Lesson Plan
Creative Visions Foundation

Studying Documentaries Like a Writer - Looking For Persuasive Techniques

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Revisit the documentaries viewed in the previous instructional activity in this series in order to take a look at the persuasive techniques employed by the documentary creators. Small groups watch the films a second time, taking notes on...
Activity
PBS

Broadway and The American Dream

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Considering a unit study of American Musical Theatre? What better way to start than at the very beginning. Eight pairs of cards provide class members with background information about the genre from 1893 through 2004. The cards are...
Lesson Plan5:53
TED-Ed

A-rhythm-etic. The Math Behind the Beats

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Your learners will dance in their seats as this talented drummer connects math to music in a short video clip. Clayton Cameron shows how math puts the "cool" in various genres of music, including jazz, hip-hop, pop,...
Lesson Plan
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Smart Museum of Art

The Making of a Superhero

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Thor, Loki, Iron Man, and Captain America. As part of their study of Greek and Roman gods and heroes, middle schoolers compare the characters in The Avengers to Greek counterparts. Individuals then create their own superhero,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Portraits, Pears, and Perfect Landscapes: Investigating Genre in the Visual Arts

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers define genre in the visual arts, particularly in Western painting and explain the differences between subject and genre. The genre of a variety of works of art is identified.
Lesson Plan
Media Smarts

Movie Heroes and the Heroic Journey

For Teachers 11th - 12th
An exciting twist on the study of the classical hero and the heroic quest! Using film to explore modern-day tales of heroes, the resource contains complete, ready-to-use lesson plans for as many as twelve days of instruction. Throughout...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating a Science Fiction Story

For Teachers 7th - 12th
As the culminating activity in a unit study of science fiction, young writers demonstrate their understanding of the genre by producing their own graphic novel. After deciding on the main elements of their story, individuals use a comic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Past and Present New York Through A Comparative Study of Photography and Poetry

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study New York in three time periods, 1890-1930, 1930's, and 1950's-60's. They discuss themes that are important in each time block. They describe a brief historical picture of each time period before they approach works of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Country's Music

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Jazz, Blue Grass, Hip Hop, Swing. Gospel, R&B, Ragtime, Disco. So many music genres born in the USA. After reading an article about the fate of New Orlean's Jazz after Hurricane Katrina, class members investigate the life cycles of...
Lesson Plan
Country Music Hall of Fame

Ray Charles and Country Music

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Ray Charles used the pain and adversity from his life to influence an entire genre of American music. Learn about the musician's daily life, struggles and success, and powerful musical style with a thorough resource.
Worksheet
Smithsonian Institution

American Sabor: Word Search #1

For Students 2nd - 8th
Find la guitarra and el charango with a short and straightforward word search focused on Latin American music. Learners check through a list of popular instruments and dances before delving into the puzzle.
Lesson Plan
Little Kids Rock

The Latin Rhythms of “Despacito”

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
When you hear the first few beats of "Despacito," the unrivaled Latin pop hit of 2017, you can't keep your feet from moving! A music analysis lesson plan examines the intoxicating hit by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee and introduces the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor

For Teachers 7th - 12th
How do a person's musical preferences influence the way they compose music of their own? Learners analyze the sound and lyrics of Alicia Keys in relation to musicians that came before. Jazz, blues, and soul music from the past are shown...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Ludwig van Beethoven

For Teachers 2nd - 4th Standards
"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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The South, the North and the Great Migration: Blues and Literature

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Here is a complex lesson plan that interweaves the history of the Jim Crow South and the Great Migration with the study of poetry, art, and blues music from the Harlem Renaissance. The plan helps young historians develop a deep...
Activity
Scripps Ranch High School

The Crucible Journal Project

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
While reading Arthur Miller's The Crucible, start or end each day with a journal activity. The project includes a list of prompts for each act of the play. Pupils choose a prompt every time they write and connect their own experiences to...
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Latino Expression

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How much of your daily life is influenced by Latin American music? Take a listen—the answer may surprise you! High schoolers keep a journal to note any instances they see Latino culture represented, including the media, their school, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparison/Contrast Composer Study

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils choose two composers to research and complete a compare and contrast study of them. In this composer research lesson plan, students select two composers to research. Pupils use Internet sources, the library, and music class...
Study Guide
Film Education

The Jungle Book

For Students 2nd - 6th Standards
Accompany a viewing of Disney's live-action feature film, The Jungle Book, with a packet equipped with several activities focused on story elements. Scholars discuss and complete diagrams and charts about the movie's characters, setting,...
Handout
Midwest Clinic

Latin Rhythms: Mystery Unraveled

For Students 6th - 12th
There is an indescrible energy to Latin American music—but if you know your music theory, it's not so indescrible after all. A thorough packet provides definitions for terms like bolero, charanga, shekere, and tumbao before listing...
Activity
Teaching Tolerance

Film Festival

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Everybody's a critic—even your pupils! Using the included resources as a guide, screen films related to social justice and ask film enthusiasts to critique them. Publish the reviews for your school community or develop a film festival...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Hare and the Water: A Tanzanian Folk Tale

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
"The Hare and the Water," a Tanzanian folk tale, lends a global perspective to literary analysis. Learners spend the first two days reading and storyboarding. On day three, they examine folk tale elements (worksheet included), and design...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

The Art of Studying Art

For Teachers 6th
Students explain the value of different genres of art. In this art lesson, students describe the differences in various genres of art and make comparisons between them. Students choose an art genre and create an original work of art...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Light in the Storm

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Examine the genre of historical fiction while reading A Light in the Storm. They extract events in chronological order to make a timeline. Then, they use information in the book important to the characters to create a presentation of an...