Smithsonian Institution
The Sounds of an Island: Jamaican Music for the Classroom
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.
Music Teaching Resources
Identifying Major and Minor Triads 1
Here's a major and minor triads learning exercise that asks young musicians to name the root, third, and fifth notes and the chord the notes produce.
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Ornament Notes
In this recognizing the musical notes on a staff worksheet, students identify and color the notes according to the accompanying code. Students color 9 ornament notes.
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Learning AB Form: Music
Third grade musicians play Orff instruments while they learn about the AB Form. First they learn part A of a song, then they listen to when the song changes. After they understand the concept of AB form, they learn to play part B. Note:...
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Identifying the Beat
Sixth graders listen to various songs. In this musical properties lesson plan, 6th graders work in groups to identify musical selections, practice tapping the beat, review time signatures, and identify the meter of different songs.
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Music: "Hearing Between The Lines"
The class listens to and reads lyrics from popular songs that explore themes of self-esteem, body image, and eating disorders. The song interpretations will serve as a jumping-off point to deeper discussion on the issues, culminating in...
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Treble Clef Lines and Spaces - 3
For this treble clef lines and spaces worksheet, students read the sheet music and identify the letter names of the notes that are missing as they fill in 36 blank spaces.
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Treble Clef Lines - 2
In this treble clef lines worksheet, students read the sheet music and identify the letter names of the notes that are missing as they fill in 30 blank spaces.
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Japanese Music Study
Gagaku is music traditionally played in the Japanese imperial courts of long ago. Learners listen to this and other traditional Japanese music to gain an understanding of culture and music history. They work to identify Japanese...
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Music: Sounds on the Farm
Singing is a great way to build memory, music, and verbal communication skills. Little ones sing the song, "Old Mac Donald had a Farm." They make the sounds of each animal on the farm paying attention to signaling cues, singing high, and...
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Note Names and Note Values - An Interactive Smart Board Lesson
Using the Note Names and Values SMART notebook file, review the whole, half, quarter and eighth note with students. Students sing "Apple Tree Song." They add body percussion, and then instruments. Students use the SMART apple tree, they...
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Singing: Mi, So, La
Little ones learn the tones mi, so, and la by singing an answer to a sung question. They play a name game to identify beat, then discuss songs with no beat. If there is time during this musical instruction lesson, they dance about the...
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Musical Note Value
Students will identify each symbol by sight stating the value of each. They will use cardboard notes to who what they have learned so far about the note values creating 4 and 6 count phrases.
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Missing the Major Scales 2
Any musician can tell you, you have to know your scales, key signatures, and notes when reading sheet music. Kids are quizzed on major scales and the notes found with in each scale. They fill in the missing notes and identify each scale.
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Fearless Flats
This handout gives budding musicians an opportunity to practice placing and identifying notes and flats. A mnemonic is used to help them remember the names of each note as it appears on the staff.
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The blues highway: An integration of music with geography
Learners analyze the movement of the blues from rural Mississippi to urban Chicago and how place and the environment affected the development of the blues. They define the blues, where it originated and how and why it moved to Chicago....
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Organ Music
Middle and high schoolers solve a riddle about the appendix, and explore the paradox surrounding this organ. They research other human body organs to create a paper model of the human body, and write riddles highlighting identifying...
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19th & 20th Century Composers: Exoticism
VH1 Music Studio has put out another great lesson that incorporates analysis, compare/contrast, and musical terminology. Kids will listen to the song "Habanera" considering the use of specific instruments in evoking a sense of location....
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Ready, Set, Go!
For this music worksheet, students identify intervals based on the musical notes that they see. Students identify 10 musical intervals.
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Roots And Styles Of Black Music - Lesson 1
Students 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.
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Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Gospel Beginnings
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.
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Color That Note!
In this music notes learning exercise, students identify the music notes and color the notes. Students complete 4 lines of music notes.
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Instruments Used in Folk Music
In this music worksheet, students read short excerpts about the instruments that accompany folk music songs. They write 5-10 paragraphs about the use of the banjo and mandolin in folk music and about their differences. They read...
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Music and Emotion
Young scholars identify the various emotions created by different types of music. They Identify role of music in creating various emotions for film and television . They observe and practice various ways of playing percussion...