Two lessons focus on making a beat. Using popular African American music of its time, scholars listen and analyze the rhythm then recreate it with hands drums, and cups. 

Bass drum, snare drum, tom-toms, cymbals. Perched behind their drum sets, wielding their drum sticks and wire brushes, drummers lay the grove and are the heartbeat of a band's performance. A dynamic lesson introduces young musicians to...

The traditions, costumes, and the music of the Mardi Gras Indians, African-Americans and those with African American or Native American Heritage are the focus of a unit that introduces class members to a little-known group that...

Students explore power and the symbols of power in West African music. They discuss the music of West Africa and compare it to African American music of today. In addition, they investigate musical instruments of Africa, identify the...

Young scholars study African percussion. In this music lesson, students explore Africa's sounds as they discover tonal language, talking drum, message drum, the relationship between talking drums and tonal language, and how to change the...

Students observe global cultures by listening to music and watching videos. For this Latin American dance lesson, students define merengue, salsa and other dances from the Hispanic culture while listening to Latin rhythm music. Students...

Learners study African history, anthropology and culture using the lens of the art object, Ntan Drum. Lesson and instruction is differentiated for elementary, middle and high school students.

Students appreciate African Music and the rich culture it represents. They identify two characteristics of African Music in their journals.

Students explore various elements in West African Culture through the medium of a traditional music and dance from Ghana. They take an imaginary tour of a village dance-drumming event in West Africa.

In this music instructional activity, students discover facts about the musical styles and rhythms of Haiti. Students learn about Compas and Voodoo music and answer 4 questions. Note: Punctuation is missing from one of the questions.

Pupils explore the music of Steve Reich. In this global music lesson, students compare the music compositions of Steve Reich to African and Balinese music. Pupils discuss their personal comparisons.

Display creative works of art after learning about Kwanzaa. Kindergartners hear stories about the history of Kwanzaa and its celebrations. They then create artwork, practice African dances and listen to African music.

Learners explore the Gullah culture. In this social studies lesson, students construct and play instruments similar to those of the Gullah people.

In this music activity, students identify and define migration. They circle the different types of music created by the African-Americans who were brought to the New World. Students also explain why slavery is a bad thing.

Students discover African musical rhythms by performing Ancestral Spirit Dances.  In this musical lesson plan, students research Willis "Bing" Davis and the abstract work he created.  Students listen to Yoruba drum music and...

In this music worksheet, students read an excerpt about African Music. Once completed, they respond to eight short answer questions related to the reading. Students also imagine that they are an African musician and suggest how they...

Second graders complete a unit to learn about the percussion family and African and Latin drumming. In this percussion lesson, 2nd graders complete 9 lessons to learn about the percussion family. Students learn to use shakers and sticks,...

Students examine a Baga Drum in order to explore the history of the Baga people of West Africa. In this art history lesson, students recognize figures used in Baga Drum design that represent aspects of Baga culture. They also design and...

Students locate Africa on the map or globe and tell one important fact about the continent. They follow directions and demonstrate the proper process of making an African Rattle.

Fifth graders explore poems of African Americans. They research a famous African American, write a report, create a timeline of events in African American history, create a map of the New World, and research Molly Walsh. After...

In this blues and jazz music worksheet, students read about the origins and basic concepts of blues and jazz music in 2 brief articles. Students then respond to 12 short answer questions regarding the music with its roots in slavery times.

In this music history worksheet, students will read five paragraphs about the history of blues and jazz music and respond to 10 short answer questions.

Tenth graders explore African belief systems. In this West African lesson plan, 10th graders research these belief systems. Students create a wooden figure that represents these beliefs.  

Young scholars examine the history of blues music and discover how it relates to the music of today. As a class, they listen to the drum songs of Africa and compare it to the use of drums in pop music today. Using the internet, they...