Students listen to a song which functions as an entertaining primary source. It illustrates the part angry, part irreverent anti-war sentiments of the counter-culture in the late 1960s. After hearing the song, students discuss how it...

Young scholars compare and contrast the Boston Massacre to the Kent State shootings. In this compare and contrast lesson plan, students review what happened in each case and compare them using a Venn Diagram.

Students discuss the cultural similarities and differences found in Northen Europe, Southern Europe, Western Europe, and Eastern Europe and create daily journal entries charting their discoveries. This lesson is the First Part in a Four...

Students write a song about transportation in 100 years after comparing and discussing "Proud Mary" and "The Midnight Special".

Students sing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" with others in small groups and as an entire class. Using correct posture, correct rhythms, and accurate pitches, students play improvised melodies as accompaniment to the song. This lesson plan...

Second graders create a simple dance that illustrates the changes in rhythm in a song. They identify the form of the song. Ask volunteers to show movement or steps that could be used for each section

Students discover bodies of water in the United States by investigating the Eerie Canal.  In this U.S. Geography lesson, students discuss Lake Eerie and the canal that was built in order to transport goods.  Students research...

Students research one of the many urban race riots in U.S. history, from the New York City riots during the Civil War to the "Red Summer of 1919" or the hate-strikes of 1943. They present their findings in the form of a newspaper's front...

High schoolers investigate the history behind The New Deal through using primary source documents. This allows students to discover history with limited background knowledge. They answer questions and receive further clarification with...

After listening and analyzing song lyrics and, subsequently, doing the same analysis with poems, students will discover how similar song writing and poetry writing can be. Students will get their own chance to write a small version of...

By listening to and analyzing the lyrics of selected examples of popular music from the 1960s era, students will develop a greater understanding of the historical and political forces as well as the emotional climate of the decade. This...

This language arts lesson grabs students' attention by incorporating a popular musician. The lyrics to "Over You" include vivid language that makes identifying figures of speech intriguing. The students will identify similes, metaphors,...

Students are often hesitant to speak out with their own explications of literature, but usually have no qualms when asked to offer interpretations of popular musical lyrics. In fact, they seem quite eager to defend a lyrical explanation...

What was life like for a western pioneer? Students take a journey through westward expansion using music to understand the experience of the pioneers. As they listen to lyrics and analyze the different types of music that was being sung...

Throughout American history, popular music has reflected the mood and opinions of the times. By exploring sheet music, students analyze issues related to industrialization and reform to answer the essential question, "How does society...

In this lesson, students will identify and discuss themes expressed in song lyrics, analyze the social use and historical meaning of a song, and write a verse of a song drawing on contemporary events.

Knowing oneself and attaining a mature identity is the developmental task of adolescence. Successful resolution of the identity crisis involves making healthy choices and personal commitments to an occupation, religious belief, and a...

This PDF lesson plan uses the Lyrics to "I Was a Kaleidoscope" by Ben Gibbard and the song "I Was a Kaleidoscope" by Death Cab for Cutie to analyze the poem and determine its meaning.

Using the lyrics, music and video of a selected song (example used here is 'One' by the Irish group U2), students will explore the ways in which words, music and visual images interact to create meaning. Students will analyze the...

From being viewed as a fad, hip-hop's commercial success has allowed it to permeate virtually all aspects of popular culture. By critically analyzing hip-hop music and comparing it with established music forms, the cultural relevance,...