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Music Knowledge: pre/post test
While this is not a activity, it could potentially take as long as one. This is a 73-question test to administer to those studying music. They'll need to answer questions regarding general music terminology, theory, and composition.
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Star Spangled Banner: For Orchestra
Middle schoolers practice playing "The Star Spangled Banner" while focusing on phrasing. They work with the instructor to mark the lyrics and music, then play the song using the phrasing indicated. Several cross-curricular extension...
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Orchestra: Focus on Rhythm and Arranging
High school orchestra is a great place to play music, like The Star Spangled Banner. Upper graders create new rhythms to the old song and perform them with the class. They rehearse their updated versions of the song using their...
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Musical Instruments - Percussion
Students research and analyze various percussion instruments from different countries and cultures in this Music instructional activity for the upper-elementary classroom. Emphasis is placed on internet research and hands-on drumming...
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Musical Instruments - Strings
Students explore various string instruments in this multi-week music lesson for the upper-elementary grades. Emphasis is placed on group violin lessons, listening to and identifying string instruments, and researching non-European...
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Musical Instruments - Woodwinds
Students assemble and examine typical European orchestral woodwind instruments, determine how the instruments change pitch, identify common orchestral woodwind instruments by sound, and research a non-Euro-centric woodwind instrument in...
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Exploring Musical Instruments of the Orchestra
Students listen to "The William Tell Overture," identify instruments, sounds and other characteristics of the music. They compare and contrast orchestra music to large band music. Students discuss the musical composition and how the...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Beethoven’s 5th
Time to pick up an instrument and practice the first part of Beethoven's symphony No.5. Young musicians discuss melody, rhythmic pattern, dynamics, and movements found in symphonic and orchestral pieces. They then practice and play the...
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Concert Suite from Dances With Wolves
Pupils complete a unit of lessons that prepares them to perform, 'Concert Suite From Dances With Wolves,' at a public performance. They analyze the emotions depicted by music, view excerpts from the movie, and perform the music.
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Percussion Instruments and Pitch
Students play string instruments to discover how the pitch changes on various string instruments. In this pitch lesson, students listen to video clips and play an online music game. Students become familiar with music vocabulary.
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Tinker, Tailor
First graders practice the song "Tinker, Tailor" using percussion instruments, Orff instruments, and their voices in this Music lesson for the 1st grade. The lesson is intended for use within an Orff unit of study and includes...
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Younger Generation
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...
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Introduction To The Orchestra
Students listen to a book, "Meet the Orchestra." They observe a PowerPoint presentation, listen to the sounds in "Peter and the Wolf" and then match illustrations of instruments to their specific sound. Students identify instrument...
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Shifting with Grace
Students who play stringed instruments discover how to shift with ease and accuracy throughout the range of their instruments, resulting in the ability to perform orchestral and solo music at a more advanced level.
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March of the Siamese Children
Students listen to a piece of music called "March of the Siamese Students." They discuss the country and people of Thailand. Next, they sing the song, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush, and talk about things they do each day.
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Pavane pour une Infante Defunte
Students describe the music in terms related to basic elements such as melody, rhythm, harmony, dynamics, timbre, form, style, etc. They identify timbres heard in "Pavane" by movement and respond by movement to timbre.
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Great Big House
Third graders sing and play the song "Great Big House" in the Orff style using soprano and alto glockenspiels, bass xylophones, bass marimbas, triangles, woodblocks, and the singing voice. The lesson includes step-by-step teacher...