The backbone of Latin American music is the beat! Young musicians work on blending Afro-Latin rhythms and beat patterns before incorporating the major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, and blues scales in their own compositions.

Students observe that there are myriad combinations of rhythms to choose from when improvising jazz and blues music, and recognize that while the variations seem infinite, they are in fact finite. They notate a 12 bar blues progression...

Young scholars examine female artists who perform in the genres of rhythm & blues, jazz, soul, and hip-hop/rap. They compose lyrics and melody in one of these genres.

Students gain an appreciation for various types of music. Using the music of the past, they compare it with the music of today. In groups, they research periods in which blues and jazz were most popular and write their own piece of music...

Students describe some of the distinguishing characteristics background rhythms used in R&B. They perform typical R&B accompaniment patterns and develop their own horn section to play background rhythms.

Young scholars perform a song, identify melodies, and discuss the history of folk songs.

Students complete a year-long unit for poetry and songs. In this poetry and songs lesson, students complete nine lessons for animal songs and animal poetry to improve their understanding of rhyme, rhythm, and poetry.

Students explore early 19th century labor conditions through the use of period songs. In this tolerance instructional activity, students listen to period songs and respond. Students write their own song that protests unfair and dangerous...

Students understand rhythm and rhyming words in poetry. In this poetry lesson, students listen to poetry and are able to find the ABAB pattern. Students recognize the "ow" sound. Students complete various activities to practice the...

Students discover how storytelling can shape a person's tradition.Students examine different methods of storytelling such as music, biographies, and African folktales. They then demonstrate their knowledge of storytelling by writing...

Learners explore power and the symbols of power in West African music. They discuss the music of West Africa and compare it to African American music of today. In addition, they investigate musical instruments of Africa, identify the...

In this creative writing lesson, pupils listen to the song "It Ain't Gonna Rain No More", read the book adaptation titled I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!, and pay close attention to the rhyming scheme, punctuation and illustrations. ...

Learners use their practice book to complete their piano lessons. They examine the history of music and complete pages in a workbook. They create their own music by using the computer.

Students explore their own responses to sound by hearing the music as a regular part of the class structure. They develop an awareness that certain art evokes certain sounds and moods and develop an intuitive responses to the music.

Students use recordings of Wyclef Jean's music to study and explore different styles and techniques.

Fifth graders explore the colors in the color wheel and complete a tissue art activity that includes a minimum of three different colors from the color wheel and two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel. They discuss...

Students analyze various kinds of music.  In this music lesson, students listen to music clips to determine the kind of music each clip is then they participate in a class discussion about the music and prepare a presentation.

Students culminate a humanities project by improvising music to accompany a video of a particular era in US history.

Students create a class poem based on the song, Bam, Chi, Chi, Bam. The class participates in a brief discussion of the music of Jamaica and the feelings conveyed by this music. After listening to the song, students create a poem to...

Pupils work with a family member in placing all of the music notes on a staff board. They try to match the rhythm on the rhythm board and show their completed song to the teacher.

Students demonstrate what they have learned in physical education class. In groups, they perform the different activities in front of teachers and parents. To end the lesson, they practice their creative movements and dance to specific...

First graders listen to the story, "Brown Bear, Brown Bear." students listen to a poem, "Jack O' Lantern, Jack O' Lantern," and take turns retelling it. They draw the poem in correct sequence on paper to retell it.

Students evaluate jazz music and a jazz music performance. They collaborate and create an improvised group short story. They improvise a musical piece on found objects.

Students compare their own special holidays and traditions and then use their imaginations to create their own holiday.