Unit Plan
National Center for Families Learning

The Summer Fun Summer Learning Music Unit

For Teachers 1st - 8th Standards
Take note. Soul music. Gospel music. Country music. Summer comes alive with the sounds of music as program participants learn about various genres of music, create instruments, and write and perform songs about the facts and traditions...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Country's Music

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Jazz, Blue Grass, Hip Hop, Swing. Gospel, R&B, Ragtime, Disco. So many music genres born in the USA. After reading an article about the fate of New Orlean's Jazz after Hurricane Katrina, class members investigate the life cycles of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African-American Gospel Music

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine gospel music including the lyrics and instrumentation. They explain the meaning of the lyrics and how they are related to the cultural values associated with the music. They differentiate between gospel and spiritual music.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Gospel Music

For Students 5th - 6th
In this music worksheet, students read about the origin of gospel music. Students answer ten essay questions related to their reading.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Gospel Music

For Students 5th - 12th
In this gospel music worksheet, students read a brief introduction to gospel music and respond to 10 short answer questions regarding it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Folk Music

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners explore Folk Music in Iowa. For this folk music lesson, students discuss different types of folk music and how it relates to life in Iowa. They take the tune of a song and write their own lyrics to describe their life. 
Worksheet
Curated OER

Performing Gospel Music (Keyboard or Piano)

For Students 5th - 6th
For this music worksheet, students learn to play a piece of gospel music called "Siyahamba" on the piano or keyboard. Students examine the musical notes written on the staffs and read the helpful hits in the margins. Piano knowledge is...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning the Blues

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars take a virtual field trip to Memphis, Tennessee in their study of the blues, its characterisitics, founding fathers, and histororical influence on modern music. They compose blues lyrics that reflect present-day attitudes...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Gospel Beginnings

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify musical characteristics of gospel and sing a gospel selection. They practice the call and response technique. After going through individual parts, they sing the entire song with piano accompaniment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gospel Beginnings - Lesson 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students identify genres of music that influenced musical style of Aretha Franklin. They identify musical characteristics of gospel and sing a gospel selection. They pay particular attention to the call and response style.
Organizer
Curated OER

Musical Elements Chart

For Students 6th - 8th
In this Louisiana musical landscape worksheet, students study 6 terms and their meanings as they pertain to music instruction to be used for further classroom activities.
Unit Plan
Institut Obert de Catalunya

20th Century Music: Jazz

For Teachers 9th - 12th
A 67-page packet provides instructors with a complete course in the history of Jazz. Lessons look at the roots of jazz in early 20th century African American communities in the southern United States and continues to the New Orleans...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Episode 3: Can I Get A Witness

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify many genres of music that influenced gospel and study examples of gospel music. They explain that gospel music is sacred and is usually performed with sincerity, dignity, and passion with vocal improvisation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Musical Roles

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars watch a videotape on the musical career of Aretha Franklin and explore the different careers in the music industry.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jazz Talk

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students analyze the origins of jazz music by examining work songs, spirituals, blues, and gospel songs as well as works of poetry from African American artists. They create their own poems from either the narrative, dramatic, or lyric...
Lesson Plan
University of Northern Iowa

Additional Folklife Information

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Use a packet packed with ideas for how to celebrate the traditions of your country, state, community, and pupils's families. Suggestions for how to draw on oral and material traditions, customs, beliefs, music, and stories all find...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music in America - Episode 3: Can I Get A Witness: Lesson 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers watch a video on spiritual music, then engage in a discussion about the artists and styles mentioned in the video. They discuss vocal improvisation, and engage in a call and response to "This Little Light Of Mine.'
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Musical Impressions

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars listen to two examples of bluegrass music and try to identify the instruments that they hear and the subtle differences between the two songs. They describe their impressions of the selections, then conclude by comparing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sheryl Crow and Willie Nelson - Lesson 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Appeal to your music lovers with this lesson. Middle and high schoolers listen to and describe music from contrasting styles. They identify the common elements between gospel and bluegrass music and have a class discussion regarding the...
Lesson Plan
SoundTree

When The Saints Go Marching In: A Lesson for Middle School Keyboard Lab Students

For Teachers 6th - 8th
After listening to a variety of interpretations of "When the Saints Go Marching In," partners compose and then perform their own renditions of this classic before joining a full-class jam session.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

VH1 Legends Sam Cooke Lesson 3

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars examine Sam Cooke's transition from gospel to pop music as they study his style. They dance the Cha Cha and the Twist.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music in West Africa

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore power and the symbols of power in West African music. They discuss the music of West Africa and compare it to African American music of today. In addition, they investigate musical instruments of Africa, identify the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Going Up and Down

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders listen to and compare music to gain understanding of melodic direction in song, discuss types of movement in song, sing song while moving to it, and create movements that show pitches of melody moving upward, downward, or...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story - The Birth of Soul

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze various kinds of music.  In this music activity, students listen to music clips to determine the kind of music each clip is then they participate in a class discussion about the music and prepare a presentation.