Curated OER
The Statue of Liberty: The Meaning and Use of a National Symbol
Engage your class in a series of activities, each related to the use or analysis of symbols used to convey patriotic or national concepts. They identify different national symbols and explain their meanings, discussing the importance of...
Curated OER
Simple Texts for Primary Pupils
Can literacy get any more fun than this? Learners not only have fun, but gain confidence as well when presented with familiar text in another language. Select books, songs, poems, even recipes written in another language, and using the...
Smithsonian Institution
African American Music: Let’s Sing and Play Clapping Games
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.
Smithsonian Institution
Spirits Across the Ocean: Yoruban and Dahomean Cultures in the Caribbean Brought by the Slave Trade
Much of Latin American music owes its origins to the slave trade. Peoples from the Yoruban and Dahomean cultures brought with them the distinctive rhythms, time signatures, and eighth note patterns that now characterize Caribbean music....
Curated OER
A Personal Narrative on the Immigration Experience
The students create a personal narrative on their experiences with immigration. In this lesson plan, students are asked to read and understand examples of narrative writing as well as evaluate lyrics from Ben Folds Five to determine...
Friends of Fort McHenry
Sensory “Star Spangled Banner”
Music can help us to access memories and events in a meaningful way, and Francis Scott Key used specific words to convey what he had seen and felt when writing what would become America's national anthem. Help your class connect to the...
Education Closet
West Side Shifts
Combine math, language arts, music, and dance with an activity focused on "America" from West Side Story. After listening to the song, learners compare the film to Romeo and Juliet, analyze the song's meter, design choreography, plan...
Smithsonian Institution
The Sounds of an Island: Jamaican Music for the Classroom
Introduce young explorers to the music and history of Jamaican culture through game songs and dances. As a bonus, class members get to play simple songs transcribed for the recorder.
Curated OER
Let the Music Play: Bicentennial quarter reverse
To better understand who George Washington was and why we celebrated the bicentennial, pupils read a story and complete a worksheet. They sing and talk about the song, "Yankee Doodle Dandy" as they march around the room.
San Francisco Symphony
Ballads for Americans
"Ballad for Americans" was a song written for performers participating in the Federal Arts Project, during The Depression. Learners will analyze the lyrics of the song and then create informational posters about other Federal Works...
Curated OER
Lesson: Mary Heilmann: To Be Someone
Kids consider the pure abstraction and minimalism found in Mary Heilmann's work. They analyze several of her pieces through critical discussion and then think about her use of a song title as the title of her exhibit. Learners then use a...
Curated OER
Sing for Your State: Tennessee quarter reverse
What's the connection between singing and a state quarter? Creative thinking and observation, perhaps. Pupils will observe and take note of all the characteristics found on the Tennessee state quarter. They will then use their...
VH1
Lessons for Hight School Music Classes: Lesson 2
Art and music have been vehicles for statements of civil unrest for hundreds of years. Upper graders critically analyze several pop songs or music movements from the 1980s that exemplify politically charged motives. They analyze lyrics...
KOG Ranger Program
Why a Bear Mattered: Smokey’s Story
Smokey the Bear has been telling people how to prevent forest fires since 1944, and continues to be the symbol of fire safety in America's wilderness. Young rangers visualize a dry forest and
Core Knowledge Foundation
Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims
Teach kindergartners about the First Thanksgiving with a series of lessons about the Pilgrims' journey to the New World. As they practice handwriting, CVC words, reading comprehension, and fun Thanksgiving songs, they learn about what...
Library of Virginia
An Overview of American Slavery
The final lesson in a unit study of American slavery asks young historians to synthesize what they have learned about how slavery in America changed over time. Revisiting the many documents they have examined, they consider the economic,...
Curated OER
Land That We Love
Students perform "Land that We Love" using correct posture, correct rhythms, and accurate pitches. Emphasis is also placed on analyzing the purpose and meaning of patriotic songs. Students correctly identify and perform repeats and...
Curated OER
European Explorers
Students research one of seventeen explorers before filling in a worksheet. Next, they write a song verse using the information and sing it to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." On the next day, they play a game of "Who Am I?" using...
Curated OER
Music: A Nation's Voice
Students investigate the impact of popular music in 1960's America. For this music and history lesson, students listen to several identified songs from the decade and analyze their lyrics. Students discuss their impressions and then...
Curated OER
Sing the Blues
Students explore examples of this musical form, then write their own lyrics for a blues song.
Curated OER
The Dust Bowl
Eleventh graders develop an understanding of the Dust Bowl. In this 1930's America lesson, 11th graders respond to questions regarding the songs and literature about the era. The primary sources should be gathered by the instructor.
Curated OER
Corn in Legend and Myth
Seventh graders compare myths and legends about corn and use creative abilities to act them out. In this corn legends lesson, 7th graders read background information about corn and its importance. Students work in groups to research...
Curated OER
Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Lesson 2
Students identify general business terms such as entrepreneur, corporation, marketing, demographic, promotion and distribution. They identify many Black music industry leaders and their contributions.
Curated OER
"Jazz is About Freedom": Billie Holiday's Anti-lynching Song Strange Fruit
Working in small teams, learners analyze a variety of primary source materials related to lynching (news articles, letters written to or written by prominent Americans, pamphlets, broadsides, etc.) in order to assess the effectiveness of...