This lesson introduces students to Babar, an elephant portrayed in the children's books by Jean de Brunhof. Students will listen to Francis Poulenc's musical composition of the same name, written to reflect the scenes in Jean de Brunhof's book. Students will gain an understanding of how powerful the use of simple rhythm instruments is in retelling the story. Students will also create visual works of art based on the sounds they hear in the audio performance.

Students will identify the character, setting, and plot of the story of Ballet of the Elephants and listen to Circus Polka: For a Young Elephant, composed by Igor Stravinsky for the ballet. Students will then listen to a piece of unidentified music to create their own character, setting, and plot diagram. They will use this diagram to create their own story that includes characters, a setting, and a plot (beginning, middle, and end).

Students will be taught the correlation of Native American music and rhythm. They will also create their own Native American musical instrument and develop a rhythm of their own. Students will understand the basics of rhythm and develop their own rhythms.

Students will learn to appreciate the process of telling a story through song, while learning basic musical skills like rhythm, singing on pitch, and call-and-response format.

This is a simplified version of Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf taught in a developmental delay program for special needs students and English language learners. It is easily adapted to meet the needs of older children with the same educational needs. The purpose of the lesson is to provide the students with a variety of experiences performing and telling the story of the fable that Sergei Prokofiev has set to music, and to introduce the students to various instruments of the orchestra.

Open the eyes of your students to the beauty and power of American and world folk songs and stories through the iconic figure of Pete Seeger. Explore his important work in promoting peace, understanding, community, and wonder through song.

Open the eyes of your students to the beauty and power of American and world folk
songs and stories through the iconic figure of Pete Seeger. Explore his important work
in promoting peace, understanding, community, and wonder through song.

This lesson was created for primary age students but can easily be adapted into the intermediate or middle school social studies lesson. Students will explore a period of time when African Americans were striving to make their mark on American music. Ragtime music will be experienced through listening to classics, observing performances, researching the life of Scott Joplin, learning dances, and wearing self-made costumes of the era. They will reflect on the Ragtime music, the struggle of African Americans, and the life skills of successful people who perservere.

Students will learn the concept of rhythmic pattern associated with expressive movement from the song "Row, Row, Row, Your Boat."

In this lesson, students will read and echo rhythms and also create their own.

In this lesson, students will examine and repeat the rhythmic patterns that are found in words. They will echo the rhythms through the use of class percussion instruments or clapping.

‘Embolada” is a form of poetry and song that has set refrains. The refrains allow
singers to organize their next improvised stanza in their heads—even as the music is
sounding. (McGowan,1991) This form of traditional music is active in the northeastern
region of Brazil. Embolada has a fast rhythm and complex tone that deftly incorporate varied
lyrics and onomatopoeia. Embolada is mostly improvised following a dialogue by the
“Embolador”, who sings while hitting the Pandeiro at short intervals in between verses. The
singer needs considerable skill, experience, and a sense of humor . Embolada is sung in the
streets; it is influenced by American rap music and African music. Using the Embolada
rhythm, students can improvise lyrics and sing solo.

"˜Embolada" is a form of poetry and song that has set refrains. The refrains allow singers to organize their next improvised stanza in their heads"”even as the music is sounding. (McGowan,1991) This form of traditional music is active in the northeastern region of Brazil. Embolada has a fast rhythm and complex tone that deftly incorporate varied lyrics and onomatopoeia. Embolada is mostly improvised following a dialogue by the "Embolador", who sings while hitting the Pandeiro at short intervals in between verses. The singer needs considerable skill, experience, and a sense of humor . Embolada is sung in the streets; it is influenced by American rap music and African music. Using the Embolada rhythm, students can improvise lyrics and sing solo.

Students will work in groups to compose pieces of music to represent a season of the year. They will combine the pieces into a Rondo form.

Students learn that it is possible to use some of the same strategies for understanding music that we use to understand literature. Students have an opportunity to identify a musical theme when played by in a variety of styles.

Students will gain a keen understanding of the Musical Instrument Families. They will understand how instruments are played. Finally, their experience will bring an understanding of the culture and climate of the Symphony, as it becomes truly accessible to students of all socio/economic backgrounds.

Students will compare and contrast Stravinsky's Rite of Spring to Vivaldi's Four Seasons, La Primavera (Spring). Pair the music of Stravinksy with the art of Edvard Munch. Pair the music of Vivaldi with the art of Claude Monet. Discuss the similarities and differences. Discuss Josef Albers'Homage to the Square entitled "The High Spring". Discuss how color and mood are connected. Create a color square in the style of Josef Albers to represent the pairings of Stravinsky and Munch and the pairing of Vivaldi and Monet.