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.

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...

Bring the sounds of the deep South vocal blues to the classroom with a Smithsonian Folkways lesson. In preparation, scholars listen to and count the 12 bar blues patterns in several works and identify the I, II, IV, and V chords as well...

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. 

Young musicians experience song, dance, and play of the Jamaican culture. Scholars listen for and recreate beats, they play tunes, make up original dances, and play a game that challenges pupils to pass stones to a specific beat.

Scholars go on a musical journey to discover the origin, importance, and evolution of the song, "This Little Light of Mine". Class members boost their voice talents and clap to the beat while learning the lyrics in both English and Zulu....

American music is the result of the influence of many cultures, including the traditions brought by the African slaves. Young scholars study the polyrhythms, the call-and-response format, and the vocal improvisations of the Gullah...

Was it all about the bananas—or the fear of a communist threat? Young historians use a history lab to examine documents from the American-led 1954 Guatemalan coup. Using graphics, government documents, and speeches, they examine the...

Seventh graders discuss the importance of presentation in report writing. They prepare and publish written reports on pre-selected topics. Students use various media, including covers and visual aids.

Learners examine different types of media. They identify the bias in film and share them with the class. They also examine their personal biases and write about them.

Students explore the role of media in society. They explore the influence of cultural icons and the responsibility of the consumer. Students evaluate positive and negative influences. They consider conscientious choices and evaluate...

Students analyze the cartoons of Jules Feiffer and the art genre to then create their own comic book-style spread. In this cartoon art lesson, students read about the work of Feiffer and identify the techniques of the art. Students...

Students establish awareness of how landforms/landmarks produce a visual image of a region and demonstrate how advertisers use the "positive geographical image" to sell their product by creating their own advertisements.

High schoolers observe and discuss the relationships between music, media, and popular culture.

Young scholars access a variety of resources on the Internet regarding advertising and identifying intended messages conveyed through the media. They play interactive games, view video clips, read guidelines, and explore a...

Students examine the technical language used by musicians and music lovers. They study the contemporary relevance of 19th Century Italian opera and understand how it is translated into electronic media.

Students discuss their role in their local government. Individually, they use various types of media to examine and take a position on a topic important to them. To introduce their position, they write a letter to the Board of...

Students examine relationships between music and color, emotion and imagery, listen to different passages of music, and visually depict what they hear.

Students explore the importance of images in telling a story in film, analyze movie clips and identify some visual cues that help them explain the story; students work collaboratively to storyboard a passage from a book and present them...

High schoolers look at the varied ways the human body is portrayed in contemporary media. They discuss what a character is and how it plays a role in telling stories. Students look at examples of objects like dolls, puppets and toys...

Fourth graders discuss the space shuttle and its parts. They vote on a class symbol to be placed on their models of the space shuttle. Students build a model of the space shuttle. They discuss the different media that they will use and...

Students study the meaning, symbolism, and value of U.S. coins, especially the quarter. They research Texas symbols online and create a design for the obverse and reverse sides a Texas quarter in a choice of media.

Twelfth graders write a thesis regarding a modern artist of their choice for a 15-20 multi-media presentation. In this activity students create a Power Point, video, or some other visual representation studying an artist or modern...

Students explore photographic media. In this visual arts lesson, students sort postcard photographs into categories they devise. Students then learn to use cameras and darkrooms to that they may shoot their own photographs that belong in...