Orlando Shakes
The Importance of Being Earnest: Study Guide
Historically, members of the upper class provide plenty of fodder for comedic writers. Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest is no exception, and a study guide for the classic play discusses some of the Victorian social issues he...
Curated OER
Great Gatsby's Jazz
As Nick wanders the grounds of Gatsby's mansion, he observes the behaviors of the rowdy guests and listens to the music pouring over the lawn. Bring the music of the jazz age into the classroom with Louis Armstrong's "West End Blues,"...
Amani Project
Harmony Break! Finding Emotions With Music
Gather the entire family (or class members) for a fun Harmony Break! A volunteer thinks of a color from their Mood Meter that they will express by singing, playing an instrument, or performing a dance. After the performance, the audience...
Curated OER
Speak Out!
High schoolers are introduced to Yvonne Ranier's "Trio A" dance and investigate how to express concern over social issues through choreography. They research important issues from the 1960's, choreograph and perform original dances.
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A Closer Look
Students observe an ordinary scene and look for elements of design, dynamics, spatial elements, and music. they then create their own everyday dance.
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Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Duke Ellington
Students read Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis Pinkney. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the life of the 20th century composer. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and...
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Native American
For this music worksheet, learners identify and describe the Native Americans. They respond to several questions about the music of the Native Americans and their dancing. Students also identify and name various musical signs and symbols...
San Francisco Symphony
Beethoven's Sixth Symphony and the Expression of Feeling through the Arts
Here is an activity used originally to finish off a unit on country life and nature. It requires learners to have a basic understanding of harvest, rural life, and autumn. They'll use what they know to construct dance movements showing...
Curated OER
Observational Drawing
Students create drawings using oil pastels that convey cultural, social and historical meaning. Drawings are evaluated on use of color planning, contour drawing, color blending, line and pattern.
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Spirit Mask Ashira/Bapunu, Ogowe River, Gabon
Explore the concept of beauty as it has been seen through the eyes of various African tribal groups. Learners create masks of beauty as they see it, taking the African concept of inner beauty into consideration. This lesson is great for...
Curated OER
The First Fire : A Cherokee Animal Tale
Fourth graders discover movement through the telling of "The First Fire", a Cherokee tale. Small groups are given sections of the story to tell by creating dances. Music (live and recorded) adds to the final performance and assessment.
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Walk Like an Egyptian
The singing group The Bangles produced a music video for their song, "Walk Like an Egyptian" in 1985. Students watch the video, then work in groups in order to come up with the choreography for their own "Egyptian Dance." A fun lesson is...
Smithsonian Institution
Braiding Rhythms: The Role of Bell Patterns in West African and Afro-Caribbean Music
Africans transported to the Caribbean as part of the transatlantic slave trade brought with them a rich tradition of music and dance. Four lessons teach young musicians the rumba clave rhythm, cascara rhythm, and the 6/8 bell patterns...
Quaver
World Percussion — Latin America Project Book
What's the most popular music style in Brazil? What about Cuba? Or the Dominican Republic? An immersive project teaches young learners about the salsa, the samba, and the merengue with research assignments and dance performances.
Curated OER
Do Be Square
Second graders perform a square dance using proper movements keeping the beat and the rhythm of the song. They explore basic square dance steps as well as a complete dance. Give a bit of background on square dancing.
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Folk Dance Explorations in the Choreographic Work of Modern Dance
Tenth graders participate in a instructional activity guided by an essential question: in what ways does choreographer, Mark Morris' work, "The Office," reflect Eastern-European traditional folk dance? During the instructional...
Curated OER
Integtrating Chinese Dance
Young scholars investigate the concept of Chinese dance and how it developed. They practice some of the dances and conduct research the contributions of major choreographers. Students describe the history and cultural significance of...
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Ballroom Dance
Learners are introduced to ballroom dancing and are encouraged to continue with ballroom dancing as a lifetime activity. They are introduced to ballroom dancing to heighten their locomotor and motor skills, etiquette and social...
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Barn Dance
Students will read historical realistic fiction, examine and recount the cultural similarities and diffferences between life and times of those characters in the story and their own life. Listen to music and learn a dance to accompany...
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Native American Song and Dance
Learners examine the importance of the drum and drumming in the cultural context of the Native American. Musical insturments and native dance is employed to support the focus of the instructional activity.
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Rhythmic Dancing
Fourth graders practice expressing themselves through the art of dance. In this physical education lesson, 4th graders discuss choreography and how moving specific ways at certain times can be artistic. Students create and perform a...
Curated OER
Mapas Bailados: Creating Visual Representations of Dances Using Maps
Third graders listen to "Frank the Monster..." and discuss the dance map on the inside cover of the book. They create their own dance map using sentence strips to record the types of movement.
Curated OER
Spark Activity: Louisiana Line Dance
Learners learn and practice 1 step at a time of the Louisiana Line Dance, then put all steps together and practice the dance to music.
Curated OER
Cultural and Historical Meaning: Little Johnny Brown
Students perform a folk dance and discuss its cultural and historical meanings. They review the dance and perform it, beginning with four individuals who dance with confidence right from the start.