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.

In the story Suki's Kimono drums are used to show mood. Learners discuss mood in the story after they practice playing a simple 4/4 rhythm on their drums. Each group plays the rhythm using a different tempo. They listen to each...

Get those boys dancing! Here's a dance activity that is choreographed around the use of a basketball. Teach them this line dance and see how they do. Watch the provided video yourself, or better yet, use the video to teach this dance....

This was written for ESOL learners, but could work for any elementary class. Learners read about the American dance style known as Square Dancing. They explore its use in literature, write a friendly letter about it, and then use their...

Students explore the influence of the landscape of Ireland on shaping the poetry of William Butler Yeats. They work in groups researching the growth of the Irish Nationalist Movement, Celtic origins, invasions, and the impact on the...

Third graders choreograph a dance to represent the changes in nature. For this dance and nature lesson plan, 3rd graders use sharp quick movements to demonstrate changes.

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day by teaching your class how to do an Irish jig. This type of dance is very fast. Break it all down and teach each section of the dance thoroughly. There are plenty of hops, kicks, toe touches, and stomps in...

First graders demonstrate knowledge of the difference between general and personal space, and ability to change speed on command. They demonstrate competency in motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical...

What is Tinikling? How is this word pronounced? Is it really a dance? Where did it originate? Is there a story about the origin of this dance? Begin this dance lesson by answering these questions. Then use the video to teach the three...

Rather than just shouting out commands on what to do with a parachute, turn some music on and make it a dance routine. This seems like a pretty cool way to engage young learners. Make a dome, hop, make waves, walk, twist, and shake that...

An engaging and fun lesson on telling time is here for you. In it, young time-tellers listen to the song, "Rock Around the Clock," then use Judy Clocks to practice telling time to the hour and half hour. Finally, using paper plates, each...

Build an understanding of the social, economic, and cultural changes that were incited by the American Industrial Revolution. Learners will research the historical context of the Ragtime Era, and compose an oral presentation in the...

Students use different qualities of movement to express themselves. In this lesson on movement, students use different qualities of energy and then use their experience as an inspiration for writing poetry.

It's unbelievable that there really is a dance that goes with a song called "The Hamsterdance!" This is not a lesson plan per se, but rather steps to the dance. They include head bobs, slide steps, thigh slaps, and clapping. Short dances...

Toward the end of the school year when the weather warms up, take your high schoolers swimming! They perform various cardiovascular activities in the pool, beginning with a warm-up activity and followed by stretching, precardio,...

Young scholars design historical quilts. In this presidential history lesson, students research past presidents and landmarks named for them. Young scholars create quilt squares to represent the landmarks and piece all of them together...

Help mice beat the odds with an exciting activity about traits. Biologists discover the role of diet and other factors on animal traits by participating in a simulation activity. Teams collect and evaluate data to understand how certain...

First graders clap a rhythm pattern notated on a board, and then make up their own patterns on percussion instruments. They answer addition and subtraction problems.

Students figure out rhythm notation for phrases describing the benefits of broccoli. They compose four-measure patterns using the rhythms of these phrases.

High schoolers work as a class to compose an original four-measure rhythm. After a brief review of a sight reading Gordon rhythm patterns, students compose their own rhythm with each student selecting a part for the composition. All...

First graders describe pattern rules. They use the rhythm being played on a bell and candy hearts to explore patterns and pattern rules. This is an especially good activity to use around Valentine's Day.

Second graders view clips from the animated series Math Monsters, and discuss the many ways patterns can be found in the world around us. Following the video portion of the instructional activity, 2nd graders visit a variety of Web sites...

Students integrate writing skills with music. They select three to four topics to write about and print out on decorative paper.

Students identify three of the essential elements of music: rhythm, melody and harmony. They discover a simple song which will illustrate these three elements separately and bring them together in a final form. They analyze and critique...