Kevin Forbes

This visual is an evolution of popular music genres in the US over that past century. The genres listed are the ones that I include in my lessons, but the document is fully editable, so you are able to edit the genres and images as you see fit. I personally use this during my genre exploration unit. I cover up each decade and reveal them as we progress through the timeline.

This mindfulness activity can be incorporated into units as a listening activity, or quick and easy sub plans. Students are instructed to close their eyes when listening to the music, and then draw and describe what they hear based on the music and their emotions.

For your "Carnival of the Animals" unit, you can use these worksheets to guide the listening of your students throughout each movement. There are two different versions of this worksheet that can be applied to different grade levels. For this activity, I prompt my students to listen to the different elements (instrumentation, tempo, dynamics, tempo, articulations, sounds, setting, mood, etc.) to help guide their ideas of what animal is being represented by the music. There is also a space availa

Band Instrument Project & Assessment Rubrics. This is a great project to use after students have chosen their beginning band instrument. In their research, they dive into the history, evolution, design, and functionality of their chosen instrument. For assessment, I included two separate rubrics - one 4-point rubric and one using IB MYP grading criteria.

Research Project: Prominent Musician & Genre. I use this during my music evolution/decade unit. Students pick a musician/genre from a given decade to research. After projects have been completed, we cover each decade and the students present in timeline order. This specific project focuses on 1920s-1960s, however, it is an editable Google Doc link and can be adapted to your specific needs. Rubric included.

This resource includes 4 short Halloween poems/stories that students are tasked with adding sound effects to create a sound story. This is an editable document that can be adapted to your specific needs. I generally do this with younger students as a fun intro activity to soundscapes, so there is no rubric included.

Tan Dun Presentation. Google Slide presentation on composer Tan Dun. The presentation includes information about the composer, listening/video examples, resources, ideas for curriculum incorporation, and also highlights Dun's impact on film and organic music.

I use this project when discussing the character leitmotif. Students are to research and present information on a leitmotif from a film. Rubric included.

This worksheet can be used as a pre-quiz to see what students already know, a way to check for understanding, or as a formative assessment. Instruments included on this worksheet: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Alto Sax, Bassoon, Trumpet, French Horn, Trombone, and Euphonium. Answer key included.

Bracket-style tournament for Halloween-themed music. This is a great listening activity that can be adapted for students of all levels. For the littles, they mostly listen and discuss with each other, while the older students are given questions to reflect on why it is the best musical fit for Halloween.

Note Taking Guide and answer key for the video "History of Music in Film".

These worksheets can be used for different levels, but I have found it useful when reviewing instruments available for beginning band. Students can fill these out after learning more about and listening to each instrument. There are two different versions that can help students begin thinking about what instrument they want to tryout on.