Curated OER
Musical Role Models
Students identify instruments and their sounds and use them to model their own orchestra. After choosing an instrument to investigate further, they research to become familiar with the sound of the instrument, how the sound is created,...
Curated OER
Music in West Africa
High schoolers explore power and the symbols of power in West African music. They discuss the music of West Africa and compare it to African American music of today. In addition, they investigate musical instruments of Africa, identify...
Curated OER
Music Time
Students explore several different music-related jobs by role playing activities that portray each job. In this music careers lesson plan, students plan a performance where all of them have a specific music related job.
Curated OER
The Life and Music of Celia Cruz
Students create a set and design a costume for a musical performance. In this Life of Celia Cruz lesson, students study biographical facts about Celia Cruz on the exhibition web site. Then students share their creations with the class.
Curated OER
Introducing Elections Unit
Students discover the political parties of our country by participating in a role playing activity. In this U.S. Government lesson, students visit several different classrooms that each represent one of the political parties in the...
Curated OER
Rock Music
Students create percussion instruments using limestone and other rocks. They use instruments to perform a song.
Curated OER
Civil Rights Video Essay
Students investigate a decade of American history when the civil rights movement was a focus of national attention. They create a video essay about a person or event that played an important role in shaping the civil rights movement.
Curated OER
Soundtrack to War
Students discuss the important role of music in lives of soldiers stationed in Iraq. They identify and demonstrate skills in creating compositions with limited resources, similar in concept to the soldiers viewed in the documentary.
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Performing Arts
The classical arts have made a lasting impact on our society and your advanced learners get to find out why. The activity starts as the children create a list of the arts found in society, they discuss how these art forms impact their...
Curated OER
Theatrical Economics
Read then role-play the characters from story of If You Give A Pig a Pancake. Young actors use improvisation and characterization to create the characters from the story. They will also write and role play original version of the story...
Curated OER
"Jazz is About Collaboration": Jim Crow Laws And Segregation
Students explore development of jazz music in the 1930s by forming imaginary jazz bands which tour several cities in Depression-era America. Jazz band members create imaginary identities for themselves, develop publicity for their tour,...
Curated OER
The Great Migration
Students explore how migration to Harlem created a new life for African Americans. In this cross curricular lesson, students illustrate maps showing the migration, paint murals representing African American life in the South and create a...
Curated OER
"Living in the Limelight The Universal Dream"
Students, using Leo's Lyrics, investigate common themes in popular music. They create a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that analyzes their findings along with a 200 word paragraph stating their observations, conclusions and hypotheses about...
San Francisco Symphony
Washington Portrait
Fifth and second graders pair up to create mini dance scenes based on the image Washington Crossing the Delaware. Second graders create the movements while their fifth grade partners play the musical accompaniment. Leadership skills,...
San Francisco Symphony
Going West
Now this sounds like a fun lesson! Youngsters learn about pioneer life and the Westward Movement. First, they listen to the Copland's "Appalachian Spring," and then they discuss the elements of music found in the piece. They get into...
Curated OER
Guild Hall
Incorporate a research project into your study of Shakespeare and the Renaissance Period. Class members assume the role of an apprentice seeking membership in one of the various guilds that existed during the Renaissance period. After...
Curated OER
Individuality vs. Conformity
Have your middle schoolers participate in numerous activities designed to spark their awareness of literature. They express ideas and concerns clearly and respectfully in conversations and group discussions. Next, they view a music...
Curated OER
Creating Interesting Characters
What makes a story interesting? Complex characters! As part of a series of worksheets that prepares middle schoolers to write their own novel, the exercises included explain the role of the protagonist, the antagonist, and the supporting...
Curated OER
Families and Neighborhoods
Students study family structure. In this family structure lesson, students read the book The Family Book and discuss families. Students create a bulletin board of family photos and draw their families on paper. Students dance and play...
Curated OER
Ant-Like Antics
Students discover themselves and others through music. In this music and movement lesson, students express themselves through music and appreciate others doing the same.
Curated OER
Bird Seed Fun
Students explore the concept of role playing and imagination. In this role playing lesson, students use bird seed to imagin they are creating different dishes of food and serving them to each other. Students can mix the bird seed with...
Curated OER
A Penny for Your Thoughts, Movies, or Music?
Students investigate copyright violation laws. In this media copyright lesson, students read two articles that discuss copyright laws, then they develop their own perspective on the laws. Students then divide into small groups and...
Curated OER
"Getting to Know You": Discovering the Role of MPs in Canada and the Netherlands
Students learn the role of Canada's MPs compared to that of the Netherlands using a partnered school program.
Curated OER
Music Box
Young scholars work together to build a music box. They create figures that move when a song plays. They answer discussion questions to complete the lesson.