Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Spirits Across the Ocean: Yoruban and Dahomean Cultures in the Caribbean Brought by the Slave Trade

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Much of Latin American music owes its origins to the slave trade. Peoples from the Yoruban and Dahomean cultures brought with them the distinctive rhythms, time signatures, and eighth note patterns that now characterize Caribbean music....
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

The Sounds of an Island: Jamaican Music for the Classroom

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Introduce young explorers to the music and history of Jamaican culture through game songs and dances. As a bonus, class members get to play simple songs transcribed for the recorder.
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Jamaican Song, Dance, and Play: Experiences with Jamaican Musical Traditions

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young musicians experience song, dance, and play of the Jamaican culture. Scholars listen for and recreate beats, they play tunes, make up original dances, and play a game that challenges pupils to pass stones to a specific beat.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Caribbean Music-- An Introduction

For Students 4th - 5th
In this music worksheet, students investigate the history of music and the musical style of the Caribbean islands. Students read a 1 page information sheet about the region and its music. Students answer 8 questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Bird's Eye View of the Caribbean: Art, Folklore, and Music

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Learners examine the Caribbean in terms of its music, art, and folklore. As a class, they listen to a folktale and discuss the difference between telling a story and reading a story. In groups, they write their own folktale and share...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mango Walk

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars sing music representing the Caribbean culture in the calypso style. They discover the role that the event of African slavery and the history of Carribean culture played in generating calypso music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Island Maracas

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students listen to Caribbean folk music and discuss maracas and their role in music. They construct and design pairs of maracas using paper mache, then perform a Puerto Rican folk song using their maracas.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Caribbean Music: National Dances

For Students 5th - 12th
In this Caribbean national dance songs worksheet, students read information pertaining to the merengue, the calypso, and the mento. Students then respond to 12 short answer questions regarding the dances.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Boombox Classroom: Migration of Music

For Students 5th - 6th
In this music worksheet, students complete two multiple choice questions about music moving from one culture to another. They write a sentence explaining why slavery is wrong. Students name types of music African-Americans brought with...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Caribbean Music

For Students 3rd - 5th
In this music worksheet, students identify and describe various famous dances and music of the Caribbean. They respond to questions about each of the three types described in the activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Global Peace Lesson Plan

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders recognize the characteristics of poetry. In this poetry lesson, 5th graders listen to poetry by Dionne Brand and discuss the meaning of the poems. Students construct their own poems and present them as an assessment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Group Headdresses

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create a headdress design. In this visual arts lesson, students work cooperatively in a group and create a headdress design. Students are encouraged to use the conceptual framework of philanthropy while working as a team to...