Browse lesson plans

BioMusic

Two units of biomusicology instruction for grades 2–3 and 4–5. Your students will be fascinated by these lessons that cover the miracles of animal communication, the mechanics of sound, and their connections to the field of music.

Format: lesson plan (multiple pages)

High and low bears

This is a lesson that introduces and reinforces the music concept of pitch.

Format: lesson plan (grade K Music Education)

By Penny Adams-Manolas.

How can we represent sounds that are in the environment?

In BioMusic, page 2.2

In this interdisciplinary lesson, students will listen to frog calls and identify the difference between high and low pitches. They will represent sounds using aural, graphic, and kinesthetic methods.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Dance Arts Education and Music Education)

By Debra Hall and Crystal Patillo.

How can we view and distinguish sounds?

In BioMusic, page 2.4

In this engaging lesson, students will listen to recordings of various animals sounds and compare them with their visual representations on sound spectrograms. They will explore topics such as pitch, frequency, timbre, and vibration through animal vocalization, human voice, and instrumental composition.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Music Education)

By Debra Hall and Crystal Patillo.

How do animals create sound to communicate?

In BioMusic, page 2.3

In this interdisciplinary lesson, students will experiment with a variety of objects and musical instruments to show how sound is caused by vibrations. They will learn how humans and birds create sound using the larynx and the syrinx, and identify two animals that use objects in their environments to create specific sounds.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5–6 Music Education and Science)

By Debra Hall and Crystal Patillo.

How does an animal's environment affect the frequency of its sound?

In BioMusic, page 2.6

In this lesson, students will explore the relationship between frequency and pitch. In addition to conducting a simple experiment, they will also examine bat and elephant sound spectrograms. Students will learn how both animals and humans use their environments to create sound for communication.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5–6 Music Education and Science)

By Debra Hall and Crystal Patillo.

Musical mountain

Students will learn to hear the differences between low, middle, and high pitches. They will be able to visualize these differences by looking at the low, middle, and high points of a mountain.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1–2 Music Education)

By Margaret Harris.

World music

In BioMusic, page 1.5

In this lesson, students will understand that birds of the same family can have different songs. While listening to four different thrush songs, they will also learn to read a sound spectrogram and compare it with sheet music.

Format: lesson plan (grade 2–3 Music Education and Science)

By Debra Hall and Crystal Patillo.

Resources on the web

Brass instruments and pitch

In this ARTSEDGE lesson, students create a “brass” instrument, make predictions, and explore how pitch changes based on the length of the air pipe. Students will: design investigations that determine what factors affect the... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Music Education)

Provided by: ArtsEdge