Curated OER
VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx, Lesson 3
Students examine the blues, poetry, the Harlem Renaissance, and the 12-bar blues form. They watch a segment from the video, "VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx," participate in a class discussion, and listen to songs by Ray Charles and a poem by...
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Chicago Rhythms, Chicago Roots
Students view a video about different types of music. They examine the history of jazz, big band and rock back to the city of Chicago. They discover Chicago's music scene today and compare it to the past.
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The History of Rock and Roll: Parts 1, 6, 8, and 10 Roots of Rock & Roll
Students examine the musical influences on the emergence of Rock and Roll.
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Improvise a Short Story through Jazz
Students evaluate jazz music and a jazz music performance. They collaborate and create an improvised group short story. They improvise a musical piece on found objects.
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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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Understanding Past and Present Labor Injustice through Music
Pupils explore early 19th century labor conditions through the use of period songs. In this tolerance lesson, students listen to period songs and respond. Pupils write their own song that protests unfair and dangerous working...
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'Cross the Wide Missouri
Students perform a song, identify melodies, and discuss the history of folk songs.
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Stretch to the Math Tables
Learners count by multiples while performing stretches or exercises. They listen to music and skip count by a given multiple. The rhythm of the music as well as the repitition assists them in their memorization of multiplication facts.
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Contra Dance
Contra dance was brought to America by French Soldiers after the Revolutionary War. Contra dancing is done in lines, but with partners facing each other. Some moves one partner is moving forward while the other moves backwards. Some...
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AT THE CORRAL
Middle schoolers study dotted eighth/sixteenth note rhythm pattern using percussion instruments and alternating from "corral to corral" in groups of 4-6. They play the pattern while listening to selected American western theme songs.
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Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen
Students study rock and roll with the music of Bruce Springsteen.
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George Gershwin
Young scholars explore the life and accomplishments of George Gershwin. They listen to Latin rhythms and practice the rhythmic parts. Students identify Latin instruments George Gershwin added to the orchestra. After practice, they...
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Students study the life and music of the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. They practice listening for the downbeat of a musical selection. They participate in a physical exercise where they march around in a circle and clap to the...
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Bam, Chi, Chi, Bam
Students create a class poem based on the song, Bam, Chi, Chi, Bam. The class participates in a brief discussion of the music of Jamaica and the feelings conveyed by this music. After listening to the song, students create a poem to...
Curated OER
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...
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VH1 Legends Sam Cooke Lesson 2
Students examine the reasons and controversy regarding Sam Cooke's transition from gospel to pop.
Curated OER
Jazz: Expression through Improvisation
Students watch a video on improvisation. They improvise original melodies over given chord progressions. They develop criteria to evaluate the merits of improvisational performances and apply the criteria in their personal listening and...
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Swing Your Partner! It's A Virtual Square Dance
Students explore the Wessels Living History Farm website and research how to do a square dance. They read a story, listen to an explanation of barn dances, and participate in various square dances.
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A Voice for the Times
Pupils make connections with events of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's with songs made popular by Aretha Franklin.
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Meet Louis Prima!
Students discover the difference in major and minor tonality after a brief introduction to Louis Prima. They discuss swing dancing and Louis Prima's role in the "Jungle Book" as the character King Louis. Students listen to the song...
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Getting to Know You
Third graders explore different types of poetry and illustrate their own experiences through creating their own poem. In this getting to know you instructional activity, 3rd graders create and recite their poems with a self-portrait.
English Club
English Club: History of Soul Music
Learn the history of soul music from its origins in gospel music, through Motown and Memphis Soul, to contemporary rhythm and blues. The site includes three videos: Sam Cooke singing "A Change is Gonna Come," from 1964, with images from...