The Best Jazz Music Lessons And Activities K-8

Explore engaging jazz music lessons and activities for K-8 students, encouraging active participation and creativity.

Jazz is perfect all year long but can be a special emphasis in February for Black History Month, March for Women’s History Month, or April for Jazz History Month.

What a way to start a year!

The Playlist

Is Jazz music too hard for kids to understand?

Jazz music is often more complicated in its structure so teachers sometimes avoid teaching about it. But like all music, if you sit back and listen to it, you begin to hear the salient characteristics that will make it approachable for even your youngest students. This often is form, instrumentation, improvisation,

Jazz Music Lesson Plans & Activities

Intro to Jazz Improvisation (Grades 5-8)

1. Introduce Jazz and New Orleans through the heart and experience of Sean Ardoin with this video from Amplify. (23 minutes)

1. Whole-Group Instrument With Am Loop
   • Barred Instruments-Using la-based C pentatonic (CDE GA) have students improvise using this Am loop. (see below)
     • Stay on the note A and try different rhythms. Try two notes (A and C) with lots of A.
   • Ukuleles-Use the A string and try different rhythms. Staying on A string, add fret 3 “C” to the improvising.
2. Small Group Project With Am Loop
   • In groups of 3 or 4, take turns improvising to create a performance. Use a time limit (i. e. 2 minutes) and a rubric that rates: time limit, everyone taking a turn, creativity.
   • Instruments can be ukuleles, barred instruments, or a mix.

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Then & Now Unit (Grades 5-8)

In singles or partners, students create a Google Slides presentation highlighting a Jazz artist or group from the past and one from the present.

Use a rubric to set the presentation guidelines with regard to content, the actual presentation (Google Slides), use of media, reflection summary, and creativity.

Create a Google Slide template for the students to use with the basics outlined above or …

COMING SOON: This unit on TPT!

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Jazz Music Movement Activities (Grades K-5)

Solar by Miles Davis

Feeling the relationship between quarter, half, and whole notes.

Stuffy Turkey by Thelonious Monk

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International Jazz Day Listening Activity (Grades 3-8)

April 30 is International Jazz Day. Watch three short videos that highlight jazz music and musicians.

1. A brief history of the day. (2:30)
2. Spotlight Artist-Esperanza Spaulding (3:30)
3. Trombone Shorty (book) Read Aloud (9:30)

Spotlight Artist Thelonious Monk (Grades 2-5)

Check out this lesson revolving around Monk’s fun piece, “Stuffy Turkey.” The lesson includes a biography and movement activities to Stuffy Turkey.

Spotlight Artist Dave Brubeck (Grades 3-6)

Check out this lesson that includes a biography then lots of activities related to the iconic piece, “Take 5.” You’ll find

1. body percussion
2. movement/parachutes
3. speech and instrument activities
4. a vocal version with Al Jarreau
5. other cover versions for LOTS of fun
6. a creative writing opp
7. a Kahoot game

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Resources

Jazz Is Elementary (by Darla S. Hanley & Allison P. Kipp)

This resource outlines ways to learn about Jazz music with active and creative activities. It also has a curated Spotify playlist that one user says, “…is amazing.”

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Decorations & Outfits

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Colorful, artsy renderings of all that JAZZ with tons of different background COLORS!

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