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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Folk

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students read about Woody Guthrie and how folk music often tells of events of the time and can be effective protest music.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Writing Lyrics

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pupils examine the themes and structure of a bluegrass song and identify the common themes in bluegrass music. They practice songwriting by rewriting the lyrics of "Oh! Susanna" as a bluegrass tune.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rhythmic Travel Around the World

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students explore and play rhythm sticks while listening to songs from around the world. They locate the countries of origin on a map, and tap their rhythm sticks to the beat of the music.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music and Dance Celebration

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders demonstrate effective use of a Venn Diagram Graphic Organizer by comparing and contrasting music and dance. They discover how different cultures around the world celebrate with music and dance.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Musical Theater

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students made oral presentations of a famous muscial theater performance. They research the musical, view selections, and listen to music.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dance: Personal Soundtracks

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students create a musical autobiography. In this fine arts lesson, students explore the emotions that music can express by listening to and discussing a variety of music. Students construct a personal timeline and a collection of music...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Mambo" from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students encounter and study "Mambo" from "West Side Story," by Leonard Bernstein. They practice utilizing musical elements (instrumentation, tempo, and dynamics) to create a certain mood for a scene with music. Each student interprets...
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Unit Plan
San Francisco Symphony

Admirable Armonica Admirers

For Teachers 1st - 6th
What do Ben Franklin and Wolfgang Mozart have in common? Find out about the musical invention, the armonica or glassy-chord. Learners will read about how Ben Franklin invented this new instrument and how Wolfgang Mozart came to play it....
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Unit Plan
San Francisco Symphony

Instrument and Visual Appreciation of Art

For Teachers 9th - 12th
There are a lot of great ideas to be found here. To better understand the connection between art and history, learners research several music and art pieces, then relate them to major social events. They study the lives and works...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Renaissance of Jazz and Poetry

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore, analyze, study and read a variety of poems and listen to jazz that have their roots in the Harlem Renaissance. They then discuss the similarities and differences of themes in the works of different poets and composers.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Songs that Bring Us Together - Lesson 5

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students compose song as a classroom effort. They write a one-paragraph essay about "message" songs in 100 years and include three ideas for topics along with the style of music (such as folk, rock, blues, rap, etc.) that would match.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

VH1 Fan Club

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students connect the diversity of American culture to the music of Dave Matthews Band and then create lyrics that emphasize how diversity pertains to their own life.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Musical & Linguistic Lesson Plan

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders study songs and music of the US Civil War period. They use technology to compose a song that highlights an event or concept from the war.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music, Slavery, and the Civil War

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore the role of the spiritual played during the period of slavery and the Civil War. They listen to and analyze various forms of spirituals They gain an awareness of how music reflects cultures and social issues.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

In My Dream

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students listen to recordings of early jazz and identify examples of ostinato and syncopation. They discuss important personalities from jazz cultures and take a quiz on aspects of jazz.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

"West Side Story"

For Students 5th - 6th
In this music history worksheet, students discover the musical "West Side Story" by first reading a summary of the plot. Students answer 5 questions about the story line. Students then read and analyze the lyrics to "America" and discuss...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Past and Present Labor Injustice through Music

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore early 19th century labor conditions through the use of period songs. In this tolerance lesson, students listen to period songs and respond. Students write their own song that protests unfair and dangerous working...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Duke Ellington

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students read Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis Pinkney. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the life of the 20th century composer. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and...
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Handout
Ballet Austin

The History of Modern Dance

For Students 4th - 12th
The evolution of modern dance, and the dance history of many of the key figures in the development of this uniquely American form, are the focus of a 13-page packet that includes photos of revolutionaries.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover"

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Learners examine video clips and Web sites related to relevant productions, study song lyrics, and compare and contrast actual history with Broadway history. They create lyrics for a new song based on a contemporary or historical figure...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Songs

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders practice singing the chorus of a Scottish ballad. They also sing two American folk songs in class. They are encouraged to use the correct pitch while singing.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stand Up And Sing

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine pieces of sheet music and identify context, purpose, and perspective with regard to the political, social, and economic conditions existing at that time. They create a cover illustrating a topic of the Progressive Era.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Three Pieces for Chamber Orchestra, Movements 1 & 2 By Arnold Schoenberg

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students study composer, Arnold Schoenberg. They compare landscapes to soundscapes and study abstract art and abstract music. They answer questions and write about both in their journals. They identify abstract artist and composers...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

West Virginia Def PB Wants You!

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students write, adapt, and compose a song related to the West Virginia State Museum.  In this music lesson, students create a composition for a work of  visual art. Students incorporate major and minor melodies.