Pupils detect the waveform of musical notes to determine the code for the "safe" in this forensics simulation lesson. They use a microphone and tuning forks along with Vernier EasyData on their graphing calculator to analyze five musical...

Young scholars listen to Brazilian folk music and discuss its various sounds and connections to today's music. They record sounds that define and represent the culture of their school and community.

Students explore word structure by participating in a game of musical chairs. For this phonics lesson, students discuss the letters of the alphabet and identify words that begin with each letter and the sounds they make. Students...

Students observe the sounds of different brass instruments in order to understand how to create different pitches. In this musical instructional activity, students create a "brass" instrument from everyday household objects. The students...

Students identify letter names of notes, demonstrate simple rhythms, and use that knowledge to play short melodic phrases using the educational software called BugBand. Handouts and a quiz to assess student achievement are included.

Young scholars apply fractions to counting rhythm in music. In this algebra instructional activity, students interrelate the concept of math into music as they fill out a chart identifying the names and symbols of music notes and their...

Students discover how engineers use sound energy. They participate in hands-on activities in which they discover how we know sound exists. They identify different pitches and frequencies as well.

Contemplate what music learners listen to and why they listen. Can they find poetry within music lyrics? Specifically hone in on blues lyrics and ruminate upon the social issues prevalent in the themes. Particular song lyrics coincide...

Get your class primed for a comparative analysis lesson with this activity. They compare and contrast their music preferences to those of their classmates. After reading an article, they identify current trends in popular music, analyze...

Using the San Francisco Children's Orchestra web site, first graders build listening and instrument identification skills. Each child wears head phones, listens to ID, and finds various instruments on the included worksheet. 

Can you beat the odds of cancer? In the first installment of a seven-part series, future biomedical engineers consider how to detect and diagnose cancer. An article on biosensors provides useful information toward this goal.

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...

Students complete research to enhance their reading of "The Grapes of Wrath". Using the text, they identify and locate cultural artifacts and discuss their symbolic connotations. As a class, they create a museum exhibit of the various...

High schoolers examine how diamonds are portrayed in American culture. They identify the political and social implications of conflict diamonds and the locations of these diamonds in Africa. They evaluate the effectiveness of the...

Students view video clips of Shakespeare's plays. They discuss issues in his plays that challenge his authorship. They discuss the concept of a genius and identify what qualities a writer has.

Students discuss how to critique a musical piece properly. After listening to different types of music, they identify the strengths and weaknesses of the piece. They also develop solutions to the problems in the music for further...

Students listen to two different excerpts of the same music piece. In groups, they collectively write descriptions of the tempo and dynamics of the piece and assign a color to the music. They relate the color chosen to the tempo and...

Use science to solve the mystery of the Poplar murder. Pupils use forensic botany to determine if a suspect could be the killer. By analyzing images from a Transmission Electron Microscope, learners determine if the material found on the...

Students analyze the William Tell Overture for meter and conducting, among other musical concepts in a three-activity unit. They practice conducting patterns and identify eighth and quarter notes and chord roots.

Students discuss the composer Aaron Copland and the lyricist Ira Gershwin and their significance in/contributions to American music of their time while singing the song "Younger Generation" in the choir setting. Emphasis is placed on...

Third graders identify and perform the five main dance movements of the "Chicken Dance" to accordion music.

Fifth graders identify seven different constellations and explain a myth that accompanies it. As a class, they listen to myths associated with the Greek and Native American cultures. To end the lesson, they write their own myth related...

Third graders examine the sounds and notes for crescendos and decrescendos. They attend a concert by a symphony orchestra and when they return to the classroom they identify the crescendos and decrescendos in music they hear.

Sixth graders identify and interpret the following: What is space?, Space Race, Living in space?, Man on the Moon, Astronaut training; students compare/contrast US and Russia space exploration. Students write a letter of application to...