Brief Description

Objectives

• be exposed in advance to the songs that will be part of this year's concert.
• rehearse at least a song or two.
• participate via TV or audio hookup in this global event.

Keywords

Materials Needed

• information and materials from the World's Largest Concert Web page (Internet access not required for students)
• TV or radio to participate on the day of the event

Lesson Plan

Each March, the National Association for Music Education presents the World's Largest Concert as part of its Music in Our Schools Month celebration. The World's Largest Concert program includes a special Teacher's Guide, which provides

• tips for getting involved in the concert;
• all the music that will be part of the year's celebration;
• lesson plans to accompany each song;
• broadcast information; and
• a kit for getting some local PR mileage out of your concert participation.

The World's Largest Concert Web page also includes information about how you can order a rehearsal CD of the music for this year's celebration. The CD includes a special feature that enables you to use the balance control on your audio unit to raise or lower the sounds of voices singing the songs; as students become more familiar with the songs, you can play down the voices and play up the music.

See the Teacher's Guide for the World's Largest Concert. This year's concert will be held on March 11 at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

More Ideas for Participating
Following are some additional ideas for working the World's Largest Concert into your classroom or school curriculum.

• On the day of the event, assemble students in the school auditorium or cafeteria. Position TVs around the room so all students can watch and sing along with the live festivities in Washington, D.C. Invite parents to watch and participate, and invite local news media to cover the event.
• You might assign each grade a different song on the program. Students stand and perform or lead other students in their grades assigned song.
• If individual classrooms are equipped with TVs, students can participate from their own classrooms. If all classes are participating, leave doors open so music fills the halls.
• Rehearse the music and take the show on the road to a local nursing home. Students and seniors can watch the concert together. Students might even perform a couple of songs during the concert. Print lyrics to another song or two and have students join seniors for a sing-along.

More Ideas for Making "Music in Our Schools Month" a Special Time
Following are some ideas from the National Association for Music Education:

• Make a "Music Month" calendar. Introduce students to different types of music each week. Play appropriate music as students arrive in the morning and at lunchtime.
• As part of morning announcements, play a small section of a "mystery tune" each day. Announce correct entries the next day. Draw names for music related prizes.
• Sponsor a 'Music In Our Schools' poster contest. Ask individuals from outside the school to judge the entries.
• Invite students to list ways in which music is a part of their everyday lives.
• Hold a month-long Composer Contest, and feature a new composer each week. Provide daily clues that became more specific throughout the week.
• Ask students to write "What Music Means to Me" essays. Post the essays on bulletin boards around the school.

Assessment

Have students write a paragraph in their journals in which they express what they got out of their participation in this global event.

Lesson Plan Source

Education World (with resources from the National Association of Music Educators)

Submitted By

Gary Hopkins

National Standards

FINE ARTS: Music

GRADES K - 4
NA-M.K-4.1 Singing, Alone and With Others, a Varied Repertoire of Music
NA-M.K-4.5 Reading and/or Notating Music
NA-M.K-4.6 Listening to, Analyzing, and Describing Music
NA-M.K-4.7 Evaluating Music and Music Performances
NA-M.K-4.8 Understanding Relationships Between Music, Other Arts, and Disciplines Outside the Arts
NA-M.K-4.9 Understanding Music in Relation to History and Culture

GRADES 5 - 8
NA-M.5-8.1 Singing, Alone and With Others, a Varied Repertoire of Music
NA-M.5-8.5 Reading and Notating Music
NA-M.5-8.6 Listening to, Analyzing, and Describing Music
NA-M.5-8.7 Evaluating Music and Music Performances
NA-M.5-8.8 Understanding Relationships Between Music, Other Arts, and Disciplines Outside the Arts
NA-M.5-8.9 Understanding Music in Relation to History and Culture

GRADES 9 - 12
NA-M.9-12.1 Singing, Alone and With Others, a Varied Repertoire of Music
NA-M.9-12.5 Reading and Notating Music
NA-M.9-12.6 Listening to, Analyzing, and Describing Music
NA-M.9-12.7 Evaluating Music and Music Performances
NA-M.9-12.8 Understanding Relationships Between Music, Other Arts, and Disciplines Outside the Arts
NA-M.9-12.9 Understanding Music in Relation to History and Culture

GRADES K - 12
NL-ENG.K-12.9Multicultural Understanding
NL-ENG.K-12.11Participating in Society
NL-ENG.K-12.12Applying Language Skills

Find more great music ideas in Education World's Music In Our Schools Month archive.

Click to return to this week's Lesson Planning article, Connect With Music: Lessons Any Teacher Can Teach.