Lessons
Free resources for the classroom
Curricular Experiences for educators from our Smithsonian Folkways network of teachers. Lessons are in PDF format.
Dança!: Movement and Music of Brazil
Grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Immerse yourself in the lively mood of Samba and Carimbo. Learn the basic steps and dance along with the music. Identify the instruments and play along with others. Learn about the relationships of Samba and Carimbo with other musics such as jazz and swing.
Nobel Voices for Disarmament: 1901-2001
Grades 6 - 8 and 9 - 12
With a focus on thinking and yearning for peace and listening to the voices of Nobel Peace Prize winning speakers and Smithsonian Folkways artists on a world history of violence, this lesson plan will offer teachers a framework for approaching these complex issues through recorded sound. Click here to listen to a free stream of the full Nobel Voices album from Smithsonian Folkways.
Afghan Rubâb: The Lion of Instruments
Grades K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8 and 9 - 12
The Afghan Rubâb is revered as Afghanistan's "national instrument." Despite censorship during the Taliban rule, the rubâb has regained its prominence in the Afghan culture. Skillful performers Ustâd Mohammad Omar and Homayun Sakhi continue to perform on the solo instrument leaving "their creative imprint on the region's musical legacy. There can be no doubt that authentic traditional music remains forever contemporary." (Sakhi, 2005)
On the Plains of Orinoco: Joropo Music in Colombia
Grades K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8 and 9 - 12
This lesson investigates life on the Colombian Orinoco Plains through the exploration of Joropo Music. Activities include Spanish attentive listening, cultural enrichment, and musical interaction through singing, playing and moving.
Egypt: The Bedouin Culture
Grades 6 - 8
Students will experience the music of the Bedouin culture of Egypt. In the listening example, they will hear two ancient traditional instruments; the rababa, a fretless stringed instrument, and the darabuka, a conical percussion instrument. They will view examples of Egyptian scales and rhythms and approximate the improvised sound of one of the scales and one of the rhythms on western instruments. An extended activity will include the use of Egyptian Bedouin music and student improvised music within the structure of the ancient Egyptian art form, Shadow Puppet Theatre.
Thailand: Songs for Life
Grades K - 2, 3 - 5, 6 - 8 and 9 - 12
The piece "Man and Buffalo (Kon Gap Kwai)" by Caravan was instrumental in effecting governmental and social change in Thailand. Musical study of the song lends itself to discussions of form, performances of ostinati and accompaniment, and improvisation of a pentatonic song/solo.
Dance Traditions of Argentina
Grades 6 - 8
The goal of the lesson is to introduce students to two contrasting dance traditions from Argentina, the Chacarera, and the Tango. Elements of the music used to accompany both types of traditional dance will be explored.
Mbiras, Marimbas, and You: Zimbabwean Music for the General Music Classroom
Grades 3 - 5, 6 - 8 and 9 - 12
Learn to play and compose music with the mbira. Explore the use of the instrument in Zimbabwe to understand the relation of music to history and culture and its ability to incite social change. Lesson includes notations, historical background, and recordings and images from Smithsonian Global Sound.
Son Jarocho from Veracruz: Exploration of Music and Dance Forms
Grades 3 - 5, 6 - 8 and 9 - 12
Use lively recordings and videos from celebrated son jarocho performers José Gutiérrez & Los Hermanos Ochoa to explore regional Mexican folk music and culture. Discuss poetic structure in song lyrics. Translated lyrics improve Spanish language skills.
An Introduction to Irish Music
Grades 9 - 12
Explore Irish and Irish-American history and culture through song lyrics, dance, and instrument demonstrations. Follow the music and play along with melody sheets and band transcriptions.
Capoeira: Martial Arts Meets Music
Grades 6 - 8
Performance videos and live recordings immerse students in this musically and visually exciting tradition from Brazil. Students learn to recognize the differences in several Brazilian musical genres.
Let's Dance Like an Eagle: Zeybek Dance in Turkey
Grades 9 - 12
Teach the history and geography of Turkey, focusing on the Anatolia region and Zeybek traditions. Students will learn to identify rhythmic patterns in Turkish music and Zeybek dance.
Musical Hooves on the Steppes: The Morin Huur of Mongolia
Grades 4 - 5
Explore rural nomadic life in Mongolia and the highly impressionistic music and arts of the Central Asian steppes. Students learn to imitate sounds of the natural environment through improvised dance, instrumental performance, and throat-singing.
Caribbean Beats and Blends
Grades 9 - 12
Learn about Caribbean peoples, languages, geographies, and values by singing and playing instruments to Caribbean music. Particular focus on Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti, and St. Lucia.
Melodic Rhythms of India
Grades 6 - 8
Introduce students to the melodic rhythms of the tabla tarang, classical drumming from India, through music and movement. Learn to improvise the jati system of vocalizing rhythms.
Ooooh, the Oud
Grades 3 - 5
Use video and music to discover the ancient Middle Eastern stringed instrument, the oud. Discuss the history of the instrument and compare different styles of playing. Learn to identify and repeat the different rhythms.
Music in South India - Kerala
Grades 9 - 12
Talk about the geography, language, and culture of Kerala in South India using story songs, dance dramas, and rhythms. Introduce students to specific artists and instruments important to Kerala's musical traditions.
Conjunto Music from South Texas
Grades 3 - 12
Use songs and social dances from the Mexico/USA border to introduce students to South Texas people, language, location, and values. Also discuss issues such as immigration and experiences of living in the borderlands.
