Drum Set and Early Jazz Drumming in New Orleans, Louisiana

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Bass drum, snare drum, tom-toms, cymbals. Perched behind their drum sets, wielding their drum sticks and wire brushes, drummers lay the grove and are the heartbeat of a band's performance. A dynamic instructional activity introduces...
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Interactive
Physics Classroom

Name That Harmonic: Closed-End air Columns

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Physics is like music—practice makes perfect! Challenge your class using an interactive that builds harmonic skills. The engaging lesson from a playlist exploring sounds and waves revolves around wave behavior in closed-end air columns....
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Worksheet
Classics for Kids

Instrumental Sounds

For Students 4th - 5th
What sound does a piccolo make? What's the difference between a violin and viola? What family does a timpani belong to? Take a tour through the different sections of an orchestra with an interactive reference tool.
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Worksheet
Classics for Kids

Fun With Musical Words

For Students 4th - 5th Standards
Is concertmaster another term for conductor, or is he or she another person entirely? Learn the specifics of the role of concertmaster with an activity focused on classical music. After learners define the term, they select a piece of...
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Worksheet
Classics for Kids

Listen to the Music

For Students K - 3rd Standards
Different pieces of music can elicit different emotions from audience members. A quick tempo can make you feel happy, while a largo piece may bring out a melancholy temperament. Elementary musicians learn more about the instruments and...
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Worksheet
Classics for Kids

A Composer Leads the Way

For Students 4th - 5th
What song is playing? A music activity focuses on composers throughout history, their famous works, and the instruments in each piece. As pupils complete the instructional activity they play a short game to review music theory terms.
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Worksheet
Classics for Kids

Instruments Have a Family

For Students K - 3rd Standards
Are the instruments in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in the same family as those in George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue? Elementary musicians work on their music theory and their instrumental ear as they listen to clips of famous...
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Worksheet
Curated OER

The Layout of an Orchestra

For Students 7th
In this orchestra worksheet, 7th graders follow directions for coloring in a diagram of an orchestra setting. They shade each section according to the type of instrument that would be seated there.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Brass Family

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students observe a PowerPoint presentation to explore how brass instruments produce wounds. They observe the teacher demonstrate the proper use of the mouthpiece and slides to produce a tone. With and without the mouthpiece, students...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Etching Copper or Brass Bracelets, Pins and Earrings

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Students create their own jewelry using brass or copper. They first draw their design before using the brass or copper. They then practice using different tools and using the correct vocabulary.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Musical Instruments

For Teachers 4th - 5th
For this musical instruments worksheet, students identify and locate 20 various types of musical instruments in a word search. First, they locate brass and percussion instruments. Then, students locate string and woodwind instruments.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Instrument families

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners brainstorm to list as many instruments as they can and try to guess which instrument family into which they fit. They research each instrument on a website and find the family, hear the sound and learn about each one.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music - Lesson 3 - Orchestra

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders study the four families of orchestral instruments and patriotic songs in this unit of lessons.