Curated OER
Focus on Harmony
Harmony is the focus of this band lesson. Upper graders play the Star Spangled Banner, while focusing on harmony, chords, and musical voice. This lesson includes several suggested cross-curricular activities.
Curated OER
In Perfect Harmony: Teaching the World to Sing
First graders listen to music as the impetus to learn about the concept of Japanese harmony as it is understood in Japanese culture. They use the New Seeker's song, "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing," to compare America and Japan...
Curated OER
Jewish Folk Song: Ya Ba Bom
Singing is a wonderful way to express an idea of any kind. This instructional activity is written expressly for use in directing a high school chorus. They work on using four-part harmony, expression, and melodic intervals while singing...
Curated OER
A Shape-Note Singing Lesson
Students discover the shape-note method of singing. In this reading and notating music instructional activity, students learn the four shapes of the shape-note method and the tradition of Sacred Harp singers. Students sing the shapes of...
Queen's Printer for Ontario
Composers in Music History
What do Johann Sebastian Bach and Miles Davis have in common? Much more than class members might imagine. The comparison of these two famous composers is just one lesson in a unit that investigates many facets of the music industry...
Boston Symphony Orchestra
The Elements of Music—How do Composers Plan?
The introduction to Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake and the finale of his Symphony No. 4 provide young musicians with an opportunity to investigate the music elements composers employ to develop the themes they want to create. They compare the...
Curated OER
Global Harmony
Students listen to world music samples and try to identify the countries of origin; students work in small groups to design an online "world music caf??."
Johnny Mercer Foundation
Project-Based Songwriting
Project-based learning in a music theory class? Take note. Young songwriters compose, record, copyright, and promote their original songs. They even design their own CD cover.
Curated OER
Bible Lesson
Take a creative approach to teaching about community in a religious context. Learners read Acts 2:42-47 and choose the verse they feel exemplify the importance of community. They then pair share, write journal responses, and then...
Curated OER
Attitudes Towards Nature in Daoist Art
Students examine Daoist art. In this art appreciation lesson, students illustrate a poem, then create a second illustration in the Daoist fashion while focusing on depicting the harmonious relationship between humans and nature.
Curated OER
Composing Music on Computers
Students compose pandiatonic works using computers as a compositional tool. Following the anticipatory set, they work individually to create their own pieces. The instructional activity concludes with a "concert" of the created student...
Curated OER
Music - O Brother, Where Art Thou?
High schoolers practice singing with correct posture. They sight read music and sing in choral harmony. Students identify the characteristics of a melody and examine the style of Southern Baptist hymns.
Curated OER
Student Composers with Music Ace
Learners compose short compositions using Doodle Pad. In this Musical composition activity, students a clef and note lines to prior knowledge of the treble clef and note lines to write short songs on the computer. Learners use Music...
Curated OER
Caribbean Beats and Blends: A Global Sound Lesson
Students listen and respond to various forms of Caribbean music. In this music and culture lesson, students clap rhythms and respond to a sung call. Lyrics are analyzed for language blends and repetition. Music and culture from Puerto...
Curated OER
Shaping the View: Symmetry and Balance
Students explore the symmetry and balance in the composition of a variety of art works and note how the viewer's eye is guided to the important components of the image. How these elements affect the tone of the painting and communicate...
Curated OER
Study in Line Direction
Students study line direction in art. In this art lesson on lines, students look at art that portrays lines being used in different ways. They will use what they have learned about lines to create a final composition depicting either...
Curated OER
Amazing Fibonacci
Students integrate the patterns of Fibonacci into music. For this geometry lesson, students apply the concepts of recursion, pattern and Phi or Golden Ratio to composing and playing music on various instruments. They lesson is co-taught...
Curated OER
The Heart of Human Experience: Cultura Azteca
First graders explore Aztec culture to gain understanding of relationship between music, recreation, and culture. Seven lessons on one page.
Curated OER
Looking at French Decorative Arts: The Science of Good Design
Learners examine the style of an 18th-century compound microscope and its case. In this scientific design lesson plan, students look at Jacques Caffieri's, "Compound Microscope and Case" before comparing the design to a modern...
John F. Kennedy Center
Jazz music, Dance and Poetry
Learners view video and become familiar with the type of movement in jazz dance. In this jazz dance instructional activity, students write a cinquain about jazz dance. Learners recognize the elements of jazz dance and the type of music...
Curated OER
A Round and A Round
Students practice singing rounds in daily warm-ups for 2 weeks prior to beginning this composition lesson. Students incorporate movement to the rhythm of each syllable, discuss syllables of words and their relationship to note values and...
Curated OER
Geometric Sequences
Learners relate pattern and sequences to music. In this geometry lesson, students identify different scales using chromatic scales. They compare the different waves to sine waves and other trigonometric waves.
Curated OER
Tinker, Tailor
First graders practice the song "Tinker, Tailor" using percussion instruments, Orff instruments, and their voices in this Music lesson for the 1st grade. The lesson is intended for use within an Orff unit of study and includes...
Curated OER
B is for Banana
Learners practice and perform the song "B is for Banana" using their knowledge of basic rhythms in 4/4 and student-created rhythm accompaniment based on speech. This excellent lesson is provided by the MENC (National Association for...