Understanding time signatures and rhythm counting are two very important parts of playing an instrument well. Here are three basic lessons rolled into one that prompt upper graders to play their instruments with care. They'll practice...

Sixth graders listen to various songs. In this musical properties lesson, 6th graders work in groups to identify musical selections, practice tapping the beat, review time signatures, and identify the meter of different songs.

Students use the nursery rhyme "Pease Porridge Hot" to explore rhythm, beats and rests in music.

Kids use their hands, bodies, and voices to explore the musical concept of a round. They say vegetable words while stomping and clapping out a rhythm in unison and then in a round. They then sing a round while maintaining a steady beat....

Keeping a steady beat, singing soft, loud, and in unison - sounds like music class to me! First graders practice these skills while listening to the song, "I Mailed Myself to You" for Valentine's Day. This is a simple and age appropriate...

Students utilize listening skills, singing, movement and rhythm instruments in various combinations to reinforce lesson concepts. They develop the ability to identify a steady beat and AB patterns found in a variety of traditional...

Students identify and demonstrate movement elements in relation to musical notation. They clap to rhythms, beat on drums, match musical notes to speech patterns and use the rhythms of the their names to create a dance.

Play and sing a Valentine's song with your second graders. They'll follow along allow as you demonstrate how to sing and keep a steady beat on non-pitched percussive instruments. While the music lesson plan has a Valentine theme, that...

Get out those bells, sand blocks, and sticks! Your kindergarteners use their singing voices to ask and answer friendly questions while keeping rhythm. They take turns in a group and in pairs singing questions and answers while keeping...

Fourth graders explore the music of Buenos Aires as they hear and then dance the Tango. They practice basic Tango rhythm, learn to sing the song, "Any Turkey can Tango," then practice a few Tango-riffic dance steps with a partner....

Fourth graders learn about musical patterns as they play a game called fudge. Students are assessed based on whether they were able to identify and play a steady beat, use the appropriate form, and clap the rythmic patterns.

Little ones learn the tones mi, so, and la by singing an answer to a sung question. They play a name game to identify beat, then discuss songs with no beat. If there is time during this musical instruction lesson, they dance about the...

First graders develop skills in reading music notes. For this reading music lesson, 1st graders clap and chant rhythm patterns and learn music vocabulary. Students also match patterns by listening to the teacher perform the pattern.

You don't need drums to play percussion; you can use your own body. Second graders use body percussion to make four-beat rhythms and play patterned clapping games. When they are finished they discuss beats, patterns, rhythm, and rhyme.

Second graders read rhythm notation and combine four-beat rhythms. In this rhythms lesson, 2nd graders read quarter notes, eighth notes, and quarter rests in rhythms that are written on dinosaur shapes. They clap, snap, or stamp out the...

Fractions can be tricky. Why not have kids think of fractions like they think of eighth, quarter, and half notes? In teams, the class creates four-measure patterns with their percussion instruments. They need to explain their rhythm...

Second graders discover the rhythm in music. Students walk around in a circle, swinging a ribbon to the beat of music. While keeping a steady beat, 2nd graders respond to suggested alterations to their rhythm.

Students keep a steady beat by body movement exercises, improvise, identify a beat/no beat sequence and sing a nursery rhyme from Portugal in this Kindergarten General Music instructional activity. The use of simple rhythmic instruments...

Sixth graders work independently and with a partner to demonstrate proficiency of steady beat, meter and basic note values while creating written rhythmic patterns for class performance. State and National Standards are addressed.

Students explain note values and relationships, especially dotted rhythms and tied notes by giving them a visual, hands on representation

First graders investigate musical notes. For this music lesson, 1st graders discuss the values of each note by counting the beats accordingly.

Middle schoolers explore vocal music techniques.  For this vocal music lesson, students follow a series of warmup exercises modeled by the teacher, then participate in specific breathing and vocalizing exercises.

Students explore the rhythm of words. In this reading skills lesson, students read Bedtime at the Swamp and use rhythm instruments to find the cadence in the words of the story. Students listen for rhythm in other written text as they...

Third graders sing in 3/4 meter with an upbeat. They write a poem using descriptive words. Students move at different speeds to show quarter, half and eigth notes. They play a math game involving the number of beats a quarter, half and...