Classics for Kids
"Mars" from The Planets
Gustav Holst's The Planets provide young musicians an opportunity to examine how composers can create a suite: a collection of smaller pieces grouped to explore a single topic. After listening to "Jupiter," they examine "Mars" in...
Curated OER
Comparing Native American and American Folk Music
Students examine how aspects of Native American and American folk music are alike and different. They contrast both forms of music and engage in many activities to identify or explain how music fulfills a variety of purposes.
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And the Beat Goes On...
Students respond to the Indian folktale, The Drum. In this philanthropy lesson, students reflect upon the folktale and demonstrate ways one person can make a difference in the world. Students construct a Powerpoint presentation as a...
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Native American Music: Call-and-Response
Students are introduced to call-and-response form of Native American song and dance. They identify and describe a call-and-response form as used in "0 Hal'Lwe."
Male students will perform "0 Hal'Lwe" in call-and-response style with drum...
Curated OER
Rhythm Jam
Groups create, memorize, and perform for the class a 4 beats per measure rhythm pattern using percussion instruments including xylophones, rhythm sticks, and drums. The pattern is recorded on the worksheet provided in the resource.
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Beat Or No Beat
Students keep a steady beat by body movement exercises, improvise, identify a beat/no beat sequence and sing a nursery rhyme from Portugal in this Kindergarten General Music lesson. The use of simple rhythmic instruments is required.
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Classical Music Connection-Popular Music - Connecting Pachelbel, Beethoven, and Mussorgsky to Disco and Rap
Students examine classical music and the "Art Rock" of 1967. They review classical themes in their original genre and discuss/analyze how pop musicians incorporate theses themes into a variety of pop music genres.
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Steady Beat and Form with Bluegrass and Fiddle Tunes
Students utilize listening skills, singing, movement and rhythm instruments in various combinations to reinforce instructional activity concepts. They develop the ability to identify a steady beat and AB patterns found in a variety...
Smithsonian Institution
Affirmation, Assimilation, and Acculturation: Middle School
Latin American culture is deeply embedded in American culture as a whole. From the Latin rock scene in San Francisco to the hip-hop world of New York, Latin American artists have influenced every genre of modern music. Learn about the...
Curated OER
Caribbean Beats and Blends: A Global Sound Lesson
Students listen and respond to various forms of Caribbean music. In this music and culture instructional activity, students clap rhythms and respond to a sung call. Lyrics are analyzed for language blends and repetition. Music and...
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Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum
Students explore the American dream. In this contemporary music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs by Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, and David Massengill. Students create 3-D representations of the American dream and write...
Curated OER
Illustration # 1: Source of Illustration
Students play a game of imitating steady beats by mimicking the instructor. They use drums and repeat the game by echoing rhythmic patterns. The patterns may vary in degree of difficulty according to each individual's ability.
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Catch the Gullah Beat: Rhythm and Percussion
Students explore the Gullah culture. In this social studies lesson, students construct and play instruments similar to those of the Gullah people.
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Music- Found-Object Orchestra
Students construct simple musical instruments. In this music lesson, students read the text Max Found Two Sticks and construct their own instruments from classroom materials.
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Hatsiatsia Music
For this music worksheet, students learn about the rhythms of Hatsiatsia music. Students read about different instruments and facts about Ghana and see a map of the African continent.
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Boombox Classroom: Migration of Music
In this music worksheet, students draw quarter notes and half notes. The lesson is dependent on classroom access to a musical lesson from Boombox classroom, found at the Sweet Bird Classics home page.
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Reading: A Talk on the Effects of Music on Our Brains
For this reading an interview transcript worksheet, learners read the transcript from an interview with Daniel Levitin who was a psychologist interested in the effects of music on the human brain. Students then answer 10 true and false...
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Salad Sisters
Students play on the beats 2 and 4 of a song called Salad Sisters. In this music lesson plan, students learn a new song, learn how to count to 8 in a song, and practice how to play on the beats 2 and 4.
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Musical Elements Chart
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.
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Beat the Drum
In this drum sounding lesson plan, students shake tubes with different materials in them and try to determine what is in the drum. Students have 5 materials to choose from and graph the results.
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On the Beat
For this visual thinking worksheet, students analyze 7 pictures in separate boxes that depict part of a bigger picture. Students examine a large picture of a girl playing a drum set and match the picture fragments to their correct...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Fuzzy Wuzzy
You don't need drums to play percussion; you can use your own body. Second graders use body percussion to make four-beat rhythms and play patterned clapping games. When they are finished they discuss beats, patterns, rhythm, and rhyme.
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Instruments In Action
Students read and demonstrate eight measures of four beats. In this music reading lesson, students read and demonstrate through movement their mastery of eight measures of four beats. Students also classify instruments.
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Preschool Lesson Ideas: Human Body Lesson Plan and Five Senses Activities
Students explore their five senses. In this human biology activity, students participate in various learning centers that include activities such as creating a Q-tip skeleton, feeling play dough, creating "goop" and listening to drum beats.