Classics for Kids
Listen to the Music
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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Peter and the Wolf
Peter and the Wolf is a wonderful piece that introduces learners to classical music, builds listening skills, and creates a bridge from song to imagination. Each slide shows a picture of one of the characters from the story and a group...
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Danse Macabre: Saint-Saëns
Assist your youngsters as they learn to visualize the story music can tell us. They listen to the piece "Danse Macabre" while viewing this slideshow. Each slide describes the key instrument and what creature of the dark it represents. A...
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MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE LITTLE PRINCE
Learners demonstrate knowledge of musical instruments and the families of the orchestra. They acknowledge different voice types found in opera. Students interpret emotional expressions through listening. They compose sounds to express...
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Music and Emotions
First graders examine how certain types of music can evoke emotions and mental images. They fold a piece of paper into four equal sections, and create a picture of what they are visualizing in each section while listening to four...
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The Magic Opera
Introduce your young learners to opera by dressing up as Mozart and recounting some of the fascinating details of his life and music. After exploring the Metropolitan Opera's site for kids, the class listens to a reading of Kyra...
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String Instruments and Pitch
Students make predictions and explore how pitch is altered in string instruments. In this acoustic science lesson, students learn the types and parts of string instruments and create their own. They listen to classical music and identify...
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Animal Action
Students construct descriptive sentences. In this cross curricular music and descriptive writing instructional activity, students listen to classical music and pantomime actions that correspond to the music. Students write descriptive...
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The Imagine Poetry & Mural Lesson
Readers of all ages can work together in groups to create original poetry on the theme of "Imagine," inspired by John Lennon's classic song. They also create a mural to illustrate their poetry. A beautiful lesson, inspired by a beautiful...
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Wonderful World of Color
Learners compare the paintings and lives of William H. Johnson and Henri Matisse through their use of line, color, and patterns to publish an individual fact book. They then create an imaginary painting while listening to classical music.
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Monet's Magical Garden
Students study classic paintings by masters like Monet. In this art history lesson plan, students listen to the story Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert and sing flower songs with the rest of their class. Students examine the painting The...
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Little Train of Caipira
Students listen to the "Berry Pickers' Song" on the piano twice. They practice the song several times to become familiar enough to recognize it in the piece. They listen to the CD and recognize the tune by raising their hand and tell...
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THE TRAVELS OF BABAR: An Adventure in Scale : The Instruments of the Orchestra
Students classify the classes of instruments of the orchestra: strings, brass, woodwinds and percussion. They aurally and visually identify the instruments of the orchestra. Students become actively engaged in live performances by...
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AB Form Through Movement
Learners listen to music by Ludwig Van Beethoven and figure out the form of the piece. They create binary forms for additional songs, and then practice the rhythms with eurythmic movement.
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KEYBOARDS
Second graders become familiar with appearance and characteristic sound of piano, identify piano as part of percussion family, find middle C on the keyboard, observe scale, chord, and "broken" chord, and listen to a well-known classical...
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William Tell Overture
Students explore the musical concepts of rhythm, melody, expression, and tone color in a three-lesson plan unit about the William Tell Overture. They identify dynamics and tempo and play a vocal tone color singing game.
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Broccoli
Students compose, notate, and evaluate their own rhythmic compositions using the song "Broccoli" for inspiration in this excellent elementary-level General Music lesson. Emphasis is placed upon four-measure patterns and the classic...
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The Little Red Hen
Students analyze a classic children's story by discussing it with their peers. For this reading comprehension lesson, students read The Little Red Hen, and discuss ways the hen takes care of his responsibilities. Students utilize Clip...
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Winter Through the Arts
Students read the book The Snowy Day and discover various winter themes. In this winter lesson, students develop movements to express the feeling of a snowstorm. Students also construct winter-themed art pieces.