Smithsonian Institution
African American Music: Let’s Sing and Play Clapping Games
Two lessons focus on making a beat. Using popular African American music of its time, scholars listen and analyze the rhythm then recreate it with hands drums, and cups.
Smithsonian Institution
The Vocal Blues: Created in the Deep South of the U.S.
Bring the sounds of the deep South vocal blues to the classroom with a Smithsonian Folkways lesson. In preparation, scholars listen to and count the 12 bar blues patterns in several works and identify the I, II, IV, and V chords as well...
Anti-Defamation League
Analyzing Primary Source Documents to Understand U.S. Expansionism and 19th Century U.S.-Indian Relations
Historical events can be viewed from multiple perspectives. This simple truth is brought home in a lesson plan that examines primary source documents related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest...
Anti-Defamation League
Viewing History from Multiple Perspectives
Celebration or protest song? The full text of Woody Guthrie's "This Land is Your Land" opens a study of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Louisiana Purchase, and Western Expansion from various perspectives. Middle schoolers examine...
Curated OER
My (musical) Valentine
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...
Curated OER
Problems Over the Border
Discuss the issue of illegal Mexican immigration and its effects on the Mexican people. Play the song "Migra" by Carlos Santana, and have learners analyze the lyrics to help gain an awareness of the difficulties Mexicans face. This is...
Curated OER
Singing a round
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....
Curated OER
Boogie Woogie with a B: Using Alliteration while Exploring Patriotic Tunes
Are you looking for a way to bring writing into your history lesson - or history into your writing lesson? This cross-curricular activity is helpful and fun, no matter what class you're teaching! Using "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the...
Glacier Peak High School
Huckleberry Finn Theme Project Ideas
Looking for a project list to conclude a study of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn? The six suggestions included in the menu (a song, thematic box, CD case, book jacket, blog, scene) could be assigned to individuals or groups....
Curated OER
Kindergarten Music Time
Little ones are led through a series of rhythmic songs and chants while they march, clap, and use their tummies as percussive instruments. They work on singing in pitch, chunking, and keeping a steady beat.
Curated OER
Same and Different Through Music and Art
This instructional activity is intended for a music class but would be a great way to teach compare and contrast to any class. Kindergarteners dance the Hokey Pokey to four different styles of music and examine two paintings of Humpty...
Curated OER
Alleluia
Singers practice perfecting the song, Alleluia. They focus on singing techniques, style, phrasing, and working with syncopation. This lesson plan is a microteahing lesson plan and includes a warm up and vocal exercises.
New Museum of Contemporary Art
Lesson: Emory Douglas: What We Want, What We Believe!
One of the many appeals of this resource lies in its diverse application. Appropriate for US history, English, or art classes, scholars will appreciate the exploration of the civil rights movement through art, music, and film. They'll...
Zippy Brain
Earth Day Carol
Learn about the environmental three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) in a modern day version of Dickens' Christmas Carol with an ecological twist. Discover where plastic comes from, where it collects, and one potential fate as Plastic Bottle...
Curated OER
The Groundhog Came Out of His Hole
Students sing the song "The Groundhog Came Out of His Hole". For this music lesson, students sing a song and come up with matching hand motions. They use the same tune to make their own song.
Curated OER
The Role of Protest Songs
tudents will illustrate the role, significance, and history of protest songs from the African American Civil Rights Movement. They will verbally answer the question: "What is the link between the Civil Rights Movement and Hip Hop music...
Curated OER
Hello Song
Students sing song during meeting circle time to learn and practice their new school friends' names.
Curated OER
Voices of Louisiana Worksheet
In this voices of Louisiana worksheet, students choose at least three quotations from the Voices of Louisiana webpage and look for clues about each person's folk groups and the genres they mention; for example, oral tradition, folk...
Curated OER
How to Sing and Play Happy Birthday
Here is a clever, and simple, lesson on how play the guitar while singing the Happy Birthday Song. There is media content embedded in the plan that allows learners to see a video of it being played, and to print out tabulature which...
Curated OER
Grade 2: Music/Valentine's Day
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 has a Valentine theme, that theme...
Curated OER
Singing: Mi, So, La
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...
Curated OER
General Music: Star Spangled Banner
"The Star Spangled Banner" became our country's national anthem, but why? Second and third grade musicians read about the song, analyze the lyrics, and discuss patriotism. They then complete a related word search.
Curated OER
Music: Sounds on the Farm
Singing is a great way to build memory, music, and verbal communication skills. Little ones sing the song, "Old Mac Donald had a Farm." They make the sounds of each animal on the farm paying attention to signaling cues, singing high, and...