Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian In Your Classroom: The Music in Poetry
Take poetry off the page and put it into terms of movement, physical space and, finally, music with this series of three lessons from the Smithsonian Institution. This resource introduces students to two poetic forms that originated as...
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Teaching Improvisation to Young Students in a Music Technology Lab Using a Sequencer
You'll need to be a little tech savvy to teach this music lesson plan. Pupils will attempt to play along with an accompaniment piece you've created using music software. They will be assessed on their performance and ability to identify...
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Moog's Musical Revolution
Students explore history of technological advances in making, recording, and listening to music that have intrigued and inspired musicians and scientists for decades.
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Let the Good Times Roll! with Louisiana Music
Seventh graders examine the role of the different types of music originating in Louisiana. Using the information they gathered, they create a PowerPoint presentation about an artist who plays Louisiana music. They compare and contrast...
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Writing a Music Review
Students compose a written music review of one of today's popular bluegrass musicians after they read online essays and journals about the modern bluegrass music scene look over and discuss recent music reviews
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American Music Genres
Students research and listen to a variety of American music genres and create a written comparison between three of the styles.
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Using Garage Band to Enhance 2nd Grade Composition
Your second graders can become composers with a little help from the Garage Band software. You pre-select several drum, piano, and guitar loops for the groups to choose from, then they put them together following an ABA looping pattern....
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Hank Williams: Still Singing After All These Years
Young scholars research the life and music of Hank Williams. They take a quiz on country music, watch a video about Hank Williams, research Williams' song lyrics, create a poster and write a bio poem about his life and work.
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Crackin' the Musical Code
Students decode musical notation and then synthesize and apply by notating their own musical composition. Students draw various rhythmic examples which are equal in time duration. They notate and count rhythmic patterns. Additional cross...
National First Ladies' Library
Synthesizing Music with the Technology Invention of the Modular Synthesizer
Young scholars explore how to create synthesized music and discuss what they believe music would sound like without electronics. They explore a given website to determine how different types of instruments can be digitized. In groups,...
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Teaching Pich Bend on a MIDI Synthesizer
Learners practice playing pitch bends on a synthesizer. They discover how to calibrate the machine and use its software. They perform their song with the class.
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Music Composition
Students compose a simple melody using the notes of the D Major Scale. Criteria/Rubric for evaluation is provided with variations depending on skill level of students. A minimum of one forty-five minute class period is needed for this...
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The Hare and the Water: A Tanzanian Folk Tale
"The Hare and the Water," a Tanzanian folk tale, lends a global perspective to literary analysis. Learners spend the first two days reading and storyboarding. On day three, they examine folk tale elements (worksheet included), and design...
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Music Technology
Students identify the features of a synthesizer and practice using them. They record different sounds using the software provided. They also examine sound waves and applications through the synthesizer.
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Rhythm In Motion
Sixth graders work independently and with a partner to demonstrate proficiency of steady beat, meter and basic note values while creating written rhythmic patterns for class performance. State and National Standards are addressed.
SoundTree
Notating Friedrich von Schiller’s Theme to “Ode to Joy.”
To demonstrate their skills with traditional and computer-assisted notation, young musicians notate and perform the first eight measures of Friedrich von Schiller's theme to "Ode to Joy."
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I Heard It on the Radio
Students develop a portfolio of information of contemporary musicians or individuals from the music industry.
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Bob Dylan: No Direction Home
Students hold panel discussions on selected topics about the 1960s and their impact on modern-day events. As visual reinforcement, they watch the film about Bob Dylan and research the music of the period as well as his musical...
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Teaching Intonation in a SoundTree Lab with Auralia
Students respond to exercises using ear-training software as they decide whether notes are sharp or flat. They create their own examples using the tuning function on a synthesizer.
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Teaching Intonation in a SoundTree Lab with Auralia
Young scholars demonstrate intonation and their ability to discriminate between sharp and flat by responding to exercises within Auralia, and by creating their own examples for the class using the Tuning Function on the synthesizer....
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James Brown: Life and Times
Students trace James Brown's rise from "Little Junior" in Depression-era Augusta, Georgia, to the "Minister of the New Super Heavy Funk" and create a collage that captures his impact on American music.
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Choreography Project
Students produce a short choreography composition. Specific guidelines and choice of music are provided. The grade/evaluation takes place in the form of video documentation and a teacher-created rubric.
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Teaching Rhythm and Pitch Reading
Pupils practice correct rhythms and pitches during this short lesson for the middle school instrumental class. Objectives vary depending on music used for the lesson. Students assessed through group playing in class.
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Planning a Bluegrass Festival
Learners explain how bluegrass music gained popularity across the country and around the world. They describe the roles of artists, patrons and music organizations in producing bluegrass music festivals. In addition, they
use a variety...