War And Music Activities
Categories: Music Teaching Activities (Primary), Music Teaching Activities (Secondary)
My unit of work “War and Music” contains a variety of strategies for integrating history with music, and I share some of it now in 2018 as we approach the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1, but the activities stand on their own and relate to different conflicts and musical reactions to those conflicts.
I have used the activities en masse as an entire unit, but also have used individual activities from it as both one-off lessons or workshops The individual activities have also been used successfully by supply teachers who are not necessarily musically confident.
Included here are Song Stories, Listening Mix and Match and Picture Music Cards.
Song Stories
These are individual activities which can be teacher-led or students can work on them individually or in small groups. I’ve used them with classes from Year 6 upwards.
Resources you need for these activities are listed on the worksheets and some are included in the text, but of course I cannot include anything that would breach copyright holders’ rights.
1. And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda, Eric Bogle
Activities include listening comparison; learning a song through listening; performing a song with expression.
And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda Activity
2. Holiday by Green Day
Activities include listening; using music notation; learning about music and musicians in context.
Holiday Activity
Holiday Activity 2
3. Scots Wha Hae – Scottish Folk Song
Activities include playing on instruments; singing; improvising.
Scots Wha Hae Activities
4. We’re Gonna Hang Out The Washing On The Siegfried Line by Jimmy Kennedy and Michael Carr
Activities include listening, score-reading, singing.
We’re Gonna Hang Out The Washing On The Siegfried Line Activities
5. Mack The Knife or Die Moritat von Mackie Messer by Kurt Weill
Activities include listening, research, listening comparison.
Mack the Knife Activities
6. 19 by Paul Hardcastle
Activities include listening, composing.
19 Activities
7. You Will Remember by Cheryl Camm
Activities include performing, composing/improvising, singing in harmony.
You Will Remember Vocal Score
You Will Remember Activities
Listening Mix And Match
In this activity, you need to print off the Listening Mix And Match War Music sheets and cut them up. play the six pieces of music and decide which clues go with which piece of music. You should end up with one of each colour for each piece of music. Here are some suggested recordings of the pieces on Youtube.
The answers are here: Listening Mix And Match War Music Answers
Picture Music Cards
When I used this activity I purchased copies of these posters and had them displayed in the classroom, but I have provided links to them if you do not want to do this. I also printed the suggestions onto cards, which is why they are called as they are! The idea is that the posters are used to inspire composing either individually or in small groups. As time goes on, some of these links disappear. I have updated them in October 2025, and will do so again periodically. My apologies if you catch me between disappearances and updates! The activities and some links are here: War And Music Picture Music Cards
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