The Librarian's Internet--In the Groove

Interactive music lesson plans and creative activities for kids

By Gail Junion-Metz -- School Library Journal, 4/1/2005

Music Lesson Plans
www.rockhall.com/programs/plans.asp

Getting kids interested in learning about music isn't difficult, especially if you use these teacher-created lesson plans on the Red Hot Chili Peppers, hip hop, and other contemporary subjects. The 78 lesson plans are appropriate for high school students, but certain content may be considered inappropriate by some adults—so review each lesson carefully. Created by: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland, OH.

These 17 multimedia lessons introduce kids to various aspects of jazz—Dixieland, bebop, Afro-Cuban, and more—as well as the great practitioners of the genre, from Jelly Roll Morton and Duke Ellington to Ella Fitzgerald and Thelonious Monk. Each lesson features video and audio clips, handouts, and interactive online quizzes. A CD-based version of the curriculum is available for purchase, but the free Web version is very useful on its own. Created by: Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York, NY. Don't Miss: "Tips for Teachers" provides creative ideas for using each lesson in the classroom.

The music section of the ArtsAlive Web site is a veritable trove of great resources for students and teachers. Of special interest are the printable (PDF) resources, which include lesson plans, handouts, games, and activities. Created by: The National Arts Centre, Ottawa, Canada. Don't Miss: The 20-page activities guide to composers—a gold mine of ideas.

PBS has produced some excellent television series on music, such as American Roots Music and Great Performances. Other PBS shows from Scientific American Frontiers to Zoom also offer music-related content. To find related lesson plans, select the topic "music" and the appropriate grade level, then press the "Go" button. Created by: PBS TeacherSource, Public Broadcasting Service, Alexandria, VA.

This instructive set of lesson plans, arranged by grade level, covers a variety of musical topics, including composition, instruments, music components (such as rhythm, expression, and melody), and music history. Unfortunately, there are banner ads on each page, but they are easy to identify and ignore. Created by: Kyle Yamnitz, Edscope, Blue Springs, MO. Don't Miss: The "Connections" lesson plans that relate music to art, language arts, math, science, and social studies. Detour: For nearly 100 more music lesson plans go to artsedge.kennedy-center.org/teach/les.cfm. Select "Music" from the topic list and the grade level, then press the "Go" button.