Playing with Purpose

This half-day, hybrid face-to-face/virtual workshop will explore the use of LEGO® as a flexible medium for designing, building, prototyping, and performing with musical instruments. We start from the position that musical instruments can be used for far more than solely playing music. Instruments can also function as a means of exploring, teaching, and collaborating in…

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Sound Waves for Kids: a STEAM Lesson

Combine science & music as you explore the amazing world of sound. Combing NGSS Science and NAfME music standards, here are some engaging activities that will cover sounds, vibrations, and pitch. Using a variety discovery experiences students will gain a better understanding of the relationships between vibration and sound, as well as size and pitch. …

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Spring has Sprung: an Interdisciplinary Music Unit

In this exciting cross-curricular unit students learn all about spring! Using music as a platform we touch on all sorts of K-2 Standards, from parts of a plant (science) counting currency (math) and The Very Hungry Caterpillar (reading). Perfect for both the sunny and rainy spring days! Unit Overview Video: Find Materials Here: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/A-Sound-Mind    …

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The Very Hungry Caterpillar

As spring approaches (supposedly) I like to incorporate the changing of the seasons into my music lessons. Young learners are fascinated by nature and science, and one of the most fascinating things is, in my opinion, the caterpillar’s metamorphosis. Using the 1969 Eric Carle classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, we explore the science behind these…

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Google Expeditions

Google brought the world into our school as part of the Google Expedition AR program. Each class took an augmented reality field trip to an exotic location like the International Space Station, or Ancient Rome. Students were able to learn and interact as they physically walked around experiencing these locations in augmented reality (AR). An amazing…

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Radio & Sound: An Interactive Science Unit

You heard it here first, teaching sounds waves can be fun! We spent a full week exploring the properties of waves and vibrations, as well as amplitude and frequency. The unit culminated in two hands-on projects: building a DIY speaker from wire, magnets, and a plastic cup, and Snap Circuits FM Radio kits. However, this hands-on…

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Earth Day: A Messy Music Lesson

April 22nd is Earth Day and as the weather warms and the flowers begin to bloom outside,  it’s the perfect time to talk about the environment. Start by introducing the problems of trash and garbage but also how following the 3 R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle!) can help the students solve it! We brainstorm about how we do these both…

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FREE LESSON: Winter Bingo

The cold north wind blows, bringing with it shivering chills, snow, and the faint sound of jingle bells. This Listening Bingo activity puts your students’ ears to the test as they listen to the world around them while learning about the season. Great for grades K-2nd, it has students discussing the Winter sounds they hear…

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This is Halloween!

One of the best parts about being a teacher is you never really have to let go of your favorite holidays. Every parent knows how magical this time is for their kid, and every teacher has 30+ kids in their room. There are so many fun ways to work this engaging holiday into your lessons,…

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FREE LESSON: Autumn Bingo

It’s Autumn, we can hear the school bell ring, geese flying south, and the leaves crunching under our feet. Put your students ears to the test with this fun listening active that’s great for grades K-2nd. It has students discussing the Autumn sounds they hear in the lives and then listening to them w/ 4…

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