Curated OER
Trash or Treasure?
Students explore their experiences and reflect on how one person can make a difference in our world. In this service learning lesson plan, students analyze themes in music related to encouragement. Students perform a service learning...
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Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen
Students study rock and roll with the music of Bruce Springsteen.
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Breaking the Code: Actions and Songs of Protest
Students listen to and discuss the purpose of protest music. They analyze an editorial cartoon related to Jim Crow and read questions from the literacy tests given to African-Americans. They work together to write a song about the...
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Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen
Students use the music of Bruce Springsteen to learn literature techniques.
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Early Industrialization
Eighth graders analyze primary source documents emphasizing young people in factory labor (mill workers during 1840-1860). They study hours of labor, ages of laborers, reasons for working, and working conditions. They write a poem or song.
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Teaching Economics and Rock and Roll: Unemployment
Students explore the consequences of unemployment. In this macroeconomics lesson, students listen to the songs “Johnny 99” and “Worried Man.” Students discuss the socioeconomic costs of unemployment as they analyze the songs.
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Crossroads Blues
The crossroads, and the decisions made and entities met there, are a common theme in literature, pushing readers to examine the choices and encounters that shape life experience. The theme has also been explored in blues music, most...
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The Element of Color
Eighth graders study and analyze the elements of color by creating an personalized color wheel. Emphasis is placed on constructive criticism of student work by others for assessment. Students create short poems for their color wheel...
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Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition: Corridos
Learners create and perform Corridos which are oral tradition ballads. In this Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition lesson plan, students interview family members using a predetermined list of questions. In addition,...
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And We Were All in One Place: Youth Culture and the Rock Festival
Students explore historical youth culture events. In this youth culture lesson, students discover details regarding the Altamont, Woodstock, and Monterey concerts. Students conduct research that regarding the rock festivals and...
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International Curiosity and National Pride
Students investigate the national, local, and ethnic traits of the Bulgarian culture. They discuss patriotic American songs, analyze a map, play a '20 Questions' game about Bulgaria, read a letter, and identify American culture...
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Songs That Bring Us Together
Students listen to the song, Get Together, and discuss the theme. They list topics that bring people together, write the lyrics to and sing a class song, and write a paragraph about message songs.
National Park Service
The Poet's Toolbox
If you need a lesson for your poetry unit, use two poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ("Rain in Summer" and "The Slave in the Dismal Swamp") and a resource on Elements of Poetry. The lesson plan guides you through activities...
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The Great Depression: A Study Guide Through Song
Students take a closer look at the political and social outlook during the Great Depression. In this Great Depression instructional activity, students analyze selected songs from the time period. Students use the provided lyric...
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Trouble for the United States in the Middle East: The Reagan-Bush Years
Students examine U.S. foreign affairs with the Middle East during the Reagan and Bush presidencies. In this Middle East lesson, students watch video segments, examine maps, and listen to music regarding the relationship between the U.S....
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The First Amendment
Eleventh graders examine the First Amendment. In this US Government lesson, 11th graders analyze the scope and meaning of the first amendment. Students conduct a survey on First Amendment freedoms. Student evaluate the...
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Storytellers: Coldplay
Learners discover the importance of lyrics in the successful combination of music and words in the process of composing a song. They discuss how emotion-based lyrics influence the creative aspects in composing a song.
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The Star Spangled Banner
Young scholars perform Star Spangled Banner, and analyze purpose and meaning of patriotic songs.
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Storytellers: Pearl Jam
Students examine the nature of their own generation by looking at current events and music styles. They update old lyrics with new ones that are more relevant to current times and express a truth about their own generation. Finally,...
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Over There with World War 1 Songs
Fourth graders listen to and interpret songs from World War 1. They discuss the importance of radio as a mass media during the time period. They use the Internet or books to answer questions about song lyrics.
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Vitamin A
Young scholars explore non-locomotor movements and instrument improvisation creating accompaniments to the song "Vitamin A" in this elementary-level General Music lesson. The lesson nutrition messages links and student challenges for...
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Feminism Does Not Have to be an F-Word
Learners analyze social activism messages in music. In this feminism lesson, students explore selected music that expresses sentiments voiced in the women liberation movement in the United States. Learners compare the lyrics of the songs...
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Truth, Trash and Treasure
Students examine how people can make a difference in the world. They read and analyze excerpts from a novel, discuss song lyrics, clean up a local park, and write an essay.