Keeping Score in the Classroom

Keeping Score teachers have found a great variety of ways to bring more music into their classrooms. They have found shared concepts that connect music to all subjects in the curriculum as a way of bringing learning alive. Many have found that music is effective in reaching all types of learners, and that their students have shared their enthusiasm with their families. Students have enjoyed the innovative lessons and have produced remarkable work in multiple media: writing, visual arts, multi-media, and live performance.

“Keeping Score has reminded me how important music has been in my life, and has renewed my dedication to inspiring students through music in the classroom. I have already taught a few lessons in my summer school class. My students beg me for more ‘of that clapping stuff’ and are thrilled that they get to be in summer school for four more weeks! Keeping Score has brought joy back into teaching and learning.”

—Emily Akinshin, Oak Grove Elementary, Petaluma, CA

Teacher Profiles

Video interviews with teachers speaking about their experience using Keeping Score in the classroom.

Teacher Scott Nielsen [1] Opera and Pre-Algebra	Teacher Julie Rankin [2] Teaching History through Music
Teacher Julie Rankin [3]	Teacher Denise Stover [4] Reaching Students through Music

Featured Student Work

[5] 3rd grade students in teacher Sherrie Matic’s class created a venn diagram comparing and contrasting the lives of Duke Ellington and Aaron Copland. More details on this instructional unit can be read in the lesson plan Dear Mr. Copland and Mr. Ellington [6].

[7] Seventh Grade students in Susan Linder’s class wrote poems. “This poem was a "frame" that I gave my students. They had had some experience writing "Found Poems" and "Prepositional Poems". Moreover, they had enjoyed their experiences with "The Highwayman" and "Annabell Lee" and other narrative poems. I wanted to give them the opportunity to express their understanding of the power of classical music.”

[8] Students tried to get inside Beethoven’s head in this 3rd grade lesson. While listening to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, they created visual art to convey the emotions and feelings swirling around in Beethoven’s head. To read more about this lesson, see the lesson plan Beethoven’s Thoughts [9].