middle school music assignments

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching Expertise

• Classroom Ideas
• Teacher’s Life
• Deals & Shopping
• Privacy Policy

Music Activities For Middle School: Mind Maps, Task Cards, Crafts, Games, Video Lessons, And Resources

March 20, 2024 //  by  Eileen Zajac

Middle school music can be quite the class! Middle schoolers are going through a lot of change and for some of them, confidence in the singing department just isn’t it. Finding games and activities that everyone in your middle school class will feel comfortable playing can be challenging.

Thankfully, the veteran music teachers at Teaching Expertise have put together a list of 25 unique and overall, very engaging activities for your middle school music classroom.

So if you’ve been tirelessly searching for activities, we can ensure you’ll find something if not multiple things on this list to bring into your classroom.

1. Music Mind Map

Mind maps are a great way for students to show everything they know about a topic or subject. Using Mind Maps throughout the year or as an informal assessment will help to develop your music students’ understanding.

Learn More: Pinterest

2. Music Creator Task Cards

These task cards can be used in any music classroom. It’s a popular music activity in the middle school music classroom. In the early days of the school year be sure to have a demonstration in a class of exactly to use these task cards. That way, students can be independent throughout the year.

Learn More: That Music Teacher (Instagram)

3. Learn Clef Notation

If your middle schoolers love card games, then this is the perfect way to teach the Clef Note. Sometimes difficult concepts can be rigorous to teach, but not through a fun game like this. Download the game for more detailed instructions!

Learn More: Musical Interactions (Instagram)

4. Music is Art

Taking time to create art in the music classroom may hold more benefits for children than we’re aware of. Having students create their own music charts around the classroom will not only get them to practice the shapes of different notes but will also make the classroom more inviting overall.

Learn More: Colorfully Playing the Piano (Instagram)

5. Music Dice

Bring some dice games into your music education! As a middle school music teacher, it can often be challenging to find engaging aspects of music. Thankfully, these music dice will be a great way to practice 3-8 notes.

Learn More: Rivian Creative (Instagram)

6. Let Them Play!

If your school doesn’t necessarily have a large selection of musical instruments, that’s okay! Work with students to come up with some creative ideas to improvise different musical instruments. See what sounds they can come up with and what notes they can actually follow.

Learn More: Bourne Ms. Music (Instagram)

7. Music Twister

Music twister probably works best in small groups. Incorporate this game into some of your music lessons. Students will love getting all twisted up and you’ll love that they know exactly where to play their hands and feet!

Learn More: Baroque Music Teacher (Instagram)

8. Rhythm Dice

Have students make rhythm patterns using these dice. The dice are simple enough to make – just purchase a bag of blank dice, like these , and draw different notes on them. Have students roll the dice and make a rhythm! These can be used in small groups or with the entire class.

9. Close Listening

Help your students boost their musical skills by boosting their listening skills. You can create different close listening graphic organizers for various genres of music. Integrate them into your classroom for performance or for a performance found on Youtube! Your students will love it.

Learn More: Cathy’s Choir Class (Instagram)

10. Music Books

Even your oldest students will appreciate listening to a story. Whether you’re in a digital classroom or a real classroom these books are a great intro to building a strong and positive classroom environment.

Learn More: 23 Music Books for Kids to Get Them Rocking to the Beat!

11. Musical Artist Research

As funny as middle schools may be, researching is an important part of the overall education for children. Bringing it into the music classroom has many advantages for children. One of them simply being, understanding the history of music.

Learn More: Singing Along with Mrs. P. (Instagram)

12. Musician of the Month

Introducing your pupils to different musicians throughout history is an important part of middle school music education. With this in mind, why not dedicate a wall solely to this? Hang a few ready-made posters or rope your pupils in by having them craft their own!

Learn More: PinIMG

13. Creative Classroom

Bringing all of your student’s creative sides out might just be one of the most rewarding feelings. Give your students a project they’ll be excited about, like coloring and decorating these music notes!

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

14. Melody Match

Help your students show their knowledge with this melody match activity. Students will love that they can show off everything they’ve learned throughout the unit. This will also help you to know and understand exactly where students are in their knowledge.

Learn More: St. Benedict Preparatory School

15. Rumble Ball

Rumble ball is one of those cool music activities that students will be constantly asking to play. Although in the video, Rumble Ball is played with certain instruments, it can easily be modified to fit the equipment that you have in your middle school music classroom.

Learn More: World Drum Club

16. Pass the Beat

This game is definitely challenging, but in a way that students will love. If your students enjoy battle music activities this might be a good one for transitions or if there’s a bit of time left at the end of class.

Learn More: Joel Copeland

17. Rhythm Cups

Middle schoolers went absolutely crazy for the “cup song” a few years back, who am I kidding, they’re still obsessed with that rhythm. Spice up your music classroom by giving different groups, different rhythm cups to learn! These rhythms are pretty easy to learn and even easier to perform.

Learn More: Music Room UK

18. One Hit Wonders Lesson

Teaching your students about One Hit Wonders is so much fun! Have students create their own One Hit Wonder books. This project will include research and bring out your student’s creative side!

Learn More: The Fun Music Company

19. Rhythm 4 Corners

Four corners is a game that all grade levels look forward to playing. Your older students will have found different ways to be more and more stealthy throughout the game. Making it that much more challenging.

Learn More: Becca’s Music Room

20. Draw to Music

Play some music and have your students comprehend what they’re hearing into a beautiful drawing. Switch the music to intensely different songs to get a lot of variety in the artwork. It will be beneficial to students to listen and be able to comprehend what they hear in a drawing. It will also be super interesting and exciting to compare student interpretations.

Learn More: Kerri Bevis

21. Music Discussion

If you have a music classroom that doesn’t have many materials, creating lessons can be invigorating at times. In this case, it’s important to just get your kiddos to chat about music. Use these cards to initiate musically revolved conversations.

Learn More: Word Wall

22. Music Elements

Help your students with understanding their music elements with this fun and engaging online game. Students can complete this independently, in small groups, as homework, or as a whole class.

23. Extra Beat Take a Seat

This game is so much fun! It’s especially fun for middle school classrooms that are tricky to get engaged in. Have students follow along with the video and have fun! Make it challenging or make it a competition within the classroom.

24. Music Class Escape Room

Escape rooms have seriously become more and more exciting for students. Bring an escape room into your classroom for a fun music game that will both aid students in their understanding of different musical terms and also help them to be a little more engaged.

Learn More: Midnight Music

25. Music Note Yahtzee

This is where those white dice  will come in handy yet again! Make your dice with different music notes on them. Have students roll the dice and play an all-time favorite class game – Yahtzee. This game is both easy to learn and even easier to play, perfect for the middle school classroom.

Learn More: Mrs. B Music Room

10 Cool Music Activities For Middle School

Are you looking for musical ways to engage your middle school students?

Do you get tired of the attitude you get from this challenging age?

I’ve taught music to all ages of learners, from infants to seniors (not the high school kid, either!), and the most challenging to me are those middle school students.

They walk a fine line between being too old to make the “baby” music and being too immature to handle the more complex and coordinated music activities.

I’ve asked around to love who love that age group and pulled on my own experience to come up with these 10 cool  music activities for middle school  to use in your class right now.

Middle school music activities need to leverage their interest in “mature” material while acknowledging and allowing them to explore their own personal interests and work in their peer groups. My favorite activities include:

Create A Body Percussion Performance

Research an interesting musician, record funny voices, write a rap, compose a movie or video game soundtrack, build a beatbox, learn to play piano, musical instrument bingo, discover a new culture of music.

Let’s look at each of these briefly. 

Save time with these 60 FREE Music Resources to use in your room right away!

Stop searching the whole internet to find good activities. I’ll help you cut to the chase with my favorite 60 FREE resources.

Table of Contents

I’ll give a brief description and links to resources for each of these elements. 

You may be able to find other resources along with the same type of activities and if you do, go for it! 

These are just the ones I and the others I talked to tend to use. 

Disclaimer:  Links in this article may be affiliate in nature, which means we earn a small commission if you click and purchase at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting our content! 

Middle schoolers do like to move, get creative, and work together. 

But they need some inspiration to do so first. They also need some structure. 

I start this activity by showing them some Stomp videos. 

This video is one I enjoy, and so do my middle school students: 

Afterward, we do a discussion on how they built their beats and what instruments they chose to use. 

Then, I split students into groups of 3-5 and ask them to come up with their own. 

If my students need more structure, I’ll give them some cards with pre-made rhythms on them to choose to use. 

Otherwise, I like to let them get as exploratory as possible. It’s more interesting that way! 

Then, we record their presentations or simply share them with the other groups. 

If they feel like getting advanced, you can always have them come up with choreography while they make the moves. 

Nothing gets a middle schooler more engaged than letting them choose what they get to do. 

I often do a unit where students may do research on one of their favorite musicians or an interesting musician from a broad list. 

Note:  Always approve the musician before they start to do the research. 

If you feel more comfortable, consider making your students use  SafeSearch  to do their research. 

This way, the material they see is always school-appropriate. 

Then, have students present in some way. 

It can be as simple as Google Slides (which most kids know how to use now anyway) or get creative by asking them to make a video of themselves acting as the musician would. 

Let them have fun! 

This one is just plain silly, but I love it and so do the students. 

Assign a list of nursery rhymes or children’s books with a strong, steady beat. 

Yes, you heard me right. 

Then, ask them to memorize or practice saying the words in tempo. 

Hold on, don’t skip ahead to the next one yet. 

Now, have them record themselves using the  Voice Spinner  on Chrome Music Lab or another voice-altering program. 

Then, they get to explore making their voices sound funny. 

Some of the results are downright hilarious. 

Yeah, rap is here to stay. 

There are some I like (hello, Hamilton!) and much I don’t. 

But just because we don’t like it doesn’t mean we can’t use our students’ interest to motivate them. 

Ask your students to write a school-appropriate rap in small groups or on their own. 

I’ll readily admit: I’m not the best at coming up with this plan on my own, so I use  this one  to help me out. 

Pick a short video or simple video game to feature. 

Remove the soundtrack (or just hit mute!). 

Ask the students to compose their own using GarageBand or Flat.io or something. 

They love to engage in stuff like this, especially since they’ll feel some ownership. 

Use this  Paint Composer  program for a retro video game sound.

Beatboxing and building layers is another great way to get some creativity going. 

Whether you build layers or use an automatic one like  Incredibox , it’s fun for the middle school students to build and share some cool patterns. 

Playing piano is something pretty much every person in the world wants to do. 

With the technology and programs out there, it’s never been easier. 

I’ve used  Flowkey  with a ton of success. 

The learning tools are easy to use, and they have thousands on thousands of lessons for all ability levels. 

Bingo is a blast, and I think it’s critical for students to know what the different instruments are. 

I hate when I hear a student describe how awesome a saxophone sounds, only to realize they were actually talking about a tuba. 

There are a ton of these programs and printables out there. 

This one  is my favorite free one. 

Middle school students love competition, especially if it’s couched in engaging online and digital formats. 

Kahoot  is my favorite of these to use, and most of the features are free. 

Check it out at the link. 

Along the same line of researching a musician, it’s great to have students team up to research and present about different cultures of music. 

Use the same resources, yes, including YouTube. 

You’ll be surprised what you may learn too! 

Cultures to consider are: 

• Irish/Celtic
• African (it’s not all one style, check out the different tribes and areas)
• Native American (same thing as with African)
• Pacific Islander
• Central American

Obviously, there are many more, but this should get you started. 

Final Thoughts

This age level is tough for a lot of teachers, but hopefully, these music activities for middle school give some ideas on how to start some units and projects with higher levels of engagement. (You may also want to check out our music activities for high school .)

If you’re looking for other activities, check out more in this series: 

• 11 Great Music Activities For Toddlers
• 11 Easy Music Activities For Preschool
• 8 Inspirational Music Activities For Elementary Students

Zach VanderGraaff

Zach VanderGraaff is a K-5 music teacher in Michigan with 12 years of experience. He's the President of the Michigan Kodaly Educators and founder of the Dynamic Music Room.

Recent Posts

How To Set Up A Trombone: Assembly Steps Made Simple!

Putting a trombone together looks like a tough task for those who've never done it before, but after a couple of times doing it, it's quite easy. In this post, I'll go the steps I and many other...

Three Game-Changing Tips for Doublers of the Flute

This is a guest post from the amazing Jane Cavanagh! At rehearsal last week, the conductor of a Sydney-based band I play the flute in, excitedly informed me, "Hey Jane, I arranged a new piece for...

5 Music Activities for Middle School to Make Lessons More Creative

Most humans naturally fall in love with music from an early age. We’ve all seen the way that babies and toddlers intuitively bob their heads along to the beat whenever a song is played. For many people, this early love of music lasts for a lifetime. However, that natural thrill that causes us to light up with excitement when we hear a fun song come on the radio can be lost over time when music begins to feel like “work.”

Anyone who has spent time in a music classroom knows just how true this can be! There seems to be a particularly difficult wall that is hit as music students approach the “middle school” years. The natural enchantment of music can be lost as older students begin to feel that practice feels grueling or uninspired. The phenomenon can be discouraging for music educators. However, pushing through is important when you consider the rewards for students. Research shows that music education offers the following benefits for learners:

• Improved memory.
• Stronger eye-hand coordination.
• Better study habits.
• More success with teamwork.
• Heightened mental processing and problem-solving capabilities.

Fortunately, just a little bit of creativity can bring a newer, more mature appreciation for music into the picture for students in middle school. If you’re looking for some creative ideas to keep preteen learners interested, it’s easier than you think. Take a look at five music activities for middle school to make lessons more creative!

1. Have Some Fun With Sounds and Voices

One of the most important aspects of becoming a musician is “finding your voice.” Students often don’t understand the value of developing their voices because they don’t yet see their voices as  instruments . That’s why this first fun activity is so beneficial. In fact, what really works about this little project is that you don’t actually have to involve “song” or “music” at all to make it effective. Instead, the focus is on simply giving students a space for playing around with their voices with a little help from technology.

Let’s cover how this little exercise works! Have students record themselves reading popular poems, books or works of fiction. They can input the recordings into whatever software is available and accessible through your classroom. This can be anything from Audacity to GarageBand. Next, make a project out of editing what has been read by manipulating voices. Show students how the impact changes when voices are changed to sound scary, spooky, silly or miniature using anything from a monster voice to a chipmunk pitch! Have students reflect on the ways they can also achieve what the software program has achieved using their own vocal cords in a more subtle way.

2. Host a Group Rap Battle

The purpose of this exercise is to help students to unleash their creative sides using a relatable, popular genre of music. This particular exercise also has a high collaborative factor. That’s important because it means that students can feel comfortable with getting creatively vulnerable without feeling like they are being singled out. On the technical side, the real purpose of this exercise is to introduce students to the concept of composing music without necessarily placing the ability to read music as a barrier to entry.

Start by splitting your students into small groups. You can also do this exercise with a single student if you provide one-on-one lessons. Feel free to select topics for raps ahead of time to build a theme while keeping more control over the lesson. Write the topics on the board for easy reference.

Next, you can introduce the “challenge.” Each rap that is composed by the groups must follow a rhyming scheme of your choosing. Let the students know that their “technical” scores will depend on how well they create consistent, obvious patterns that can be picked up on by the ear. You can give the “rap groups” a certain number of minutes to work together on creating one-of-a-kind, totally original raps using your rules. The performance comes next! Each group will perform their rap in front of the rest of the class. Ultimately, you will declare a “winner” based on categories like technical ability, teamwork and the ability to follow directions.

3. Host a Rhythm Festival in the Classroom

This is an activity that you can choose to do in a day, spread out over a week or incorporate into the entire semester. Getting into the origins of drumming is one of the best ways to drum up interest in music among middle-school students. More specifically, diving into the roots of African drumming can be especially appealing for students looking to connect to a very meaningful, satisfying form of musical expression. It can also be much easier to bring hand drums, boomwhackers and bucket drums into the classroom than it would be to try to source other types of instruments.

Prodigies Rhythm Collection

You can introduce the mechanisms of African drumming by showing videos of live performances. If you have experience in this genre, you can offer an in-class demonstration. Kids really respond to drumming because of how tangible and interactive this form of music can be. What’s more, it’s a genre that any student can get a feel for even if they struggle with some of the aspects of keeping time or learning fingering techniques. As a teacher, you may be interested to learn that drumming has been shown to provide social, emotional and stress-related benefits for children in classroom settings.

Play Rhythm Playlist

4. host a musical scavenger hunt for makeshift instruments.

Students can often lose interest in music because they’re not able to see that they are surrounded by a musical world. One of the best ways to awaken the awareness that we live in a world of music is to show kids how to see the music that is all around them. This is where a makeshift musical scavenger hunt comes in! The key to this activity is that you’re not actually looking for real musical instruments. Instead, students are tasked with finding everyday objects that can be used as instruments. Ask students to look for objects that can easily be used to create music as drums, bells, tambourines, chimes, maracas and gongs. If possible, have every student bring their one found object to class. You can then discover how to incorporate these “found” instruments together to create an “accidental” band!

5. Focus on the Top Song in the Country

This is an activity that you can choose to do on a weekly or monthly basis. The goal is to show students the mechanics behind the song of the moment that everyone is singing. Start by identifying the song that is the top song in the country based on music charts or downloads. You can then “wow” your students by breaking down the cord progression and arrangement of the song. This reverse engineering of something that is familiar will help kids to make the connection between popular music and music theory. This activity can be especially interesting for students who are interested in learning how to write their own music because it brings a “big” concept to a relatable place.

Some Tips for Introducing Creativity in the Music Classroom

You may be looking for some creative ways to engage your students because you feel their attention slipping away as you dive deeper into what music learning looks like at the middle-school level. The big thing to remember is that keeping things relatable can help to turn what seem like very complex, abstract concepts into things that students can actually care about. Here are the main tips for igniting some sparks without throwing away the educational and challenging aspects of music education:

• Encourage kids to work on things together. Music is collaborative. You’ll find that students often derive inspiration from the enthusiasm of other learners around them.
• Accept that it’s okay to reach into “popular” music to get kids engaged. While the learning should definitely evolve past the pop songs of today, this can be a good place to start when simply trying to get learners to think musically.
• Be positive and prepared. Students in middle school are old enough to know when the adult in the room is discouraged and disconnected. Your own passion and enthusiasm can fill in a lot of gaps when it feels like everyone in the classroom isn’t syncing up with the concepts being presented!

The bottom line is that creativity often helps students to connect with what is being presented. When you allow kids to really dig in, they are able to discover the way music actually reaches into the real world around them! When kids see music as being a real and natural part of their environment, the anxiety and apprehension about moving forward with difficult concepts can subside more easily.

By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies and similar tracking technologies described in our privacy policy

Your membership is expiring soon

Your membership has expired, you have tri-m advisor level access, creating a middle school general music curriculum from scratch.

/    News Posts    /   Creating a Middle School General Music Curriculum from Scratch

By Toni Garza, sponsored by QuaverE d

Join NAfME today

How do we instill a lifelong respect for music in our middle school music students?

When asked to create a Middle School General Music (MSGM) course for their students, most teachers ask two questions: Why do I need to add another course to my already jam-packed schedule? And what am I supposed to do with middle schoolers in general music? These questions are valid and deserving of discussion, but let’s also look at ways MSGM can be of help rather than a hardship.

iStockphoto.com | monkeybusinessimages

What Is Middle School General Music?  

Perhaps the most exciting and daunting aspect of MSGM is that there is no standard curriculum . Obviously, there are the national standards to which we may adhere, but the content and activities are up to the teacher. This challenges us as educators to find fresh, innovative ways to teach music, and the possibilities are truly endless.

In my experience, MSGM gave me the time I didn’t have in my ensembles to dig deeper into musical concepts with which my students needed more time and practice. A common misconception is that MSGM needs to include a piano lab or iPad stations. While those resources can be valuable assets, I assure you they are not necessary to have a meaningful musical experience.

Why Is General Music Important in Middle School?  

Middle School General Music offers a unique opportunity for educators to stretch their own creativity in planning and instruction. Since MSGM is not a performance-based class, it gives teachers an entirely new group of students to influence. Think of it as educating the next generation of music consumers.

iStockphoto.com | MachineHeadz

Let’s take a closer look at how MSGM brings benefits to teachers and students alike:  

• In MSGM, we have the ability to empower students who may not want to perform but are interested in other aspects of music. This could lead to conversations about musical styles and allow students the opportunity to voice their opinions. In addition, students may share their musical preferences with one another and develop an appreciation for the differences and diversity amongst themselves. This is developmentally appropriate for middle school-aged students who are in the process of discovering their own interests and identity. So MSGM gives teachers the opportunity to reach new students, using a tool that everyone understands and appreciates: music!
• MSGM expands and exposes a larger group of students to music they may otherwise never hear and can also open up fresh, new opportunities that can lead to the discovery of other career paths within the music industry. This is an opportunity to inspire a generation of new music consumers who demand a higher caliber of music on the radio and more importantly, instill a lifelong respect for music in all of our students.

How Do I Set Up My Curriculum?  

In my experience, project-based learning has been the most effective curriculum strategy in MSGM. It requires a lot of hands-off teaching which can be difficult for those of us who are accustomed to conducting a rehearsal. However, presenting your students with tasks and giving them the freedom to define their learning style to achieve a goal can be very empowering. The creativity that emerges from these projects also far exceeds an ensemble rehearsal by giving students a safe space to try new things and be responsible for their own learning.

Does the thought of leaving middle school students alone to be responsible for their own learning sound scary? It is. I was very frightened the first time I implemented a project-based lesson into my classroom. However, I was shocked to find that when I set the parameters and gave my students clearly defined deliverables with specific due dates, they followed through.

How Do I Create an Engaging Project-Based Lesson?  

As the teacher, you know your students best and can decide what project topics will be of most interest. For example, I noticed many of my students resisted listening to various types of music, insisting that any styles other than pop, hip hop, and rock music were “boring.” I wanted to expose them to a variety of styles but knew that genuine interest was necessary to leave a lasting impression, so I asked them an essential question: Which style of music is the most influential? This not only required them to learn about various genres but also to define the term influential and defend their opinion. I gave them project goals such as:

• Learn about at least 5 different styles of music.
• Define the characteristics of influential music.
• From the styles researched, select one style of music that you feel is the most influential.
• Research at least 3 examples of artists and/or composers from your chosen style.
• Present your style and opinion of what makes it the most influential to an audience.

iStockphoto.com | damircudic

There were several other goals and due dates associated with this project. Each group had a checklist to ensure that they were meeting their project deadlines, and they were responsible for completing and submitting each task.

As a class, we also created a rubric defining how each group would be graded. I set the criteria on which they would be graded, but they were responsible for determining what each level entailed. For example, one category for grading was teamwork. The rubric listed several columns and proficiency levels that each group could achieve: Exemplary, Proficient, Emerging, and Needs Improvement. The students were responsible for defining each level, which gave them a voice in the evaluation process. The class was also able to discuss examples of each proficiency level to help them better plan their own project. When it came time to grade their project, I referred back to their own words and examples, giving them a sense of empowerment, ownership, and accountability.

Now that we have the background, let’s create the template. Remember that the beauty of MSGM lies in its flexibility, so please feel free to expand upon these ideas in your own classrooms. Always keep in mind this essential question: How do we instill a lifelong respect for music in our middle school music students?

Download the Creating Middle School Music Curriculum worksheet

About the author:

Did this blog spur new ideas for your music program?  Share them on Amplify!  Interested in reprinting this article? Please  review the reprint guidelines .

The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) provides a number of forums for the sharing of information and opinion, including blogs and postings on our website, articles and columns in our magazines and journals, and postings to our Amplify member portal. Unless specifically noted, the views expressed in these media do not necessarily represent the policy or views of the Association, its officers, or its employees.

March 3, 2020. © National Association for Music Education ( NAfME.org )

Published Date

March 3, 2020

• Uncategorized

March 3, 2020. © National Association for Music Education (NAfME.org)

LATEST POST

Kodály, orff, and dalcroze: a who’s who and what’s what, jazz teaching tips for classrooms and ensembles, happy birthday, world.

• WordPress.org
• Documentation
• Learn WordPress
• Members Newsfeed

25 Invigorating Music Activities for Middle School

• Middle School Education

Introduction:

Music education is an essential element in the curriculum for middle school students. Engaging in music activities can help students develop creativity, teamwork, self-expression, and critical thinking skills. Here are 25 invigorating music activities that can inspire middle school students and make their learning journey a memorable one.

1. Songwriting Workshops: Encourage students to write their songs to express their feelings through musical arrangements and lyrics.

2. Musical Chairs: Implement this classic childhood game by playing different genres of music to expose them to various styles.

3. Rhythm Circles: Have students create rhythmic patterns using body percussion, such as clapping, snapping, or stomping.

4. Lip Sync Battle: Organize a lip sync battle that allows students to mime along with their favorite songs while showcasing their performance skills.

5. Composition Showcase: Guide students through the process of composing original music pieces and then perform them for the class.

6. Improvisation Games: Provide opportunities for students to improvise melodies and rhythms using various instruments or voice.

7. Music Trivia: Engage students in a friendly competition testing their knowledge of music theory, history, and pop culture.

8. Movie Soundtrack Analysis: Analyze popular movie soundtracks and discuss how the music enhances each film’s emotional impact.

9. Concert Field Trip: Take your class to watch local symphony orchestras or bands perform live and later discuss the experience.

10. Music History Timeline: Assign each student a period from music history, and then have them create a timeline displaying significant events, composers, and pieces from that era.

11. Karaoke Day: Turn your classroom into a karaoke stage where students can sing popular songs and explore their vocal abilities.

12. Garage Band Practice: Form band groups within the class, allowing them to develop collaborative skills while practicing and performing together.

13. Instrument Demonstration: Invite professional musicians to demonstrate various instruments and their techniques.

14. Group Percussion Ensemble: Organize students into various percussion ensembles and have them create unique rhythms.

15. Digital Music Production: Introduce students to digital music software, teaching them the basics of creating electronic music or beats.

16. Music Bingo: Create a custom bingo sheet featuring musical terms, symbols, or composers for a fun, educational game night.

17. Choir Collaboration: Invite a local choir to perform with your students during a combined rehearsal or concert.

18. Music Careers Research: Encourage students to research possible careers in the music industry and present their findings through class presentations or posters.

19. Radio Show Production: Develop a classroom radio show allowing students to create segments on music education, new releases, interviews, and live performances.

20. Album Design and Review: Assign albums for students to listen to, design an album cover, and write a review providing their thoughts on the music.

21. Music Genre Exploration: Study various music genres from different time periods around the world through listening experiences and discussions.

22. Music Scavenger Hunt: Design scavenger hunts around the school based on musical clues or riddles relating to music theory and instruments.

23. Soundtrack Composition: Have students create original soundtracks for short video clips or animations using classroom instruments or digital tools.

24. Collaborative Songwriting Project: Pair with another class to compose new pieces using video chats or online platforms for remote songwriting collaboration.

25. Live Performance Review: Attend live performances as a group, then have the students compose critical reviews analyzing aspects like stage presence and musicianship quality.

Conclusion:

Implementing these engaging activities in your middle school music classroom can provide unique opportunities for exploration and growth in your students’ musical abilities.

Related Articles

Starting at a new school can be an exciting yet nerve-wracking experience…

Introduction: As middle schoolers transition into more independence, it's crucial that they…

1. Unpredictable Growth Spurts: Middle school teachers witness students entering their classrooms…

Pedagogue is a social media network where educators can learn and grow. It's a safe space where they can share advice, strategies, tools, hacks, resources, etc., and work together to improve their teaching skills and the academic performance of the students in their charge.

If you want to collaborate with educators from around the globe, facilitate remote learning, etc., sign up for a free account today and start making connections.

Pedagogue is Free Now, and Free Forever!

• New? Start Here
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service
• Registration

Don't you have an account? Register Now! it's really simple and you can start enjoying all the benefits!

We just sent you an Email. Please Open it up to activate your account.

I allow this website to collect and store submitted data.

Teaching Music Outside the Box

• Dec 11, 2022

3 Fantastic Music Activity for Kids in Middle School

Updated: Jul 30, 2023

Needing a music activity for kids? I've got you covered in this blog post, so, get ready! We are going to cover some music composing activities, music activity worksheets, and music composition website selections used in the music classroom. Make sure to check out the free materials throughout the blog post and let me know how it turns out in your music classroom!

MUSIC LISTENING AND RESPONDING ACTIVITY

One of my favorite things I love to do with my students at the beginning of the year is to get to know them through fun activities and avoid the cheesy ice breakers. So, I do a listening exercise with them where they can show me their humor and creativity and in stress free environment.

How It Works

It's pretty simple to follow and easy to implement in the class. You can have students do it on their individual computers or devices, or listen to the music as a class while they create their interpretation of the music. The students have to create a story or digital drawing of the song they listened to and it has to be an ORIGINAL thought or idea. Some of the songs are from movies, but what's great about this is that they have to exercise listening to the music differently and come up with another fun story to go along with the song.

The Music Drawings

The drawings can be done through Google Images from Google Slides. They just search within Google Slides and drag and drop the image where they want it. They can layer images to give a better understanding of what they picture in their head when they hear the music. It's makes for some funny images and hilarious stories behind them. For this music activity, I give the students the option to present to the class if they want to.

The Stories

As for the story portion of the activity, they narrate a story to go with the song. I tell them to aim for 1-3 paragraphs depending on the depth of their story. They can add dialogue, vivid adjectives, create characters and scenarios based on what they picture in their head when they hear the music. This is a great way to incorporate some literacy writing into a lesson (hello cross curriculum in the music classroom!). It will also let you see what students excel in writing and students who might need some support.

Regardless, I'm sure you will have a few stories that will keep the class rolling and engaged. I personally like to make my own stories and make them super ridiculous so they can get to know me a little, too. This can easily be adapted into a music activity worksheet, with just some simple places to draw or write their responses. Doesn't have to be anything super fancy or time consuming.

CREATE YOUR OWN MUSICAL CHARACTER

Create your own musical character is a hilarious music activity for kids on an "off-day"; assembly, a lot of interruptions, right before a break, etc. It's a nice one day assignment for kids to engage in some music symbols and creativity.

Music Theory Symbols

It's pretty simple and easy to follow. The students take various music theory symbols they have been taught and then create a character of their choosing. From there, they take the symbols in the Google Slide and create a character using these symbols by overlapping them, making them bigger or smaller, etc. The last slide encourages students to go beyond just creating a character, but giving the character some traits, like what's they favorite food or what is their superpower? The students really get into this.

Does It Work for Older Kids?

If you have older kids (6th to 7th grade), I love to make it challenge of who can make the corniest, cringiest character...one that we all CRINGE at when we see it. They essentially make it a competition and it can get pretty cut throat! I do have kids present these to the class and explain what music symbols they used and talk a little about their character.

COMPOSING MUSIC

Composing music can sometimes be exhausting, especially in a music classroom full of students who aren't professional music composers. But what if you could take out the guess work? Introducing "Take a Chance" music activity for kids of all ages (within reason)!

Take a Chance Composition Project

Essentially, you are taking aleatoric music guide lines and letting students create by chance, it also becomes a great music rhythm exercise too. If you aren't familiar with aleatoric music, check out this Youtube video explaining it.

Music Rhythm Composition

The students create a music rhythm and this can be done by chance or they just make up a 2-4 measure rhythm. If you want to do it with dice, you can come up with a key; 1 = quarter note, 2 = half note, 3 = half rest, etc.

Pitch Composition

After they come up with the rhythms, they roll the dice for note names for EACH note value. There needs to be a key of music scale degrees. For example, C Major Scale is C-D-E-F-G-A-B-C. So, if they roll a 3, the first note value will be put on the pitch E. They do this until all note values are pitched. Then, of course, they can play it on an instrument, input it into a music composition website, or sing solfege to it.

Music Composition Websites

Music composition websites I've used are Chrome Music Lab, Flat.io, Noteflight.com , or Beepbox.co . A super easy music activity for kids and it can be tailored to your music class ability and goals, as well. If you want a more in-depth version of this lesson, feel free to head over to this lesson plan that is mapped out perfectly for 4th-7th graders using Chrome Music Lab. All the music activity worksheets are covered and already made!

Make sure to let me know how each music activity goes in your classroom! I always want to know if it was successful and other fun ideas that might go along with these lessons. Make sure to subscribe at the bottom so that you can get updated with fun music activities for the classroom and ways to continue to engage your students. I'm here to help and make your life a little easier, because being a music teacher is NO JOKE! Hang in there, teacher friend! Take a breath knowing that you got some ideas going into the following days ahead.

Sponsored by Grizzly Bay Batons

• Music Teacher Resources Blog Posts

Recent Posts

Transforming Motivation in a Classroom with These Helpful Techniques

3 Tips for Making The History of Music Timeline an Adventure Instead of a Snore-fest

5 Incredibly Easy Middle School Music Games for the Classroom

• Try for free

Music Appreciation Lesson Plans, Worksheets, Printables

• Most Popular
• Most Recent

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Nine Teaching Ideas for Using Music to Inspire Student Writing

By Natalie Proulx

• May 10, 2018

Some of the greatest written works of our time have been inspired by music. Walt Whitman conceived of and wrote “Leaves of Grass” while listening to opera . Alice Walker, Langston Hughes, Ntozake Shange and Ralph Ellison were all moved by spirituals, jazz and blues . And Lin-Manuel Miranda’s rap musical “Hamilton” was born of his love of hip-hop . These writers understood what many educational researchers know — that music opens up pathways to creative thinking, sharpens our ability to listen and helps us weave together disparate ideas .

In this teaching resource, we suggest nine exercises to use music to inspire student writing — from creating annotated playlists and critical reviews to music-inspired poetry and personal narratives. Each idea pulls from Times reporting, Opinion pieces and multimedia on music to give students a place to start. The activities are categorized according to three genres: creative and narrative writing; informative and explanatory writing; and persuasive and argumentative writing.

How do you use music in your classroom? Let us know in the comments.

Creative and Narrative Writing

Exercise #1: Write a story or poem inspired by music.

One way you might let your students be inspired by music is to have them describe in words what they hear, a method Jean-Michel Basquiat employed in his poetry and paintings.

In “ Bowie, Bach and Bebop: How Music Powered Basquiat ,” Ekow Eshun writes:

In 1979, at 19, the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat moved into an abandoned apartment on East 12th Street in Manhattan with his girlfriend at the time, Alexis Adler. The home, a sixth-floor walk-up, was run-down and sparsely furnished. Basquiat, broke and unable to afford canvases, painted with abandon on the walls and floor, even on Ms. Adler’s clothes. The one item that remained undisturbed was Ms. Adler’s stereo, which had pride of place on a shelf scavenged from the street. “The main thing for us was having big speakers and a blasting stereo. That was the only furniture I purchased myself,” said Ms. Adler, who still lives in the apartment. When Basquiat was around, she recalled, “music was playing all the time.” On Thursday, the exhibition “Basquiat: Boom for Real” opened at the Barbican Center in London. The show focuses on the artist’s relationship to music, text, film and television. But it is jazz — the musical style that made up the bulk of Basquiat’s huge record collection — that looms largest as a source of personal inspiration to him and as a subject matter.

Invite your students to read the article and then listen to the Times-curated Spotify playlist “ The eclectic taste of Jean-Michel Basquiat ” as they view his art and read his poetry . Discuss what they notice about the musical influence in Basquiat’s work. How do the content, colors, textures and shapes in his paintings resemble the sounds they hear? How are these reflected in the words, phrases, mood and rhythm of his poems?

Next, have students listen to a song or playlist (perhaps one they created, one you created or one of these Times-curated ones) and, like Basquiat, let them write what they hear:

• describe the images that come to mind; • name the feelings and thoughts triggered by the imagery and sounds in the music; • mimic the pacing and rhythm through word choice, sentence structure and line breaks; • borrow the words, phrases or lines that resonate most; • or build on a theme or message.

Here’s an example of what one composer wrote as he listened to his own classical piece, “Become Desert”:

From the stillness around you a high glassy sound descends, like first light. Each new sound seems to breathe — emerging from and receding back into the stillness — and the glint of bells, like desert plants, here and there. Almost imperceptibly the music swells and continues falling in pitch. From somewhere above — like a gleam of metal, like sunlight emerging from behind a ridgeline — comes the sound of flutes. You are in a strange landscape. You don’t know how to read the weather or the light. You are unsure how long you will be here, or how challenging the journey may be.

To take this exercise a step further, students might use what they wrote while listening to music to develop a short story or poem. They might share their writing and song choices with the class so their classmates can analyze how music inspired their writing.

Exercise #2: Pen your own song or rap.

Invite students to write their own music about topics, events or themes you are studying in class. How can they summarize in song the role of the mitochondria , the main themes of “Romeo and Juliet” or the events that led to the Civil War?

Here’s an example from Julien Turner , 20, who produced this music video called “ XY Cell Life ” for a college biology class:

For inspiration, students might check out the Times “ Diary of a Song ” video series to see how songwriters and musicians like Zedd , Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber make hits. What stands out to them about these songs? What are the artists’ processes for making music? How do they write lyrics and sounds that resonate with an audience? How do they communicate content and emotion?

You might have students simply write lyrics — like these students who wrote “Hamilton” hip-hop verses and these young people who summed up the year’s news in our annual “Year in Rap” challenge .

Or, invite them to make their own music videos or recorded songs. In this case, you might refer to use our lesson plan “ Project Audio: Teaching Students How to Produce Their Own Podcasts ,” which has a helpful section on audio editing and advice for gathering non copyrighted sound effects and music.

Exercise #3: Share what music means to you.

What role does music play in your students’ lives?

What are they listening to right now? What musicians and bands mean the most to them? What music inspires them? What song lyrics do they consider literature? Which artists do they believe are the future? Which do they think will stand the test of time?

We have published over 1,000 writing prompts for students , including many, like the questions above, dedicated to personal and narrative writing about music. You might have your students choose a question that speaks to them and read the related Times article. Then invite them to share their thoughts, stories, opinions and experiences in writing.

You can search “music” to find our newest music-related writing prompts here , which are open for comment indefinitely.

Informative and Explanatory Writing

Exercise #4: Connect songs to current events.

Music has always been a reflection of and window into society, culture and history — and the current era is no different. Hip-hop, folk, classical and even opera music draw on current events and politics for source material.

What connections can your students make between the music they listen to and current events? How does learning more about the context in which a song was written help them better understand it?

You might start by having students read and analyze how journalists make connections between music and current events every day. Take Childish Gamino’s latest video, “ This Is America ,” for instance. In a roundup of the best writing about this music video, Judy Berman writes:

But Glover’s graceful moves aren’t exactly the point. There’s plenty of messaging about race, violence and the entertainment industry in the song and video — which helps explain why fans and critics have devoted so much time to dissecting its references and debating its meaning.

And Doreen St. Félix from The New Yorker relates the video to the present day:

The video has already been rapturously described as a powerful rally cry against gun violence, a powerful portrait of black-American existentialism, a powerful indictment of a culture that circulates videos of black children dying as easily as it does videos of black children dancing in parking lots.

You might have students read the roundup or one of the articles it excerpts, or let them choose another topic or genre that interests them, such as:

Beethoven’s 200-Year-Old ‘Fidelio’ Enters Today’s Prisons Mouse on Mars at M.I.T.: A Symposium Becomes a Dance Party Eminem Lashes Out at Trump in Freestyle Rap Video New ‘Hamilton Mixtape’ Video Takes Aim at Immigration Celebrating Women’s Rights, ‘That Most American of Operas’ Watch 5 Moments When Classical Music Met Politics Can North Korea Handle a K-Pop Invasion? Review: Beyoncé Is Bigger Than Coachella

For whichever article they choose, students should consider: What current events does the music they read about reference? How do these allusions contribute to the artist’s message? What other themes in the music can they relate to what is happening in the world?

Then, challenge students to pair a song of their choosing with one or more Times articles and write an essay that explains the relationship between the song and the current or historical events.

Students might start by annotating song lyrics themselves or referring to Genius to find explicit connections and discover underlying themes that in some way relate to society, culture, history and politics. Students may also choose to research the artist to find out more about his or her background, beliefs and politics.

For help in writing the essay, what we call a text-to-text pairing , we also have a whole lesson plan that guides classes through the process of generating and writing about relevant connections between their studies and the world today, as well as dozens of example essays written by teenagers .

Exercise #5: Create an annotated playlist of songs related to a topic.

Every Friday, The Times publishes “ The Playlist ,” a weekly tour of notable new music and videos. Times pop music critics choose about a dozen of the week’s most popular or intriguing songs and music videos and write a short commentary for each. They even create a Spotify playlist of the songs each week.

You can use “The Playlist” as a model for students to compile their own annotated playlists — playlists with explanatory text or commentary for each song — related to a topic you are studying in class. It might be straightforward, such as songs that reference historical or current events, use a particular literary device or exhibit a specific musical technique. Or, the playlist could be more symbolic, like pieces that tell a story when played together, demonstrate a theme from a novel or capture the essence of a time period or setting. (You might use one of these as an example of a theme-oriented playlist.) Playlists could even be autobiographical, with students selecting songs that express aspects of their own identities.

Students can read through several of the past columns and listen to the playlists to determine what makes for compelling commentary. For example, on Billie Eilish’s and Khalid’s “Lovely,” Jon Pareles writes:

“Lovely” is the song of someone inextricably attached or trapped: “I hope someday I’ll make it out of here,” Billie Eilish sings with Khalid — not in dialogue or counterpoint, but in unison, as if they’re each others’ partner and burden. “Wanna feel alive outside/I can fight my fear.” The backdrop is piano and strings lingering on two chords; the melancholy never lifts, and at the end Khalid and Ms. Eilish share a chilling greeting: “Hello-welcome home.” J.P.

And on First Aid Kit’s “Fireworks,” Mr. Pareles writes:

First Aid Kit, a duo of sisters from Sweden who usually favor a folky, countryish approach — they’ve got a song named “Emmylou,” after Ms. Harris — turn to a gauzy retro sound in “Fireworks,” a song always about ending up lonely: “Why do I do this to myself every time/I know the way it ends even before it’s begun.” With a 1950s slow-dance beat and echoey guitars, it’s already nostalgic for the next failed romance. J.P.

Ask students: What do they notice about h ow the commentary is written? What does the writer include and why? How is it organized? What makes it interesting (or not)?

After students have curated their own playlists, they are ready to write song annotations. Some ingredients they should include in their writing are: a claim explaining how the song relates to the topic or theme; evidence from the song (e.g., lyrics, instruments, rhythm or melodies) illustrating their claim; and analysis that explains the significance of these aspects of the song.

Students can share their final playlists on Spotify so that everyone in the class can listen to and comment on them.

Exercise #6: Profile an artist in an imagined interview.

The Times Music section regularly profiles artists from different genres, time periods and corners of the globe. Students can use these articles and interviews as mentor texts before doing research and writing their own mini-biographies of a music figure they admire.

In an “imagined interview,” students, working individually or in pairs, play the part of both interviewer and interviewee. They do background research on an artist they select, come up with a list of questions and answers for the interview, and then write a profile on their subject.

To start, have students read one of these interviews with musicians:

Khalid, the Teenager With 5 Grammy Nominations: ‘They Got It Right This Year’ Jay-Z and Dean Baquet, in Conversation John Mayer Has More to Say: The Outtakes Bruce Springsteen on Broadway: The Boss on His ‘First Real Job’ Adele on ‘25’: Song by Song In Hip-Hop, Inspiration Arrived by Way of Kirk Franklin Gwen Stefani on Spirituality, Insecurity, Pharrell and ‘Truth’

Ask students: What types of questions did the interviewer ask? What subjects did the two discuss? What questions were missing from the interview that you wish were asked?

If you plan on having students write narratives based on their imagined interviews, they should also read at least one example of how Times writers write narratives based on interviews. Here are a few:

The 5 ‘Handsome Girls’ Trying to Be China’s Biggest Boy Band ‘I Could Barely Sing a High C’: Pretty Yende Finally Conquers Lucia For Milford Graves, Jazz Innovation Is Only Part of the Alchemy Dua Lipa Was Raised on Pop Bangers. Now She Writes Them. Valee, Kanye West’s New Signee, Is a Rapper Who Just Might Build You a Koi Pond Rafiq Bhatia Is Writing His Own Musical Language Ashley McBryde Takes Nashville, No Gimmicks Required

While reading, they should consider the following: What information did the reporter include and why do you think they made these choices? How did they effectively weave in biographical details to tell a story about the artist and the music?

Next, assign students to choose their own musical artist to interview and profile. The following steps can guide students through the process:

1. Do Your Research : To learn more about the artist you selected to interview, do an in-depth study of several song lyrics or an album, read published interviews with the artist, watch a video or listen to radio interviews to see how the artist speaks.

2. Prepare Your Questions : Consider this artist’s particular music and biography. What more do you want to know about the artist and his or her music? What in the songs or videos you studied struck you that you would like to ask about? For more inspiration, our lesson plan “ Beyond Question: Learning the Art of the Interview ” provides additional advice on how to conduct good interviews.

3. Conduct Your Imagined Interview : Based on your research of artists — their background, their music and the way they speak — imagine how they might respond to your questions. Be creative, but try to stay true to who the artist is. Alternatively, you could role-play the interview in partners, where one person is the interviewer and the other is the artist. It might be helpful to record the interview and take notes.

4. Write Your Article : You may choose to write your interview in a question and answer format , or create a narrative .

5. Share the Final Product : Share your imagined interviews with your classmates and reflect on the activity. Was your writing convincing to readers? What did you learn about writing artist profiles?

Persuasive and Argumentative Writing

Exercise #7: Review an artist, album or song.

Which artists, albums and songs can your students not stop talking about — either because they love them or hate them? Channel that energy into an argumentative essay using our culture review-writing lesson plan . In this lesson, students read Times reviews and heed advice from Times critics to write their own. They practice developing a clear claim, citing evidence and writing with a strong voice.

You might allow students to choose one of their favorite (or least favorite) artists or songs to practice writing passionately and knowledgeably about a subject. Or, challenge them to explore a genre of music they might not normally listen to and see what they can learn.

Consider having your students submit their finished pieces to our annual student review contest . They can read winning reviews from past years here .

Exercise #8: Weigh in on the latest criticisms, trends and news in music.

Music today incites opinions not just about the artists and albums themselves, but also about universal themes, like the music industry , social media , morality , the human condition , culture , the past and the future. “ Popcast ” is The Times’s podcast dedicated to discussing these very criticisms, trends and news in music.

You can invite students to weigh in on the music-related topics they care about most in a group writing activity that mimics the conversational style of this podcast. Here, they learn how to make a claim, develop it with evidence, write counterclaims and respond directly to one another in an informal and fun way.

First, you might start by having students listen to one full episode or excerpts from “ Popcast ” to analyze how the discussion unfolds. What background information is provided? How do the critics talk to and respond to one another? How do they open and close each episode?

Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar Break Boundaries

Or, you might have students examine what a conversation like this looks like in writing. “ Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up the Pulitzer Game: Let’s Discuss ” by Times music editors provides a good example. The conversation begins:

JON PARELES To me, this prize is as overdue as it was unexpected. When I look at the Pulitzers across the board, what I overwhelmingly see rewarded are journalistic virtues: fact-gathering, vivid detail, storytelling, topicality, verbal dexterity and, often, real-world impact after publication. It’s an award for hard-won persuasiveness. Well hello, hip-hop. ZACHARY WOOLFE … But there is also wariness, which I join, about an opening of the prize — not to hip-hop, per se, but to music that has achieved blockbuster commercial success. This is now officially one fewer guaranteed platform — which, yes, should be open to many genres — for noncommercial work, which scrapes by on grants, fellowships, commissions and, yes, awards. PARELES That response is similar to many publishing-world reactions when Bob Dylan got the Nobel Prize in Literature — that a promotional opportunity was being lost for something worthy but more obscure, preferably between hard covers. A literary figure who had changed the way an entire generation looked at words and ideas was supposed to forgo the award because, well, he’d reached too many people? Do we really want to put a sales ceiling on what should get an award? The New York Times and The New Yorker already have a lot of subscribers … uh-oh.

Then, in small groups, have students come up with their own music topics worthy of debate. For inspiration, they might browse some of the past “Popcast” episodes.

You might then have them brainstorm some initial ideas and conduct research in the Times Music section to deepen and broaden their knowledge about the subject.

Next, invite them into a written conversation about their chosen topic. One student initiates the conversation and then each person in the group takes a turn responding to what each other writes — acknowledging their classmates’ remarks, voicing their own opinions, making connections and citing evidence to support or disagree with others.

Exercise #9: Write an editorial on a music-related topic.

Many musicians and music aficionados also contribute Opinion pieces to The Times, where they write passionately and persuasively about music’s influence in their lives, culture and society.

What music-related topics do your students care about? Do they believe music should be a required subject in school? What do they think today’s artists say about the world they live in? Can and should musicians’ work be separated from their personal lives?

Have your students write an editorial on a music-related topic that matters to them. We’ve written several lesson plans on teaching argumentative writing, including “ For the Sake of Argument: Writing Persuasively to Craft Short, Evidence-Based Editorials ,” “ I Don’t Think So: Writing Effective Counterarguments ” and “ 10 Ways to Teach Argument-Writing With The New York Times .”

You can pair any one of these lessons with music editorials as mentor texts, like the ones below:

A Note to the Classically Insecure The Real Song of the Summer Three Cheers for Cultural Appropriation The Heartbreak of Kanye West Is Music the Key to Success? Graceland, at Last The Songs That Bind

Students can also search for their own examples in the Music or Opinion sections. Or, refer to the many music-themed argumentative writing prompts we have published.

They might consider entering their finished editorials into our annual student editorial contest . And they can read essays from past winners here .

Other Music-Related Resources from The Learning Network

Lesson Plan | The Ten-Dollar Founding Father Without a Father: Teaching and Learning With ‘Hamilton’

Lesson Plan | Teaching With Protest Music

Teaching Close Reading and Compelling Writing With the ‘New Sentences’ Column

• 10 Music Tech Ideas for the Middle School

Question: What type of music technology activities can I do with my middle school students?

This question has been popping up a bit lately on Facebook and in my emails.  Here are a few engaging, fun and creative music tech projects that are perfect for middle school students in years 5-9.

1. Funny Voices

Students record themselves telling a story (part of a fairytale or Dr Seuss story works well) in software such as GarageBand, Mixcraft, Soundation or Audacity and then edit their recorded narration to create “funny voices” appropriate to the story.  Select a section of the recorded narration (the WAV form) and apply preset effects in the software.  Try creating a scary ogre, a high-pitched chipmunk voice, robots, aliens or a Darth Vader effect.

2. Guess My SFX Story

Students can work in groups to plan a short story – 3 sentences will do – and work out how they can tell the story with sound effects only.  Record the sound effects and piece them together in the right order in your favourite audio recording/editing software.  Other students try to guess the story by listening to the sequence of sound effects.

3. Rap My Name

Students write a 4-measure rap about themselves, based on a provided structure and then record a rhythmic backing to go with the rap. They can record their rap and the backing on laptop or iPad.  Full instructions for this lesson can be found here .

4. Transform The Blues

If you’ve been teaching your students the 12 bar blues, get them to record the blues chord sequence in a different style in your favourite recording/sequencing software.  This can be as simple as recording the basic 12-bar pattern on a guitar or keyboard software instrument and then adding an existing drum loop in an unexpected, non-blues style – like dubstep, trap, or a latin style.  They can then improvise a blues melody over the top of their blues accompaniment.  I have iPad instructions for a project like this here , but they could also be adapted for desktop software.

5. Movie Soundtracks

Find a short video (one minute or less is ideal) and ask students to synchronise sound to visuals. They can add sound effects to match action on-screen and then create mood music to match the scene.  Software like GarageBand or Mixcraft is ideal since it allows you to import a video and create the soundtrack while watching the video. Tip: if you’re short on class time, students can choose pre-made loops instead of creating the music from scratch.

6. Video Game Composer

Along the lines of creating a movie soundtrack, students can compose music that matches different styles or mood or video games.  Give students a choice of game styles and ask them to compose music that will evoke an atmosphere for the player.  Style examples might include happy and light music for a light-hearted platform game, battle music for a war game, fast-paced music for a car-chase game and so on.

7. Introducing Remixing – A Quick Start

Incredibox is a free interactive website.  It’s lots of fun and great to use as an introduction to arranging or remixing.  Students can plan a “performance” of the Incredibox dudes which demonstrates a variety of arranging decisions.  They can then record their remix using by clicking the record button at top left.   This blog post walks you through the basics.

8. The Mystery Remix

9. rockstar drummers.

Teach students how to perform the basic rock beat using body percussion and on percussion instruments (and on a real kit if you have access to one).  If they find it difficult to perform all 3 parts of the basic pattern (bass drum, snare and hi-hat), they can work in pairs or groups of three.  Reinforce what they’ve learnt by recording the pattern in sequencing software like GarageBand, Mixcraft or Soundation, or on iPads using the GarageBand app.  They can record each of the three parts separately and learn how to use the quantise feature to adjust the parts.

10. Game-Style Quizzes

Use the awesome (free) quiz tool Kahoot to test students on a topic you’ve been covering in class.  Students submit their answers using any type of device that connects to the internet – laptop, iPad, smartphone or other tablet and they are awarded points for correct answers AND for speed (!).  Before you create your own quiz from scratch, search the library of existing quizzes that have been created by teachers all around the world.  You might find the perfect quiz already set up and ready to go.

How to get these projects going in your classroom?

If you’re keen for instructions on exactly how to run these activities using the software you have at your school, there are details in the online courses and other resources inside the Midnight Music Community.  You can find more information about the Midnight Music Community here .

Download a copy of this

Would you like a copy of this list? Click on the button below to download a copy.  It will be sent straight to your email inbox.

[…] software and interactive websites. What is cloud-based software? Benefits 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 10 Music Tech Ideas for the Middle School | Midnight Music. Question: What type of music technology activities can I do with my middle school students? This […]

[…] A Quick Guide To The Art of Live Looping. 15 Ways to use just ONE computer in the music classroom. Best Music Software for Chromebooks & BYOD Schools. 10 Music Tech Ideas for the Middle School. 15 Ways to use just ONE computer in the music classroom. 10 Music Tech Ideas for the Middle School | Midnight Music. […]

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

You might also like....

Top 10 Note Naming Apps for music teachers, part 2

Top 10 Note Naming Apps for music teachers, part 1

Introducing, the midnight music community.

Download Now for FREE...

The ultimate music tech resources guide for 2023-2024.

Claim your copy of our annual guide to free music technology resources, designed especially for music teachers. Discover interactive music websites, software, productivity tools, and assessment resources you can use in your music classroom for free.

3 MORE time-saving Canva AI tools for music teachers

My latest project: studio sessions for middle school.

How to use Google Classroom to Submit Recorded Singing and Playing Assignments

Dear Music Teachers: You Can’t Run A Live Rehearsal Online (So Here’s What To Do Instead)

Follow me on social media.

PRIVACY POLICY

This is the Privacy Policy for the Midnight Music website located at www.midnightmusic.com (“Site”).

The Site is operated by Midnight Music Pty Ltd ABN 87 619 652 603 (“Midnight Music” or “Company” or “we” or “us”).

Midnight Music understands the importance of protecting your personal information and undertakes to adhere to this privacy policy at all times to ensure your personal information is effectively safeguarded.

Information you provide to us

The Site provides various places for users to provide information. We collect information that users provide by filling out forms on the Site, communicating with us via contact forms, responding to surveys, search queries on our search feature, providing comments or other feedback, providing information when ordering a product or service via the Site, and other circumstances where collecting personal information is reasonable and permitted by the Laws of the State of Victoria, Australia.

We use information you provide to us to deliver the requested product and/or service, to improve our overall performance, and to provide you with offers, promotions, and information.

Information we collect through automatic data collection technology

As you navigate through the Site, we may use automatic data collection technologies including Google Analytics to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns. This will generally include information about your location, your traffic pattern through our Site, and any communications between your computer and our Site. Among other things, we will collect data about the type of computer you use, your Internet connection, your IP address, your operating system, and your browser type.

The information we collect automatically is used for statistical data and will not include personal information. We use this data to improve our Site and our service offerings. To the extent that you voluntarily provide personal information to us, our systems will associate the automatically collected information with your personal information.

Use of cookies and pixels

Similar to other commercial websites, our Site utilises a standard technology called “cookies” and server logs to collect information about how our site is used. Information gathered through cookies and server logs may include the date and time of visits, the pages viewed, time spent at our site, and the websites visited just before and just after our own, as well as your IP address.

A cookie is a very small text document, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier. When you visit a website, that site’s computer asks your computer for permission to store this file in a part of your hard drive specifically designated for cookies. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser’s preferences allow it, but (to protect your privacy) your browser only permits a website to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other sites.

The Company reserves the right to use technological equivalents of cookies, including social media pixels. These pixels allow social media sites to track visitors to outside websites so as to tailor advertising messages users see while visiting that social media website. The Company reserves the right to use these pixels in compliance with the policies of the various social media sites.​

How we manage personal information

Midnight Music undertakes to take all commercially reasonable steps to ensure that all personal information collected by us is accurate, up-to-date, complete and stored securely. When your personal information is no longer required for the purposes which Midnight Music uses personal information, all commercially reasonable steps will be undertaken to securely destroy that information.

How your personal information will be used

We use personal information for purposes of presenting our Site and its contents to you, providing you with information, providing you with offers for products and services, providing you with information about your subscriptions and products, carrying out any contract between you and the Company, administering our business activities, providing customer service, and making available other items and services to our customers and prospective customers. From time-to-time, we may use the information you provide to us to make you offers to purchase products and services provided by third parties in exchange for a commission to be paid to us by such third parties. Should you opt to take part in such promotions, the third parties will receive your information.

Disclosure of your information

Midnight Music considers personal information we collect about you to be confidential and will not disclose such information to third parties except in the following circumstances:

• Where you have consented to your personal information being provided to a third party;
• Where Midnight Music is required by law to disclose your information; and
• Gaining access to your personal information held by Midnight Music

Except in circumstances where access to your personal information may be denied by the Privacy Act or other Law of the State of Victoria, Australia, your personal information will be provided to you upon request.

7 Creative and Fun Film and Music Lesson Ideas for Your Music Classroom

Music and film are two art forms that go hand in hand and teaching this music topic can be a lot of fun for both you the music teacher and your music students. As a middle school music teacher, you have the chance to incorporate creative and fun lesson ideas into your classes that will pique the interest of your music students and encourage them to learn more about film and music. Read on to find out 7 film and music lesson ideas that will help your students understand the history and purpose of film music, soundtracks, and how music is used in film.

The best thing about teaching film and music is that it is a great way to end the school year or even teach while there is testing going on in the school and you need some quieter music lessons! Personally, I always teach this unit as the very last one for our Year 7 music classes. Teaching film and music also gives you a valid reason for watching a movie in class! Just make sure that you program it into your lessons so that you comply with your schools’ guidelines for showing movies in class.

You can grab yourself a copy of the Film Music Unit of Work from my Teachers Pay Teachers store here. Everything in this blog post comes from this complete, low-prep and ready to teach resource!

Are you looking for some more lesson ideas to transform your music lessons? Then grab your copy of the 5 Ways to Makeover Your Music Curriculum here.

Definition of Film Music

Before teaching about film and music in your music class, it helps to know what defines “film music”. Below is one definition that should help you and your students have a basic understanding before starting any lessons for film and music in your classroom.

“Film music, also known as movie music or cinematic music, refers to the music composed specifically for films or movie productions. This type of music is created to enhance the emotional impact of a movie scene or to support the narrative and create a specific atmosphere or mood for the audience. Film music can take many forms, including orchestral scores, popular songs, and sound effects, and it can be composed by a single composer or a team of musicians. Film music plays an important role in creating the overall experience of a movie and is often recognized as a crucial component of the art of filmmaking.”

Lesson Idea for the History of Film Music

In this film and music lesson idea, teach your students about the origins of film music and introduce your students to some of the first films that included music scores. Using YouTube clips from classic silent films, you can help your students understand how film music evolved and became an essential aspect of filmmaking.

The lesson in the Film Music Unit of Work also covers how and why music was developed for the original silent films and that the music was played live in the theater by a single musician or even a whole band!

Lesson Idea for What is Film Music

For this film music lesson students are introduced to how composing music for a movie has been developed into an art form of itself. This lesson also introduces the idea of using a musical theme for an entire movie or even for a particular character in the movie.

Lesson Idea for What is a Movie Soundtrack

Today, our music students have grown up with film and music and will often know a movie simply by the soundtrack from the movie. But this wasn’t always the case, the music and soundtracks for films have evolved over time and have become a whole entire industry of their own. It’s important to teach your music students about this key part of music history.

Playing a film’s soundtrack in class can be a great way to help students learn about the role of music in films. In this lesson idea, students can listen to soundtracks from a variety of films, identify the various instruments used in the score, and analyze how the music changes the mood and intensity of different scenes.

Lesson Idea for How Music is Used in Film

The next lesson in this unit of work for music and the movies is to explore how music is used to enhance the mood, frame the story, and create suspense in films. In this lesson your students will be introduced to the 5 main ways that music is used in a scene for a movie –

• To establish, maintain or change the mood
• To accompany the main title of the film – The Overture
• To give a sense of location
• To create and support movement
• As a theme for a character

Once your students know these 5 main ways that music is used in a film, it is a good time to start watching a movie firstly with the sound off and ask students what type of music might be in the background. Then play the scene with the sound on and see who guessed the type of music correctly!

Film and Music Listening Lesson Activities

Throughout this unit of work there are Elements of Music listening worksheets for you to have your students listen to and complete. Each listening lesson uses music from a famous and well-known film, and if you don’t want to use that music, simply change it for something your students will engage with and keep the questions in the worksheets!

There are a lot of film music listening lessons included, you don’t need to complete every single one – just the ones that make sense for you and your students. OR why not try compiling these listening lessons into a Film Music Listening Journal and have your music students complete as an in-class assignment!

If you would like to know more about the Elements of Music, check out this blog post here.

Film and Music Songs to Perform in Class

Another feature of this Film Music Unit of Work is the inclusion of suggested songs to perform in class. You are given 10 songs with links to guitar chords and the actual song to listen to and learn.

Of course, you do not need to use the ones suggested and can use whatever music you have available to you OR choose music that will suit your students and their personal likes.

Suggested Movies to Watch & Study in Music Class

After completing the lessons for film and music, try watching a movie to see how the music is used. Some of my all-time favorite movies for this are – The Sandlot, this has a great theme music for a character, and uses music very cleverly to set mood, change up action and more. It’s certainly an old movie, but that is also the beauty of it – your kids probably have not watched it before!

Another few great ones to try are – Shrek, Lion King and School of Rock. Like the Sandlot, they also use music very cleverly throughout each film. The added benefit of these movies is that the music used in the films is a bit easier to access and perform in class. My own music kids could never get enough of playing I’m a Believer from Shrek!

Film and Music Composition Assignment

After completing the lessons on the film and music unit of work, you could have your students try to compose their own movie music. This assignment has everything you need for your students to compose their own film music. You just choose the pages you want your students to complete and let their creativity go!

You can get your own copy of the Film Music Composition Assignment here

Incorporating film and music into your music classroom lessons can be both fun and educational. By implementing these 7 creative and fun film and music lesson ideas into your middle school music curriculum, you can help your students develop a better understanding and appreciation for music and film. Whether it’s analyzing movie soundtracks or creating their own soundtracks, these music lesson ideas can inspire your music students and bring a new level of excitement to your music classroom.

Until next time

Happy Teaching

Julia from Jooya

Share this:

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Copyright 2021 | Jooya Teaching Resources | All Rights Reserved

Discover more from Jooya Teaching Resources

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Type your email…

Continue reading

3 Music Activities for Middle School to Make Lessons More Creative

Children begin middle school at age 11 as pre-teens, with the curiosity of a child. By the time they finish middle school at age 13 they are full-blown teenagers. In some cases they are already on the educational path that will lead to their future career. For this reason, middle school is the best time to embed a love of music in your students.

As a teacher, you can set them up for life by nurturing their creativity at this crucial age. One of the best ways to do this is with fun music games for middle school.

Remember when you became a teenager? I bet you think back to the bands you loved, with posters on your bedroom wall. Listening to that music now is sure to bring back strong memories. Music is such an important part of growing up. As a music teacher, you can ensure that your students also have music with them as they grow.

In this article we present three music activities for middle school. The goal is to make your music lessons more creative. This is a great way to help young people through the transition from child to teenager.

What You'll Learn?

1. Describe what You Hear

2. compose a rap, 3. create a “stomp” rhythm performance.

This activity teaches students to describe music and to be creative with language. It is a great way to help them listen and concentrate, skills which will be valuable in all parts of their lives. This activity is best for older students, who have some knowledge of reading music.

TASK: Open the Solfeg.io app and prepare three or four songs. We recommend using contrasting songs, such as Marilyn Manson’s Sweet Dreams, Eminem’s Lose Yourself, and Rolling in the Deep by Adele. If your students’ favorite songs are on Solfeg.io then include one of them. Place some whiteboard pens where students can access them.

That’s our app in the picture, you can try it out for FREE!

Play a song on Solfeg.io without showing students the screen. They mustn’t see the name of the song or the notation. The students must use single words to describe what they hear. Rather than calling the words out they must come up and write them on the board. This is a popular game because most students love that they can get up any time they want to write a word on the board.

By the end of the song you should have lots of descriptive words on the board. Then work as a whole class and group the words into categories. Identify words that relate to the rhythm, the melody, the tempo, the instrumentation, and so on. At this point, play the song again, showing the screen to your students. Encourage them to identify visual elements in the music notation that they already noticed by listening.

Once this is complete, clean the board and play the next recording. By the end of the lesson, the students will be able to listen carefully and describe music creatively.

Composition is one of the most creative musical activities. It isn’t restricted to students who already know how to read and write music. With some adjustments, you can use composition in your music classes with most age groups. Many middle school aged children do not know how to read and write music. For this reason, rap is a great genre for a creative composition activity.

Split students into pairs or small groups depending on class size. You can either choose the rap topics or allow students to come up with their own. One suggestion is to write a list of four or five topics on the board that students can choose from.

The students’ rap compositions must follow some kind of rhyming scheme. Give them some examples. Simple schemes include ABBA and AABB. They can use a different scheme but they must be consistent and the rhyming pattern must be obvious.

Give the students time to work in their pairs or groups and compose a rap. Tell them how long they will have to work on this and encourage them to try to finish their rap within the given time. Once the time is up, set up the classroom for performance. Prepare a rap backing track on YouTube. Each group must come to the front of the class and perform their rap with the backing track.

In this composition activity students create a composition without having to read music. They will enjoy listening to each other’s raps.

This is another creative composition activity which is great for middle school. Unlike the rap activity, in this game students cannot use their voices. They must create their own instruments and make a performance using them.

Search for Stomp Live on YouTube. Play students examples of the wonderful percussive performances by this group. The Stomp ensemble uses items such as brooms and dustbin lids, playing them as musical instruments to create performances. Your students will be amazed by their rhythmic and captivating show.

Split the class into groups of around five or six students. They must first find objects that can be used as percussion instruments. If your school has a garden or other outside space, it is a good idea to let students go out and search for objects.

You will need to tell them that, of course, they cannot take any objects that belong to other people. Give them 10 minutes to collect objects. Once back in the classroom they must work in their groups to create a percussive composition, inspired by Stomp. Give them a clear time limit for this. When they have finished preparing their pieces, have them perform to the rest of the class.

These three music games for middle school all encourage creativity from your students. Teaching them to describe music, to compose a rap, and to make music from everyday objects are all great middle school activities. Music games like these help to make music a part of your students’ lives as they grow into teenagers.

music assignments

All Formats

Resource types, all resource types.

• Rating Count
• Price (Ascending)
• Price (Descending)
• Most Recent

Music assignments

Poetry Music Activities - Song Lyrics Assignments and Presentations Bundle

Music Assignment Homework or Distance Learning Grades 5 - 8

• Easel Activity

Figurative Language in Song Lyrics Assignment - Music Poetry Activity

Inference Activity - Making Inferences in Song Lyrics Music Reading Assignments

Poetry Song Lyrics Assignment - Music Poetry Final Project Soundtrack Of My Life

Poetry Song Analysis Assignments - Analyzing Music Song Lyrics as Poetry

Rock Music Design Project | Music Assessment | Middle School Music Assignment

Meaning In Music - Intro Lesson & Poster Assignment for Middle School

• Google Apps™

Music Rhythm Composition Project | Music Assignment

Faith & Music Assignment

Music of Social Justice Movements & Protest Music | Unit Map & Assignments

• Google Drive™ folder
• Internet Activities

Valentine's Day Figurative Language in Love Songs - Music Lyrics Assignments

Current Events in Music Student Assignment | NO PREP PRINTABLE Sub. Plans

Growth Mindset Assignments - Analyzing Growth Mindset in Music Song Lyrics

Music Classroom Assignment : Composer/ Music Partner Project

180 Bell Work Assignments for the Music Classroom

Music Alternative Assignments - Digital Music Resources

Music Appreciation / Analysis Listening Repertoire Assignment

Middle School Music Bell Ringers and Alternative Assignments

Listening Log: Student Digital Music Journal/Interactive Google Slide Assignment

• Google Slides™

Weird Al Experience Music Assignment

Genre of Music -Video Editing Assignment

Middle School General Music Substitute Plans | PBS's Sound Field Assignments

Pop Music : Hook Article- Terms- Differentiated Assignment : Creative & Analysis

• We're hiring
• Help & FAQ
• Privacy policy
• Student privacy
• Terms of service
• Tell us what you think

Middle East latest: US believes Israel 'planning limited strike inside Iran'; Cameron arrives in Israel

US officials believe Israel is considering a "limited and narrow" strike inside Iran in retaliation for the drone and missile attack over the weekend. Meanwhile, Lord Cameron is in Israel, where he will attempt to "limit" Benjamin Netanyahu's next move.

Wednesday 17 April 2024 08:44, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Cameron arrives in Israel for talks as Netanyahu considers next move
• US believes Israel 'planning narrow and limited strike inside Iran'
• Israel denied 'more than 40%' of UN aid delivery requests to northern Gaza last week
• Dominic Waghorn analysis: The coming hours could decide whether the Middle East is plunged into a widening war
• Michael Clarke analysis: All Israel's options for retaliation come with complications
• Live reporting by Brad Young

Iran's president has warned the "tiniest move" against the country would bring a "fierce" response, state media reports.

"The smallest action against Iran's interests will definitely be met with a fierce, widespread and painful response against all its perpetrators," the Iranian president warned, according to Tasnim news agency.

President Ebrahim Raisi spoke at an annual army parade ahead of National Army Day tomorrow.

The parade was relocated to a barracks north of the capital, Tehran, from its usual venue on a highway in the city's southern outskirts, with no explanation given for the move.

State TV did not broadcast it live, as it has in previous years.

Italy has called on Israel to halt its military operations in Gaza.

Antonio Tajani, the foreign minister, said it was time for a ceasefire.

In an interview with La Stampa, Mr Tajani stressed that the war in Gaza was triggered by Hamas's "barbaric" assault. 

He then added: "However, now a ceasefire is necessary. Israel must stop the military operations that have massively affected the Palestinian population."

The interview was conducted ahead of a meeting of foreign ministers of the Group of Seven which will be hosted by Mr Tajani.

The British foreign secretary has arrived in Israel for talks with Benjamin Netanyahu, as the prime minister considers his response to Iran's missile and drone attack.

Lord Cameron will attempt to "limit" Israel's next move - though there is some acceptance among Western governments that Israel will react, says our  Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall , reporting from Jerusalem.

"The question is what and how can that be limited to the extent that it doesn't create an even worse situation," he says.

He explains the foreign secretary will likely point to US diplomatic and economic punishments for Iran as evidence the West is assisting Israel, and try to use this as leverage to ensure Israel does not lead the region down the path of war.

The US has announced it will enact new sanctions against Iran's defence ministry, the Revolutionary Guards and the country's missile and drone programmes, and Bunkall says he would be surprised if the UK did not follow along those lines.

Lord Cameron told Sky News earlier this week that Israel should "think with head as well as heart".

"I think the smart thing to do is actually to recognise that Iran's attack was a failure and we want to keep the focus on that, on Iran's malign influence and actually pivot to looking at what's happening in Gaza," he said in an interview with Kay Burley.

The humanitarian and hostage crises in Gaza will also be an important part of the talks today, despite the world's focus on Iran, Bunkall adds.

Watch Lord Cameron's interview with Sky News below...

The UN secretary-general has held a phone call with Iran's foreign minister, calling for "urgent de-escalation".

Antonio Guterres said there must be a "renewed focus on bringing peace to the Middle East", according to spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

Mr Guterres reiterated his condemnation of the attack on the Iranian consulate in Syria's capital, Damascus, on 1 April, which he said violated the principle of "inviolability" of diplomatic premises under the Vienna conventions.

"We do not want to see another cycle of an eye for an eye, which is not a policy that will lead to peace," said Mr Dujarric.

The UN chief did not speak to any senior Israeli officials, said Mr Dujarric.

The US ambassador to the UN has said she did not see a resolution recommending the Palestinian Authority become a full UN member leading to a two-state solution.

The Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank, is expected to push the Security Council to vote as early as tomorrow on a draft resolution, diplomats said. 

A UN Security Council committee considering the application "was unable to make a unanimous recommendation" on whether it met the criteria.

Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said: "We do not see that doing a resolution in the Security Council will necessarily get us to a place where we can find... a two-state solution moving forward."

She added Joe Biden had categorically said Washington supported a two-state solution and was working to get that in place as soon as possible.

An application to become a full UN member needs to be approved by the Security Council - where the United States can cast a veto - and then at least two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly. 

The UN says it is still facing obstacles to prevent famine in Gaza.

Aid deliveries met significant Israeli checkpoint delays, said Andrea De Domenico, head of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Last week, 41% of UN requests to deliver aid to northern Gaza were denied, he said.

"We're dealing with this dance where we do one step forward, two steps backward, or two steps forward, one step backward, which leaves us basically always at the same point," said Mr De Domenico.

"For every new opportunity that we've been given, we will find yet another challenge to deal with, so it's really, really difficult for us to scale up to where we would like to be." 

There had been a "steady increase" in the number of trucks entering Gaza, he said, but the problem was "not just about food".

"The problem is that famine is much more complex... it's much bigger than simply bringing in flour," said Mr De Domenico.

"Water, sanitation and health are fundamental to curb famine."

US officials have noted progress in the amount of aid that goes into Gaza, but say it is still not at the desired level.

Israel approved reopening the Erez crossing into northern Gaza following global outrage at Israeli airstrikes that killed World Central Kitchen aid workers on 1 April.

Welcome to our live coverage of the Israel-Hamas war and wider tensions in the Middle East. 

The region is braced for a response from Israel after Iran attacked the country with hundreds of drones and missiles at the weekend. 

Israel's war cabinet has met several times since and has vowed to respond, but it's not known if or when it will retaliate. 

Its Western allies have urged it not to hit back, fearing this could escalate tensions and lead to a wider war in the Middle East. 

Among those urging caution is the UK - which sent its foreign secretary to Israel overnight.

Lord Cameron will be holding talks with Benjamin Netanyahu as well as his Israeli counterpart today.

Before we bring you today's news, here's what has happened in the past 24 hours... 

• The US believes Israel's military response to Iran will be limited in scope, sources told CNN;
• Israel's military said it had killed the commander of Hezbollah's coastal sector in Lebanon;
• Vladimir Putin held a phone call with the Iranian president, in which he called for restraint from all parties in the Middle East;
• The UN nuclear watchdog said it was "concerned" Israel could target Iranian nuclear facilities. 

A few days ago we reported that the Palestinian Authority was preparing its bid for full United Nations membership.

Late on Tuesday night a UN Security Council committee considering the bid said it was "unable to make a unanimous recommendation" on whether it met the criteria.

"Differing views were expressed" on the issue, according to a committee report seen by Reuters news agency.

The Palestinian Authority is still expected to push the 15-member council to vote, possibly on Thursday, on a draft resolution recommending its full membership.

The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state - a position granted in 2012 - but full membership would effectively recognise a Palestinian state.

Success for the Palestinians here, however, is unlikely - they need their bid to be approved by the Security Council, and Israel's main ally the US has the power to block it. It also needs support from at least two-thirds of the UN General Assembly.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) says its forces "engaged" two unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in areas controlled by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.

"It was determined the UAVs presented an imminent threat to US coalition and merchant vessels in the region," it said.

There were no injuries or damage reported by US coalition or commercial ships.

"These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US, coalition and merchant vessels."

The command also posted on X about an aid drop earlier in the day, with photos.

Statement by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan:

"Following Iran's unprecedented air attack against Israel, President Biden is coordinating with allies and partners, including the G7, and with bipartisan leaders in Congress, on a comprehensive response.

"In the coming days, the United States will impose new sanctions targeting Iran, including its missile and drone program as well as new sanctions against entities supporting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iran’s Defense Ministry.

"We anticipate that our allies and partners will soon be following with their own sanctions. In addition, we continue to work through the Department of Defense and US Central Command to further strengthen and expand the successful integration of air and missile defense and early warning systems across the Middle East to further erode the effectiveness of Iran's missile and UAV capabilities.

"These new sanctions and other measures will continue a steady drumbeat of pressure to contain and degrade Iran's military capacity and effectiveness and confront the full range of its problematic behaviours.

"Over the last three years, in addition to missile and drone-related sanctions, the United States has sanctioned over 600 individuals and entities connected to terrorism, terrorist financing and other forms of illicit trade, horrific human rights abuses, and support for proxy terrorist groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and Kataib Hezbollah.

"The pressure will continue. We will not hesitate to continue to take action, in coordination with allies and partners around the world, and with Congress, to hold the Iranian government accountable for its malicious and destabilizing actions."

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free