This instructional plan combined Music SOL 2.3b and WIDA English Language Development Standards. The lesson includes several activity options. Note: Some images may not appear in the "Overview". To view all images in this instructional plan, click "download" at the bottom of the overview.

This sample instructional plan incorporates WIDA Key Language Uses to support English language development in conjunction with Music 5 content instruction addressing SOL 5.6c.*Note: Some images may not appear in "View Resource."  To see all images in this instructional plan, click "download" at the bottom of the overview.

Learn about many ways to combine art and science as we observe the world around us. We often think of scientists as methodical and precise, and artists as free-willed, impulsive creators. But did you know that some art has science packed right into it? And that artists throughout history have helped scientists conduct their work? Learn about the photography of Berenice Abbott who documented the changing New York skyline with photographs of architecture and urban design of the 1930s, and science interpretation in the 1940s to 1960s. Learn how to use the sun to air dry your salt dough creations and explore papier-mâché. 

This resource provides a menu of self-directed art-making challenges, each of which relates to a work of art in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts collection. Give your students voice and choice as they investigate authentic works of art and work to develop a visual language, convey complex ideas, and solve problems creatively.    

This activity is an introduction to the study of birds. Students will gain observation and classification skills.

Student-Designed Themed Virtual Art Exhibition. Students will design a virtual exhibition based on a theme of concept and develop criteria for curating works to include in the exhibition.

Multimedia Summative Portfolios. Students include both process and product documentation as well as reflections of learning. The portfolio could take the form of a website, slidedeck, interactive PDF and more.

Algorithms Unplugged. The teacher can facilitate a paper weaving project where students create and follow a pattern while exploring and understanding the connections between coding, computing, and fiber-arts.

Art Critique with Digital White Boards. Student artists can use digital white board technology as a place to post images of their artwork for feedback from peers and teachers.

Ask the Artist. Facilitated by the teacher, students can collaborate on developing an online form to be shared alongside works of art being displayed.

Students experiment with vocal ensemble groupings to create their own Google Arts and Culture: Blob Opera. Students work individually or collaboratively to create and record their own Blob Opera. Students then explore historical and cultural aspects of music using the Blob Opera “on tour”. Students listen to the various selections of traditional and classic songs in the public domain from each location, and compare and contrast the musical styles using music terminology.

Using predetermined musical elements, either rhythmic or melodic, students compose a “music composition code” in small groups. Laying the individual lines of “musical composition code” on the ground, students add directional arrows to direct performers to the next line of “code” to create a larger musical composition.

Collaborative Art Process Documentation. The teacher can facilitate a collaborative class project, or group project, where students work together over time to make a product like a mural, sculpture, public art, or installation.

Students learn to add music note values, and create compositions in 4/4, common time. Using traditional music  notation students may choose to compose for voice or drums. This ruler composition activity uses a familiar math visual to help students see the length or duration of musical notes. Final compositions can be emailed to the teacher for review.

Exercise Creative Thinking with Digital Art Games. Interactive visual arts games like Tate Paint can allow students to explore digital tools for artmaking with a series of creative prompts to start with such as weather, food, natural world, and experiments.

Digital Mood Board. Students can create a digital “mood board” of ideas and inspirations for personal works of art based on a common theme or idea.

Online chord looping stations and drum machines such as those found on One Motion allow students the opportunity to engage in music creation in a way that is accessible to them without a large theoretical music background. Students can use their intuition and their ears to create music in innovative ways online.

Global Art Collaboration. Facilitated by the teacher, students connect with classrooms in other parts of the world to collaborate on a digital work of art in a cloud-based digital art platform.

Students use a digital collaboration board to share their “wonderings” about the songs they are listening to in class. The teacher selects 3-4 songs from various cultures. Students add sticky notes to the collaboration board using appropriate music terminology, and share their musical preferences in a respectful manner. Students can have the ability to like or comment on each other’s posts and engage in meaningful conversations in small groups after sharing their wonderings digitally.

Collaborative boards allow students to share ideas and engage with each other via an online platform. When students are learning about the creative process of music creation and composition, students can use an online collaborative board to share lyrics and co-create a song together.