Curated OER
Allusions to Shakespeare in Popular Culture
Send your high schoolers on a scavenger hunt through popular culture (music, television, video games, movies) to find allusions to Shakespeare. They must each provide three to share with the class, and the one they present cannot have...
Curated OER
Individuality vs. Conformity
Spark an animated debate in your class! Young adults consider some of the fads or trends that are prevalent at their school, as well as their own level of participation in them. Just how much of a role does popular culture play in their...
Curated OER
Lesson: Elizabeth Peyton: The Self in the Other's Image: Portraiture and Identity
Art, identity, and an imaginary community, three components that should make for an interesting lesson. Critical thinkers explore and evaluate the work of contemporary artist, Elizabeth Peyton. They discuss her use of subject and art to...
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Popular Music and Music Videos
This resource is part of a three-activity unit that introduces your class to the concept of popular culture and the role that it plays in their lives. Here, learners examine the importance of the music industry and music videos in pop...
K20 LEARN
Locating Archetypes in Pop Culture, Literature, and Life
Archetypes help readers connect literature to the world around them. A lesson plan uses elements of pop culture to teach about archetypal traits of common characters and discuss issues of perception and other literary devices. At the...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Victor's Virtue: A Cultural History of Sport
Pupils explore the meaning of the ancient Greek word aretê and the place of virtue in historical athletic competition and modern sports. They begin by reading an informational text on the goal of sports in education, and then evaluate...
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Lesson: Elizabeth Peyton: Pictures of Royalty: The Imagined
Elizabeth Peyton is an artist who creates images of people (often famous) that she doesn't personally know. These images become part of her imagined community. Learners analyze her work, her community of imagined friends, and then create...
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The School: School Culture Across Louisiana
Young scholars identify and research school customs and folk groups through discussion and interviews. Then they identify and learn that traditional culture exists within other cultural contexts, such as the academic world of school,...
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1950’s American Culture: Television, Fashion, and Music
Sixth graders investigate the impact of popular culture on Americans. In this 1950's America lesson plan, 6th graders view television clips, listen to audio clips, and look over fashion photographs from the decade. Students then discuss...
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200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons
Students discuss style and characteristics of musical time periods as well as the definition of "pop culture." They compare and contrast modern-day popular icons to music icons throughout history. This lesson requires a video, which is...
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Cultural Contact and Exchange
Ninth graders examine the concept of cultural change. For this global studies lesson, 9th graders examine how cultures interact and impact one another. Students research the evolution of popular cultural exchanges.
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Levittown, Automobiles, and Cultures of the 1950's
Students investigate the impact of the automobile on Americans. In this 1950's America lesson, students listen to audio clips, read about Levittown, and explore the Interstate Highway Act from the decade. Students then discuss their...
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Art Reflecting Life
Have your young television viewers discuss popular shows among their peers. After choosing one show to analyze, middle and high schoolers read about the 2007-2008 network television lineup with the New York Times article "Gauging Viewer...
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Protest Songs
Learners analyze and perform an American social protest song. They describe its historical setting, consider the effectiveness of the music and recognize that popular music is a reflection of American culture.
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Picture the 60s
Students consider how the 1960's impacted Great Britain. In this contemporary history lesson, students visit selected websites to discover information about the decade, popular culture, and women's rights.
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Cinderella Folk Tales: Variations in Character
Young scholars read a variety of Cinderella tales from different cultures. They discuss the differences in character, plot, and conflict resolution in the stories from different countries.
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Lesson 9: After Slavery: Uncle Tom's Cabin in Popular Culture
Eighth graders, in groups, explore the popularity of Uncle Tom's Cabin, even in the post-slavery America.
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200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons
Students discuss the style and characteristics of the Classical era and the genre of opera. They compare and contrast modern day popular icons to musical icons throughout history. They write original librettos to modern entertainment.
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Media Analysis--Culture and Gender Roles
Ninth graders participate in class discussion about culture and how it influences our lives then complete an analysis of advertisements from popular magazines to derive what effects they have on our culture. They use analysis of adds to...
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Impact of Cars on Society
High schoolers investigate the impact of the automobile on modern American society. In this car lesson, students listen to a presentation on the history and popular culture associated with cars and then write essays about their positive...
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Jim Crow Lesson Plan
Jackie Robinson's attempt to earn a spot on the 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers provides learners with an opportunity to examine the Jim Crow laws and revisit issues of segregation and integration. "The Unconquerable Doing the Impossible: Jackie...
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Pooling Common Knowledge
Fifth graders examine Native American cultures. In this diversity instructional activity, 5th graders prepare oral reports based on the research they conduct regarding Native American clothing, holidays, and sports.
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The Effect of Television in the 1960’s
Students consider the impact of television on 1960's America. In this American culture activity, students research selected Internet websites regarding the Nixon/Kennedy debate, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the moon...
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Keep on Pushing: Popular Music and the Civil Rights Movement
Students explore music that exemplified the Civil Rights Movement. In this music and history instructional activity, students research 1960's protest songs, Motown recorded music, and rap of the 1990's to consider the power of music and...