Integrating Music Across the Elementary Curriculum

This book is designed to support K-5 classroom teachers as they integrate music throughout the elementary curriculum. It contains detailed, practical ideas and examples, including full lesson plans and over 100 teaching ideas and strategies for integrating music with visual art, language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics. Following an overview of the interdisciplinary approach, the remaining chapters explore connections between music and other areas of the elementary curriculum. Each chapter also includes a section addressing national standards with tables showing the specific standards that are included in each lesson and activity. This text utilizes the most recent National Core Arts Standards (2015) as well as the most recent standards in mathematics, science, social studies, and language arts. All the lessons in this book are designed to be fully taught by classroom teachers; the content is accessible to those who lack formal music training, yet is solidly rooted in research and best practices. While classroom teachers can teach these lessons on their own, this book may facilitate partnerships and collaboration between classroom teachers and music specialists. All the lessons and activities included in this text have been reviewed by practicing teachers and most have been field tested in elementary classrooms. Throughout the book, there is an emphasis on interdisciplinary lessons that demonstrate valid connections between disciplines while maintaining the integrity of each discipline involved, including a teacher-tested model that allows teachers to successfully create their own interdisciplinary lessons.

"This book is designed to support K-5 classroom teachers as they integrate music throughout the elementary curriculum. It contains detailed, practical ideas and examples, including full lesson plans and over 100 teaching ideas and strategies for integrating music with visual art, language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics. Following an overview of the interdisciplinary approach, the remaining chapters explore connections between music and other areas of the elementary curriculum. Each chapter also includes a section addressing national standards with tables showing the specific standards that are included in each lesson and activity. This text utilizes the most recent National Core Arts Standards (2015) as well as the most recent standards in language arts, social studies, science, and mathematics. All the lessons in this book are designed to be fully taught by classroom teachers; the content is accessible to those who lack formal music training, yet is solidly rooted in research and best practices. While classroom teachers can teach these lessons on their own, this book may facilitate partnerships and collaboration between classroom teachers and music specialists. All the lessons and activities included in this text have been reviewed by practicing teachers and most have been field tested in elementary classrooms. Throughout the book, there is an emphasis on interdisciplinary lessons that demonstrate valid connections between disciplines while maintaining the integrity of each discipline involved. The text also includes a model that allows teachers to successfully create their own interdisciplinary lessons. Whole book keywords: music integration; curriculum design, curriculum integration, standards, interdisciplinary approach, music education, elementary education, collaboration Chapter 1: Overview of music integration in the elementary curriculum Chapter one serves as a brief introduction to music integration and includes definitions and a review of best practices. An overview of the 2015 National Core Arts Standards provides a foundation for the standards-based lessons that teachers will encounter throughout the remaining chapters of the book. There are growing calls to foster self-expression, critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity in school settings and music integration is a path for developing these skills. The challenge for teachers involved in the integration process is to teach interdisciplinary lessons that make meaningful connections between disciplines and do not compromise the integrity of either discipline. The final section of chapter one focuses on strategies that allow teachers to create their own lessons that integrate music with other areas of the elementary curriculum"--

Harney's book makes me want to enroll in her class! With a potent array of music, art, history, and story, this book offers verbal and artistic images that awaken wide-ranging understandings of heritage. This book is a goldmine of connections past and present. And this book is an eye-opener that will likely spark welcomed existential shifts in many who read it. -- Peggy D Bennett, Professor Emerita of Music Education, Oberlin Conservatory of Music

Harney has provided a practical resource for teachers seeking guidance as to how to integrate music with other learning areas. She promotes a meaningful approach to integration by encouraging teachers to identify connections, topics or processes that are shared among curricular areas, and offers helpful lesson plans and activities to jumpstart the process. -- Diana R. Dansereau, Assistant Professor of Music Education, Boston University