Smithsonian Institution
African American Music: Let’s Sing and Play Clapping Games
Two lessons focus on making a beat. Using popular African American music of its time, scholars listen and analyze the rhythm then recreate it with hands drums, and cups.
Concordia College Archives
History and Musical Aesthetics
What are the musical elements that characterize a school's fight song or its alma mater? Class members listen to examples of fight songs and alma maters from various schools, play a listening game, and then create a list of the...
Curated OER
Cosmic Mobiles: Recycled Art
If you have a little left over tinsel and aluminum foil, your class can create these fun moon and star mobiles. Poster board or recycled cardboard become your moon and stars; the tinsel gives them sparkle. This would be a great activity...
Curated OER
The Art of Chess
Young scholars discover the history of the most popular board game in the world, chess. In this model building lesson, students create their own chess pieces using a theme they have decided on and clay modeling pieces. Young scholars...
Classics for Kids
Composers Timeline
Take a quick tour through the last 350 years of music composition with an interactive timeline tool. As learners scroll through the years, they see which composers were born and working during the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern...
Curated OER
Great Online Art Sites
Students complete an online study of art websites. In this art and technology lesson, students explore the links and try the activities to learn about art online.
Curated OER
Arkansas History Lesson Plan
Students discover the history of their state by working in a group. In this U.S. history lesson, students investigate the state of Arkansas by reading their textbook and participating in art activities. Students discover the geography...
Curated OER
Family Album
Kids of all ages discover their family histories through pictures. First, flip through the PowerPoint provided (or consider making one of your own). It should show pictures of your family and have clear, easy to understand sentences that...
Curated OER
Baga Drum
Students examine a Baga Drum in order to explore the history of the Baga people of West Africa. In this art history lesson, students recognize figures used in Baga Drum design that represent aspects of Baga culture. They also design and...
Curated OER
Making a Rainstick
Young scholars construct a rainstick. In this music lesson, students investigate the history of the rainstick by reading the book Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Plain by Verna Aardema. Young scholars express their feelings about the...
Curated OER
Adjective, Adjective, Noun
Students create artistic renditions of two random adjectives and one noun in this game-like Art lesson for the elementary and middle school classroom. The cross-curricular lesson includes a vocabulary list and a short resource list.
Curated OER
Confetti Eggs
Students create confetti-filled eggs in this easter, or spring, Art lesson for the elementary school classroom. The lesson includes resource links and a game idea involving the created confetti eggs to celebrate any occasion.
Curated OER
Checkmate: The Play's The Thing
Students investigate the Middle Ages and it's relation to the theater. For this acting lesson, students read Arthurian stories form the Middle Ages and practice using vocabulary words from the Medieval Times. Students write a play set...
Curated OER
Toys and the more distant past
First graders research the history of toys and games. For this toys and games lesson plan, 1st graders read books and look at paintings from the past and discuss the toys and games that were played. Then they paint themselves playing a...
Curated OER
Olympic Mascot Lesson
Students investigate the 1968 Olympics by identifying their mascots. For this Olympic history lesson, students participate in a group activity where they match countries with their representative mascots. Students analyze the meaning...
Curated OER
Have a Halloween Party
Students create favors and decorations for a Halloween party. They discover the history of the holiday. They practice working together and using their social skills.
Curated OER
American Indian Homes in Kansas
First graders explore culture by researching U.S. history. In this American Indian lesson plan, 1st graders discuss the geography of Kansas and the different Native American tribes that inhabited the state and the types of homes they...
Curated OER
William Tell Overture
Students explore the musical concepts of rhythm, melody, expression, and tone color in a three-lesson plan unit about the William Tell Overture. They identify dynamics and tempo and play a vocal tone color singing game.
Curated OER
Introduction to Ludwig van Beethoven
"Ode to la Tortilla" and "Ode to Joy"? Sure! Use Gary Soto's poem to introduce learners to the ode format. After examining the descriptive words Soto uses, class members study a poster of Ludwig van Beethoven, suggest words that describe...
Curated OER
St. Patrick's Day and Leprechauns
Young learners are introduced to the history, and customs surrounding St. Patrick's Day. This colorful and enchanting instructional activity has the students hunt for leprechauns, four-leaf clovers, and that lucky pot 'o gold.
Curated OER
Tug of War Exercise
Learners hone their acting and imagination by playing tug-o-war with an imaginary rope. Each group works together and pretends to pull the other group over the imaginary line with an imaginary rope. This could be a good improve warm up...
Curated OER
Lesson Connections
Second graders relate music to history and culture. Also, they listen to songs and identify some characteristics of the music in their own terms. Also listened to is "Chinese Instruments Montage," and then compare what they heard with...
Curated OER
Celebrate Hanukkah in Israel
Explore Hanukkah and its origins with a social studies lesson. Learners discover the history of Hanukkah and its traditions. They locate Israel on a map, hear the story of the menorah and create their own dreidel. Afterwards, they sing...
Curated OER
PUPPETRY
Students explore world cultures through their puppetry. Your students explore puppets that are used in various cultures and create their own. The Internet experiences in this lesson are designed to be teacher-directed whole class...