Hot Websites

Teaching Pre K-8, Mar 2004 by Lindroth, Linda

Great musical compositions and works of art - along with lessons on how to create your own - are just a click away

Your classroom will be filled with art and music with the lessons and activities that can be found at these sites. Enjoy!

San Francisco Symphony Kids

www.sfskids.org/

Get your Music in Education Month celebration off to a great start with this site. In the Music Lab, students can experiment with musical elements while learning about tempo, rhythm, pitch, harmony, symbols and instrumentation. Students follow notes on the staff and use buttons to change the music. The Performalator lets students play a tune and the Composerizer lets them create their own music.

To learn about the four instrument families, just click on the orchestra diagram. Students can learn about the characteristics of each group, the instruments that make up each family and hear the instruments play.

Click the Radio button for orchestra music highlighting the best of music history and famous composers. Each piece is identified by title and composer. What a great way to play "Name that Tune" with your class before a concert field trip. Also try the Musical Critters compositions, including "The Duck" from "Peter and the Wolf" by Sergei Prokofiev.

I've been using this site with my students and am amazed by the motivation and interest it provides. Try it - I think you'll agree it's an awesome resource.

Middle School Art Page

http://westy.jtwn.k12.pa.us/users/mcb/WEB_PAGES/home_page.html

This school website from Westmont Hilltop Middle School (Johnstown, PA) is well-organized and offers the classroom teacher in grades 5-8 a wealth of lessons and art resources to expand the art curriculum. There are grade level lesson plans on color, composition, perspective, Expressionism and creativity - many with printable assessments. The Painting Lessons and Printmaking Lessons are also well done. There are downloadable PDF study cards for art history and links to a number of well-known artists.

The @rt Room

www.arts.uf l.edu/art/rt_room

This collection of art resources from the University of Florida is rich with art projects, lessons, web links and creative ideas for expanding the art curriculum in your classroom. Whether you begin with one of the 15 @rt Sparkers such as a family portrait project or an artist book made from a paper bag, or choose an activity from the @rtrageous Thinking area, you're sure to find a spark to ignite your students' art talents.

As a teacher in Lexington, KY, in a school situated between two thoroughbred horse farms, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the great art webquest, "Horsing Around," which can be found in the @rtifacts. Students can explore the history of art as seen through the horse as an art subject. The @rtifacts also include trivia, an @rt Treasure Hunt to help students learn about artists and their works, and Artist Scrabble to test art knowledge. This site is sure to fulfill all your needs for the art curriculum.

Linda Lindroth is a K-5 Technology Teacher, as well as a Teaching Editor and Website Coordinator for Teaching K-8. E-mail: Linda@TeachingK-8.com