Source: Frontier House
Examine challenges faced by pioneers in the 19th century during westward expansion. Analyze a song recounting a couple's journey to their new home on the frontier, and compose additional verses.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Literature: Literary Terms. Immigration. United States History: 1850-1877. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Africa
Explore the arts and music of the diverse cultures of Africa and create examples of each. Write and act out a skit based on an African folktale, research the design and use of kente cloth and explore regional differences in the arts.
Grade Level: 3-5
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African Studies. Crafts. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Oregon Public Broadcasting: Art Beat at School
Explore the history of Irish and American folk music as heard through violin and fiddle music. Determine the similarities and differences between these musical styles and instruments.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: American. Cultural Studies: European Studies. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Scientific American Frontiers
Construct and play a replica of an ancient Egyptian panpipe to explore the science of sound. Analyze musical sounds mathematically to test Pythagorus's theory of the mathematical ratio of sounds.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: Science & Tech, The Arts
Topics: Sound. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Jazz
Explore the lives of various jazz musicians and the social and historical events that were present during the lives of these individuals. Identify the musical styles of the artists.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: The Arts
Topics: Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Oregon Public Broadcasting: Art Beat at School
Examine the properties of color, and create tapestries and other collage art. Make musical instruments using found objects.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: The Arts
Topics: Music. Visual Arts.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Experience
Investigate and prepare an oral report on a prominent African American from the period of the Civil Rights Movement, evaluating his or her impact on Americans of all color. Explore the importance of music to the people of the time and to yourself.
Grade Level: 3-5
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: Asian American Studies. United States History: 1945-early 1970s. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Jazz
Collect data through listening, counting and timing, and use ratios, rates and proportions to report data. Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts of rhythm and tempo in music.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: Math, The Arts
Topics: Data Analysis/Probability. Numbers and Operations. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Jazz
Describe the life of Duke Ellington and his contributions to the field of jazz, write an original poem using a variety of popular vocabulary from the 1920's and respond to Ellington's composition "Mood Indigo" by creating a painting.
Grade Level: K-2, 3-5
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, The Arts
Topics: Writing: Composition. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Oregon Public Broadcasting: Art Beat at School
Consider alternative ways of creating music using non-traditional instruments, and create a percussion instrument out of household materials. Explore art created by people with disabilities by creating art without using hands.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Anthropology/Cultures. Creative Thinking. Music. Visual Arts.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Oregon Public Broadcasting: Art Beat at School
Explore the physics of sound while learning the history and basic elements of pipe organs. Research pioneering women in music, and experiment with alternative materials to create a pipe organ.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: Science & Tech, The Arts
Topics: Sound. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Jazz
Explore ragtime music, understand its development in relation to jazz and investigate the historical events taking place during the time ragtime evolved. Examine the common form used in ragtime piano pieces and the concept of syncopation.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: Social Studies, The Arts
Topics: Cultural Studies: African American Studies. United States History: 1870-1900. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Scientific American Frontiers
Investigate the steel pan instruments of Trinidad, and explore the science of sound. Build a musical instrument from spoons to observe the effects of mass and tension on pitch.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: Science & Tech, The Arts
Topics: Sound. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Scientific American Frontiers
Investigate the science behind the glass harmonica, and try Ben Franklin's version. Explore the world of sound with hearing and other senses, and find out how different length straws influence sound by modifying frequency.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: Science & Tech, The Arts
Topics: Design & Invention. Sound. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: American Masters
Recite Willie Nelson's lyrics using Choral Reading and Guided Reading strategies, analyze his lyrics, and learn about this important person in America's musical history.
Grade Level: 3-5
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, The Arts
Topics: Listening Comprehension. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
Source: Scientific American Frontiers
Explore the field of musical composition and written notation. Create an original notation device to record music.
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8
Subjects: Reading & Language Arts, Science & Tech, The Arts
Topics: Organizing Information & Ideas. Communications & Computing. Music.
Resource Type: Lesson Plan
