Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mariachi Mania

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine mariachi music and its different musical forms.  In this music history lesson, 9th graders compare and contrast mariachi music from its beginnings to the present.  Students research different aspects of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Movies That Rock": Moulin Rouge

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Upper graders explore musical film and the Bohemian lifestyle common in Europe during the turn of the century through the musical Moulin Rouge. After listening to (or viewing) songs from the movie, they discuss the Bohemian era and how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Need a musical lesson for your drama or performing arts class? VH1 has put together a really neat lesson, in which learners use biographical information about Alicia Keys to write and perform a one-act musical related to her life. This...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jazz in America

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Learners participate in a class discussion about jazz music, compare improvisation with regular conversion, listen to various jazz musicians and compare and contrast their individual sounds.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making a Rainstick

For Teachers K - 4th
Students construct a rainstick. In this music lesson plan, students investigate the history of the rainstick by reading the book Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema. Students express their feelings about the rain and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Influence of Musical Folk Traditions in the Poetry of Langston Hughes and Nicolás Guillén

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students listen and explore how African-American culture relates to learning Spanish as a foreign language. Poetry, music, and history are utilized while learning about Langston Hughes and Nicolas Guillen.
Worksheet
Classics for Kids

A Composer Leads the Way

For Students 4th - 5th
What song is playing? A music activity focuses on composers throughout history, their famous works, and the instruments in each piece. As pupils complete the worksheet they play a short game to review music theory terms.
PPT
Curated OER

John Lennon

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Here is a great example of the type of biographical presentation your class could create. They can view this informational biography of John Lennon to learn about a famous person or as inspiration for a research project. Each slide...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sound of Music in Kenya

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars study Kenya's culture and see how people and things can be different and similar at the same time. They create a pictograph of objects from each culture that are used in similar ways and examine a few Swahili words.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

VH1 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll Lesson 3

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine female artists who perform in the genres of rhythm & blues, jazz, soul, and hip-hop/rap. They compose lyrics and melody in one of these genres.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roots And Styles Of Black Music - Lesson 1

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers identify many genres of Black music. They identify Black music as a reflection of the culture. They study many historically influential Black music artists, producers, and other contributors.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Music And War

For Students 5th - 6th
In this music worksheet, students read 4 paragraphs of information about music and wars. Students learn the 4 main roles of music in wartime. Students answer 5 questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Australian Aboriginal Art and Storytelling

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Young explorers investigate Australian Aboriginal culture by listening to traditional Dreamtime stories and examining dot paintings created by Aboriginal artists. In addition, they locate the country on maps, discuss the geography of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History: An African American Cultural Celebration

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners prepare and organize a cultural celebration of African migration and immigration. Working in groups or individually, they research topics and present the information, including dance demonstrations, instrumental or vocal...
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

The History of Rock and Roll: Part 8 - The 70's - Have a Nice Day - Lesson 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars discuss the technological advancements in music that emerged during the 1970's and how they were used. They see how technology in music influenced the artists and their music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The History of Rock and Roll: Part 6 - My Generation - Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students identify musical characteristics of baroque, jazz, and psychedelic music. They arrange traditional music into the style of baroque, jazz, and psychedelic music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The History of Rock and Roll: Parts 1, 6, 8, and 10 Roots of Rock & Roll

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the musical influences on the emergence of Rock and Roll.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Development of Popular Music

For Students 10th - 12th
The history and marketing of pop music is the subject of this lesson. Students first read an article detailing definitions and historical shifts of pop music in society. The activity then provides students with a few comprehension-level...
Handout
Curated OER

English Folk Music

For Students 5th - 8th
In this English folk music worksheet, students read an article pertaining to the history of folk music in England from the times of the Industrial Revolution until the 1970s.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ice -T's Rap School

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students research the history of rap and gain an understanding of the components of rap music. They experience the correlation between Shakespeare's poetry and rap music of today.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Where Blues And Jazz Started

For Students 4th - 8th
In this music history worksheet, students will read five paragraphs about the history of blues and jazz music and respond to 10 short answer questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music Appreciation:

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Learners list the four main families of musical instruments, name one instrument from each musical family, name three ways music is used in everyday life.
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...