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Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music in America - Lesson 4
Students choose a theme for a song. They compose a poem, and write music to go along with their poem. The instructor plays the musical accompaniment, and the class votes on the most appropriate rhythmic pattern.
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Dancing Hands, Abstract Drawings
Students discover African musical rhythms by performing Ancestral Spirit Dances. In this musical lesson, students research Willis "Bing" Davis and the abstract work he created. Students listen to Yoruba drum music and...
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Syncopation and Rhythm in Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Rap Music
Learners recognize and clap the syncopated rhythmic beat of a rap song and identify recurring rhythmic pattern in the excerpt of "Dance of the Adolescents" from Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.
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Granary Door Dogon, Mali
Students explore a creation myth. In this visual arts lesson plan, students discuss the Dogon creation myth and the design and make refrigerator magnets in the style of Dogan granary doors. The design of the magnets should include linear...
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Literature Overview of African Folktales
Students play a game of tug-of-war, participate in a discussion about the story, discuss the phrase "bigger doesn't mean better." , and illustrate a scene from the story.
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Guided Reading: Cold and Hot
Explore the text, Cold and Hot, with comprehension strategies for young readers. First, give them a purpose for reading: find out what the boy wore outside in the snow! Then have them use one-to-one matching and picture clues to...
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The Quilting Connection....a Teaching Unit on Slavery, the Underground Railroad And Quilting
Students research the Internet, read designated books and selection, participate in discussions and write short reports while completing this series of lessons about slavery and the Underground Railroad. As a final project, they design a...
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Creating Adinkra Symbols
Students discover examples of adinkra cloth. They explain the history of the symbols themselves. They create a larger pattern using geometric symbols. They discover how the symbols can be used to communicate with one another.
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Kente Cloths
Second graders create examples of Kente cloths using paper, markers, and paints in this multi-cultural Art activity for the second grade. The two part activity includes an introduction of Kente Cloth designs and can be accomplished in...
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Quilting: The Story of the Underground Railroad
Students explore quilting. They read and discuss the book, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt. They research African American quilting traditions on the Internet and name three common qualities in quilts. They create a quilt block...
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In Africa, in Slavery, in Afro-American Cleveland
Students examine several pieces of nonfiction relating to African religion, slave religion and present-day evangelical denominations. They work in groups of six or seven to prepare a presentation on one of the following: a)...
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Sew, You Want To Quilt?
Students become familiar with the achievements of the artist Faith Ringgold. They take notice of the patterns in their environment. They connect the mathematical concept of patterns to create a class quilt.
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Celebrating Ancestors
Young scholars participate in a "hands-on" activity, to explain that African masks were and are more than aesthetic artifacts, they are functional implements of the many cultures of the African continent.
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Langston Hughes and the Blues
Learners explore the connections between Langson Hughes and blues music. For this African American culture lesson, students compare and contrast blues music with poetry and short stories by Langston Hughes.
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Physical Geography of Africa
Fifth graders investigate the topography of Africa. For this physical geography lesson, 5th graders research the six regions of Africa and complete a physical map. Students locate various landforms in Africa. Students...
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Big or Little
Students complete pre reading, writing, during reading, and interdisciplinary activities for the book Big or Little, . In this reading lesson plan, students complete journal entries, go over vocabulary, answer short answer...
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Powerful Memories, Powerful Words
Students identify and describe the influence slavery had on Mark Twains writing, and then determine the status of race relations and ethnic differences in contemporary life.
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Properties of Soil
Learners encounter various pieces of knowledge utilizing lessons that addresses a diversity of learners with multiple intelligences. They cover various concepts: science, Earth, scientific inquiry, geometry, data analysis, probability,...
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Africa: Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Students will create a poster showing how two different cultures strive for beauty. This lesson combines art and social studies in a meaningful way.
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Rhythm Sticks
Second graders experience artistic perception of rhythm in music and see how to move their bodies and tap their sticks to the rhythm of a particular song.
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Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Plain - Kenya
Students accompany music to the story Bringing the Rain to the Kapiti Plain - Kenya to show how sound and music can accompany story description. In this music instructional activity, students learn how to show sound during a story.
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Families and Neighborhoods
Middle schoolers explore the concept of community. In this community instructional activity, students explore the cultural flavor of their neighborhoods as they discuss the history of their neighborhoods and draw pictures of their family...
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Facial Tattoos or Face Painting
Students use a grid-like method to create a life-size self-portrait from a 3X5 black and white photo. They explore the different customs and rituals surrounding face painting from ancient through modern civilizations. Students create a...
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Singing And Making Rhythm
First graders engage in a lesson that emphasizes the use of music to form a rhythmic beat that incorporates singing. They create a song in freestyle and some of them create a song. Students are assessed at using hand movement to track...