Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reviewing Good Playing Habits

For Teachers 5th - 8th
The string section of your school orchestra can get a proper form make-over by incorporating this lesson. They reestablish proper playing form, posture, and sound as they compose an essay on how to maintain good playing habits during...
Lesson Plan
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education

Instruments from Various Cultures

For Teachers 2nd
After a review of orchestral instruments and instrument families, learners make their own. They listen to the song "Simple Gifts" and identify the instruments heard in the piece. Then they draw an instrument of their own invention,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Families of Instruments

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students identify families of instruments. In this music lesson, students read Berlioz the Bear and identify the families of instruments. Students sing "Mr. Gus Goes Goofy," and listen for the sounds of the instruments.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grouping Musical Instruments

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students study about musical instruments and group them into these categories: percussion, strings, woodwinds, and brass. After discussing these instruments, they independently complete the worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Woodwind Instruments and Pitch

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore musical pitch. In this cross curriculum musical instruments and "sound" physics lesson, students identify and describe common traits of woodwind instruments. Students research "pitch" and what causes pitch fluctuation by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Musical Instruments

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students invent a musical instrument to be played by them. They invent a nonstandard notation for music and compose a short piece to preform for the class using their instrument.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meet The Instruments Of The Orchestra

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students identify brass, woodwind, string, and percussion instruments and group them into appropriate families in this technology-based Music lesson for 2nd through 5th grades. Each students is required to have a handheld device or laptop.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Identifying Instruments and Families

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete with the class a KWL chart and discuss prior knowledge of orchestras. They visit websites to discover instruments and families of the orchestra and discuss appropriate audience behavior prior to going to a concert...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Classical Orchestra

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the classical orchestra in this technology-based general music lesson for the high school classroom. Emphasis is placed on the use of the "Microsoft Musical Instruments" software. This lesson can be accomplished in one...
Lesson Plan
Berklee College of Music

Create Your Own Afro-Latin Groove

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The backbone of Latin American music is the beat! Young musicians work on blending Afro-Latin rhythms and beat patterns before incorporating the major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, and blues scales in their own compositions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Instrument Research

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders work in pairs and choose one instrument from the orchestra to research. They are introduced to the software and use it to search for their instrument. They then may go onto the website, "DSOkids.com" to find out more about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Is My Family Name?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners listen to selected solo instruments and place the instrument in its correct family of instruments; students also identify from listening to examples: orchestra, band, vocal solo, and choral performance.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arranging Patriotic Music for Instruments

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students arrange a short piano composition for a group of four to six instruments of their choice. The musical arrangements should be then demonstrated and analyzed by the class as a unit study.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rhythm, Math, Rhythm

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars play instruments in math class to learn the interconnectedness between math and music. In this math lesson, students subdivide a piece of music, clapping rhythms and charting rhythm patterns in the song. A guided...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Playing With Your Food

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discover about the form and function of traditional musical instruments, then use this knowledge to create non-traditional instruments that replicate the sounds of traditional instruments. They use vegetables to create their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Virtual Museum of Musical Instruments

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students incorporate elements of photo composition and demonstrate how to upload digital pictures to the computer. They create their own instrument utilizing resources from home as well as specialized music hardware. They participate in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Performance Evaluation

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars evaluate in class performance of music previously prepared by the ensemble. The rubric and assessment criteria are adaptable to any orchestra setting which allows the teacher to choose music to be assessed. Critical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music Conducting: Classroom Activities

For Teachers K - 8th
Turn the class into a percussive orchestra and let the kids take over as conductor. You'll explain a few ins and outs of what a conductor does. Then you hand over the baton and let your budding Beethovens conduct each other as they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

SUITE FOR ORCHESTRA NO.3

For Teachers K
Students listen to a recording of Suite for Orchestra No. 3 by J. S. Bach, review and recognize basic musical instruments by sight, and begin to recognize sounds of some instruments.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music - Lesson 3 - Orchestra

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders study the four families of orchestral instruments and patriotic songs in this unit of lessons.
Lesson Plan
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education

The Lion and More

For Teachers 5th
Melody, rhythm, tempo, and dynamics; get out those recorders it's time to play music! Your class will work on playing two lion-themed pieces that exemplify two different styles, folk and waltz. They'll discuss the elements of music and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meet Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov!

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Pupils listen to music and review instruments of the orchestra. They explore musical terms, solo, texture and theme of the music and discuss other features of the music. Students research and discuss the life of Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Instrumental And Orchestral Development

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students use the computer software "Sibelius" to investigate the development of the Orchestra and specific instruments throughout human history. This lesson can be used in conjunction with other lessons or as a stand-alone, small group...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MUSICAL MYSTERIES

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the orchestra and identify the sounds of common musical instruments.