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Mapping the Beat: A Geography through Music Curriculum for upper elementary school, integrates geography and music instruction into a single body of lesson plans.  At the heart of this program are three concepts—environment, identity, and movement—taken from the standards outlined in Geography for Life, the national geography standards.  These themes were selected for their significance to the study of both music and geography. Each unit begins with an introductory conversation of how specific concepts apply to students’ lives, followed by a presentation of several musical examples that provide a clearer understanding of musical forms from around the world.

Students consider how the physical character of a region shapes the music and how, in turn, the music shapes the cultural character of that same region. They investigate the origins of various musical genres and place them in a larger cultural context. Music is viewed as a record of cultural migration, a product of the geographic environment and a cornerstone of personal and group identity. Integral to the success of Mapping the Beat in the classroom are hands-on music making experiences for pupils.

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