Curated OER
Music in Words
Your class can build strong, well-represented opinions about the music they hear. They listen to, and share thoughts about, a piece of classical music. Then they write a piece of music or a poem, and analyze their peers' work and their...
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Comparing Values: Comparisons Between Musical Notation and Money
Students identify ways in which the principles and subject matter of other disciplines taught in school, specifically math, are interrelated with those of music.
Berklee College of Music
Create Your Own Afro-Latin Groove
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.
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The Piano
Second graders read The Piano and become familiar with racial discrimination. In this racial discrimination book lesson, 2nd graders answer comprehension question to focus on the importance of the book. Students discuss the...
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Music of My Heart
Students view and discuss the movie, Music of the Heart. They compare/contrast two versions of the song, Music of My Heart, identify characteristics of heroes, and sing the song, Music of My Heart.
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Butterflies Fly!
Chopin was a lovely composer who played the piano masterfully. Third graders are introduced to Chopin, his piano sounds, triple meter, music patterns, movement, and the waltz. They listen to his music while hearing the story Butterflies...
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Lesson: Urs Fischer: Reviving the Past Art Movements
Seven major abstract art movements are analyzed by learners in groups. Each group analyzes various works by determining which work belongs to which movement. They then read Flatland, engage in an art and literary analysis discussion,...
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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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Swing Your Partner!
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...
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Down By the Riverside
High schoolers discuss the musical genre of spirituals and its influence on our musical history. They perform various songs, and read the student score for, Down By the Riverside.
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Poets Got Them Blues
Contemplate what music learners listen to and why they listen. Can they find poetry within music lyrics? Specifically hone in on blues lyrics and ruminate upon the social issues prevalent in the themes. Particular song lyrics coincide...
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What's the Difference?
Students explore the differences between acoustic and digital pianos. In this music lesson, students listen to an acoustic piano and digital piano. Students play both types of pianos and discuss the differences.
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Lesson Plan for Danse by Claude Debussy
Learners study the life and music of Claude Debussy. They listen to and compare the orchestration and compositional technique of the Debussy composition, 'Danse.' They compare a piano arrangement to an orchestrated version.
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Draw Me the Music
Learners explore and investigate the foundation and history of jazz music. They listen to various pieces of music while creating drawings, develop a timeline of jazz history, and read and discuss biographies of famous jazz musicians.
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Music
Third graders incorporate two formal music lessons into the core curriculum. They study whole notes and rests, syllables of the musical scale and practice singing.
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Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music in America - Lesson 4
Students choose a theme for a song. They compose a poem, and write music to go along with their poem. The instructor plays the musical accompaniment, and the class votes on the most appropriate rhythmic pattern.
Curated OER
Keyboard centers with Music You Can Read
Pupils play the letters provided in the format "Keyboard/Xylophone/Tone Bells" with the intention of using the "Music Only" format as skills progress. They study fingerings and chords when appropriate to skills.
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Interactive Timeline
Students examine the development of ragtime music and its relation to jazz. They participate in an online Interactive timeline and read about the history of ragtime music, listen to examples of music, and in small groups create short...
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Music's Speed Zone
First graders read the story of the Tortoise and the Hare and relate it to tempo in music.
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Musical Instruments
Students identify a guitar, piano, trumpet, flute, drum, and a violin by sight and sound. They view pictures of each instrument as they are played on a recording, discuss how each instrument makes their particular sound, and listen to...
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KEYBOARDS
Second graders become familiar with appearance and characteristic sound of piano, identify piano as part of percussion family, find middle C on the keyboard, observe scale, chord, and "broken" chord, and listen to a well-known classical...
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Music Technology Programs
Students are introduced to the music technology programs for the next school year. They practice reading notes and playing piano. They use the internet to research careers in music.
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Ray Charles
Learners read the book Ray Charles by Sharon Bell Mathis. For this biography lesson, students read about the life of Ray Charles. Learners answer pre-reading questions about senses, strengths, and weaknesses they have. The lesson...
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VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx, Lesson 2
Learners compare and contrast classical piano style with jazz piano style. They watch a segment of the video, "VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx," participate in a class discussion of the music from the video, and develop a list of adjectives for...