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Gospel Beginnings - Lesson 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students identify genres of music that influenced musical style of Aretha Franklin. They identify musical characteristics of gospel and sing a gospel selection. They pay particular attention to the call and response style.
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VH1 Driven: Shakira, Lesson 3

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students watch a video about the life of Latin singer/pop star, Shakira and identify the elements that make her music unique. They explore Latin music and dance and research the music and dance of a specific Latin American country.
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Bob Marley - Legend Episode #3 - Lesson 4

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze and describe Reggae music using correct musical terms to discuss tonality, instrumentation, meter and tempo. They experiment with singing and dancing to Reggae music in a style appropriate to the genre.
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VH1 Presents the 1980s - Lesson 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify different genres of music popular in the 1980s. They study musicians of the 1980s examples of the songs that they made popular. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan to categorize the music.
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Songs from Two Generations - Lesson 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify popular songs from 1968 era and analyze some of the topical and musical elements. They focus on social protest songs and other songs of social conscious.
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Storytellers: Dave Matthews Band

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students decide what the term "art" means to them. They identify artistic elements displayed by the Dave Matthews Band. They understand the relationship between music and other means of artistic expression.
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Rock Till You Drop!

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Students study rhythmic patterns and phrases on percussion instruments. They form a drum circle and take turns playing the beat. After listening to styles of rhythms, students compare styles of music. They compose a short piece of...
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Enduring Legacies of the New Deal

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students investigate U.S. history by listening to an economics lecture. For this U.S. government lesson, students research the "New Deal" which happened after the Great Depression. Students identify movies, books and music from the...
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Meet Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov!

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Pupils listen to music and review instruments of the orchestra. They explore musical terms, solo, texture and theme of the music and discuss other features of the music. Students research and discuss the life of Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov.
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VH1 Fan Club Dave Matthews Band

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study how the music of Dave Matthews Band is based on jazz, blues, bluegrass, rock and roll, and rap.
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Songs that Bring Us Together - Lesson 5

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students compose song as a classroom effort. They write a one-paragraph essay about "message" songs in 100 years and include three ideas for topics along with the style of music (such as folk, rock, blues, rap, etc.) that would match.
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H1 Classic Presents: Paul McCartney: Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students are introduced to the various songwriting techniques of Paul McCartney. They explore and compare the basic melodic, harmonic, and lyrical tendencies of the different types of pop music.
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VH1 Driven: Shakira

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students watch a video about the life of Latin singer/pop star, Shakira. They identify the elements of Latin Pop-style music and identify the elements that make the singer Shakira unique.
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200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars define the term "exoticism" and identify musical elements used by 19th and 20th century composers and modern pop icons to convey exoticism.
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VH1 Driven: Kanye West

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars watch a video excerpt about the life of Kanye West. They draw connections between his life and their own and compose a rap song in the style of West, using his song, "Through the Wire" as an example.
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Jazz in America Lesson Plan 7

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The student will explore free jazz, fusion, and contemporary jazz. They will listen to avant garde, fusion, and pop recordings. In addition, they participate in a class discussion regarding jazz's contribution to and reflection of...
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Musical Moments

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars listen to popular music in French. In groups, they identify and practice speaking the words they are unfamiliar with and examine the context of the song. They complete a worksheet with a partner to end the lesson and...
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Music to My Ears - Figures of Speech and Stylistic Devices

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students know the meaning of a given list of figures of speech and stylistic devices. They identify examples of these terms in the music and songs with which they are familiar. They examine how to apply the knowledge of these terms to...
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And You Don't Stop-30 Years of Hip-hop

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify the musical genre of Hip-Hop and make a connection with other styles of music. A time line of musical styles is developed and discussed.
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The History of Rock and Roll: Parts 1, 6, 8, and 10 Roots of Rock & Roll

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the musical influences on the emergence of Rock and Roll.
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The History of Rock and Roll: Part 6 - My Generation - Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students identify musical characteristics of baroque, jazz, and psychedelic music. They arrange traditional music into the style of baroque, jazz, and psychedelic music.
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The History of Rock and Roll: Part 8 - The 70's - Have a Nice Day - Lesson 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars discuss the technological advancements in music that emerged during the 1970's and how they were used. They see how technology in music influenced the artists and their music.
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Honor Choir Rehearsal

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers practice singing with complete vocal warm-ups in a unified tone. They perform sections of the following songs: "Lamentations of Jeremiah," "Soonah Will Be Done," and "Fairest Lord Jesus." As students sing, they practice...
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William Walton [1902-1983] LAM 102 Belshazzar's Feast (1931)

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Pupils explore the musical composition of William Walton. In this listening exercise instructional activity, students answer the questions that are based upon the influences of the composition of the piece of music, Belshazzar's Feast.