Curated OER
Little Train of Caipira
Students listen to the "Berry Pickers' Song" on the piano twice. They practice the song several times to become familiar enough to recognize it in the piece. They listen to the CD and recognize the tune by raising their hand and tell...
Curated OER
Blues Improvisation
Students practice playing and improvising while playing the 12 bar blues. They practice compositional skills, evaluate and perform musical pieces focused on the blues.
Curated OER
Learning Crescendo and Decrescendo
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.
National First Ladies' Library
Language Arts: The Rise of the Operetta
Students develop an appreciation for the musical theater form, the operetta. In addition, they present parodies of songs from The Mikado. Working in small groups and accessing provided Websites, they compose their parodies. Once...
Curated OER
James Van Der Zee
Students recognize James Van Der Zee as an outstanding photographer who documented and reflected life in Harlem during the 1920s. They identify important aspects of Van Der Zee's life and artwork and compose and shoot their own...
Curated OER
Ferde Grofe
Students participate in three different activities centered around Ferde Grofe. The different lessons are used to introduce music and the artist to the class. They listen to stories that music tells, and create their own sand painting...
Curated OER
Compositional Techniques: Are There Similarities Between
High schoolers recognize how chromatic scales create tension and pentatonic scales create relaxation as compositional techniques used to create tonality. Also, students aurally recognize the use of mixed or alternating meter as a means...
Curated OER
"The Block": Romare Bearden's and Mine
Students study Bearden's style of collage and create their own collage that reflects their neighborhood. They are read "The Block" and poems about neighborhoods and write one about theirs.
Curated OER
George Gershwin
Students explore the life and accomplishments of George Gershwin. They listen to Latin rhythms and practice the rhythmic parts. Students identify Latin instruments George Gershwin added to the orchestra. After practice, they perform a...
Curated OER
Todd Duncan: The First Porgy
Students view a video and conduct research about Jim Crow laws and their effects on race relations.
Curated OER
Songs That Bring Us Together
Students listen to the song, Get Together, and discuss the theme. They list topics that bring people together, write the lyrics to and sing a class song, and write a paragraph about message songs.