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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…

5 Ways to get your Students up & Dancing!

Movement in the classroom is almost universally praised these days. It appeals to a wide variety of learning styles, helps kids stay motivated and engaged, and helps them focus on and retain information. The Atlantic even called movement “essential” for young learners. So how soon can you start incorporating it into your classroom? Here are 5 tips to get…

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day and if you’re not from Chicago it’s a big deal here! For starters we didn’t have school that day, and also the city dyes the Chicago River green! In grades K – 4th we spent the last 2 weeks focusing on not just fun Irish songs and dances, but…

21st Century Music – Guest Speaker

Grammy Nominated Producer, Bryan Wilson, took some time out of his busy schedule to speak to my class of eager 7th & 8th graders. He talked about what it means to be a producer, all the hats he has to wear, and how important communication and collaboration are to his job every day.

A New Curriculum for a New Century

Who thinks they are musical and who thinks they could be musical? These are questions that grace the entrance tickets my students take at the start our ten-week 21st Century Music Elective. The results are always the same. Very few consider themselves musical and even fewer think they could develop that ability….

Empathy through Music: Listening Activity

Here are 10 short musical clips. Listen to think and think about what the composer might have been feeling when they wrote it. Can you empathize with their emotions by listening to their music?

Tall Tales & Rails: John Henry – a Musical History Unit

John Henry is an American Folk Legend and is the perfect entry point into topics like “Tall Tales” and “the American Railroad.” Students will love learning about these topics through musical & rhythm activities, engaging videos, and easy to use printables. So all aboard for the this amazing American tall tale!

The Best of 2016: A Musical Year in Review

As 2016 draws to a close and we start anew with 2017, let’s take a look back at some of the most popular songs of the year. If Justin Timberlake’s smash hit, “Can’t Stop the Feeling” dominated the sales, iHeart Memphis’ “Lean & Dab” dominated my school.

Defining Arts Integration

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…