More than 100,000 students have learned to write song lyrics while developing key skills in language arts. Not only does Words & Music teach core curriculum, but it also connects young people to Nashville’s music community, pairing classes with songwriters who transform student lyrics into finished songs that are performed in an interactive workshop.

• Lesson Length

  10-Lesson Unit

• Grade Levels

  3-12

• Group Size

  10-120 Students

• Curricular Connections

  English Language Arts, Music, Social Studies

• Select Standards

  CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.R.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.R.W National Association for Music Education Standards 6-9

Learn songwriting fundamentals, including the basics of song form, rhyme scheme, and meter, and secrets behind the creative process. Working as a class with guidance from a professional songwriter, students will analyze a song then write original lyrics and advise on musical components. The program ends with a group performance of the new composition.

• Lesson Length

  120 Minutes

• Grade Levels

  1-12

• Group Size

  15-80 Students

• Curricular Connections

  English, Language Arts, Music, Social Studies

• Select Standards

  CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.4, National Association for Music Education Standards 6-9

Check out a free Traveling Trunk to bring the sounds of country music into your classroom. For two weeks, your students can feel, hold, play, and hear the timeless tools of musicians. Each kit features real instruments and accessories meant to connect your students with music in an engaging, hands-on way.

• Grade Levels

  K-12

• Curricular Connections

  Music, Social Studies, STEAM

• Select Standards

  TN Social Studies: 1.01, 3.31 STEAM: 2.PS4.1, 3.ETS2.1, 4.ETS2.3 TN Music: P1, Cr1, R1

Explore the gamut of music listening technologies—from the record player to the MP3 player—in this collaborative, interactive program. Students are challenged to think critically as they make observations, compare and contrast, and eventually discover how and why these technologies have changed over time. Paired with time in the museum galleries, this program connects music to the devices on which it was played, providing a powerful look at the intersection of history, art, and technology. All educators must register below to access teaching resources.

• Grade Levels

  3-8

• Group Size

  15-100 students

• Curricular Connections

  STEAM, Social Studies, Music

• Select Standards

  TN Music Foundations: Cn2, R1, R1, R1 TN Social Studies: SSP.01, SSP.04, SSP.05, 5.14, 5.22, US.31, US.75 TN Science: 3.ETS2, 4.ETS2.3, 8.PS4.3 Social and Emotional Learning Indicators: 3A, 3C, 4A

Experience the science of sound in a legendary recording studio on Nashville’s Music Row! Conducted at Historic RCA Studio B, this program shares the history of the studio and the songs recorded there by artists like Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley, and Charley Pride. Students explore engineering in a real-world setting, learning how soundwave properties and manipulations impact music and the recording process. All educators must register below to access teaching resources.

• Lesson Length

  60 minutes

• Grade Levels

  5-12

• Group Size

  15-50 students

• Curricular Connections

  Music, Science, Social Studies

• Select Standards

  TN Music GM.P1, GM.Ch2 TN Social Studies 5.64, US.86 TN Science: GLE 0507.T/E.1-E.3, GLE.0607.T/E.1, GLE.0707.T/E.1, CLE 3231.T/E.1, CLE 3231.3.1

Artifact Bytes support social studies instruction for students in grades K-8. Designed with focus on Tennessee, these two-minute videos introduce country music performers and/or objects important to the country music story. Each Byte begins with an essential question, and most of the music, film clips, and photos are from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s archives.

A unique way to introduce students to their city, String City brings history, visual arts, and music together on a single stage. Over thirty country music artists appear in puppet form, and every one of them had a hand in helping Nashville become Music City.

• Lesson Length

  70 Minutes

• Grade Levels

  K-6

• Group Size

  10-200 Students

• Curricular Connections

  Social Studies, English Language Arts, Music, Visual Art

• Select Standards

  TN Visual Art MA.P1.A, MA.P2.A, MA.R1.A, MA.R1.B, MA.R2.A, MA.R3.A, MA.Ch2.A, MA.Ch2.B TN Music GM.R3, GM.Ch2 TN Social Studies 1.37, 1.42, 5.47, 5.64, K.3, 1.38, 2.40, 3.9 Common Core Curriculum: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.2

During an interactive tour of the exhibits, students learn about the history of country music. Integrating the museum's architectural details, music, films, visual art, and historic artifacts, the exhibits provide students with a multi-layered learning experience. During the tour, students have opportunities to listen to recordings and learn how different people, styles, and influences have affected the music. Familiarize students with the artists they will meet at the museum with this engaging pre- and post-lesson activity. Created for students in grades 3-6.

• Lesson Length

  90 minutes

• Grade Levels

  K-12

• Group Size

  10-25 Students

• Curricular Connections

  English Language Arts, Music, Social Studies, Visual Art

• Select Standards

  Common Core ELA: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.R.7, CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.SL.1 TN Music GM.P1, GM.Ch2 TN Social Studies 2.28, 2.40, 5.37, 5.47, 5.64, US.31, US.44, US.86, US.104

In this program, students focus on stage costumes, accessories, and instrument design from the museum's collection. By looking at design details, students learn about different eras in American and country music history, as well as personal expression and symbolism. Paired with an interactive museum tour, students have a chance to create their own designs.

• Lesson Length

  2 Hours

• Grade Levels

  K-3

• Curricular Connections

  English Language Arts, Music, Social Studies, Visual Art

• Select Standards

  TN Visual Art MA.Cr3.A, MA.Cr3.B, MA.P1.A, MA.P2.A, MA.R1.A, MA.R1.B, MA.R2.A, MA.R3.A, MA.Ch2.A, MA.Ch2.B TN Music GM.Ch2 TN Social Studies K.3, 1.38, 2.40, 3.9

Explore Hatch Show Print and learn all about the iconic poster shop. Guides share the letterpress printing process from initial sketches to the final pass through the press. Students hear the history of the second-oldest surviving printing press in the country and discover how it thrives in the digital age. Surrounded by over fifty years-worth of colorful posters, students watch print makers engineer works of art live. The program culminates in an original, limited edition poster hand-inked and printed by students.

• Lesson Length

  2 Hours

• Grade Levels

  3-12

• Group Size

  10-50 students

• Curricular Connections

  STEAM, TN Social Studies, Visual Art

• Select Standards

  TN Science 3.ETS2, TN Social Studies US.44, TN Visual Art VA.P3.A, VA.R1.A, VA.CN2.A, SEL Indicators 1D, 3A, 3C, 4A, 5B