Curated OER
Scaling the Blues
Students identify musical characteristics of blues music and define the term 'scale.' They identify chromatic, major, pentatonic, and blues scales and label each key on a keyboard using letter names, sharps and flats.
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Horse of a Different Color: An Introduction to Color in the Visual Arts
High schoolers examine how artists use color to create a sense of depth in a two-dimensional space. They view and analyze prints, complete worksheets, and write a paragraph on how color is used to draw the viewer's eye to a central figure.
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The Tone Map
Students listen carefully to a portion of the Poetry Out Loud CD. They focus on the tones the poet uses in his recitation of a poem. Then they map a poem of their own so that a classmate can read it using the tonal qualities intended...
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1984: How Much Fact in Fiction?
Students compare and contrast the society in Orwell's 1984 with modern society. In this 1984 lesson, students research the historical climate in which Orwell wrote the novel. Students create a comparison chart of privacy issues in the...
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Lift Every Voice and Sing
Students analyze sculpture, poetry, and music to gain an understanding of historical events. In this critical thinking skills lesson, students take a closer look at African-American history as they examine "Lift Every Voice and Sing'"...
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Learning through The Duke
Students examine the important contributions made by Duke Ellington to the field of jazz, as well as some of the factors that led to his involvement in the field. As they explore the language of the 1920's, connections will be drawn...
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Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse
Students read Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding events of the story. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and library connections.
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The Beat of Mexico
Students explore mariachi music and create their own rhythm instruments. They study the music of Mexico. They listen to a variety of music, then vote for the song they liked the best.
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Comparing Shakespearean Film Adaptations
Though this instructional activity deals specifically with Hamlet and its themes, many of the strategies and approaches here may be used with most any of Shakespeare's plays that have been adapted to film. Viewing clips of the same...
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Emotion in Art & Poetry
Fourth graders are introduced to famous works of art and begin to discuss the artist's work. Use art to explain and reflect their own emotions. The write about feelings in a work of art and make connections between art and other...
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My Many Colored Days
Students read My Many Colored Days as a class, explore their feelings about colors, illustrate what they think about colors, explore the author Dr. Seuss, and create an accordion style book.
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Journey and Change: The Migrant and Immigrant Experience
Students look carefully at two photographs by Dorothea Lange that relate to the universal theme of a journey. They identify parallels between Lange's photographs and two poems. They write about the theme of journey as it relates to their...
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The Earth, Sun, Moon, And Stars
Fifth graders explore the solar system. In this solar system unit, 5th graders investigate numerous projects while rotating through learning centers. Students write about space and construct a space shuttle model. Students practice map...
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Ceramic Relief Portrait
Eighth graders use draped slab and slab method to create a relief sculpture, adding coil and slab decoration. They study facial features and form them in clay. They study symbolism in Renaissance relief terra cottas.
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Pumpkin Carving for K-2 Students
Students carve pumpkins, draw pictures and label layers of a seed, and write steps needed to carve pumpkin.
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A Moment in Time
Eighth graders study poems to see how punctuation, line length, rhythm and word choice can be used to create a memorable moment. They read and discuss poems by Shel Silverstein.
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Personify This
Eighth graders study personification in published works of poetry, then create their own through the use of diamante or cinquain poetry. They read and discuss poetry by Shel Silverstein, William Jay Smith, and Elinor Wylie.
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I Just Want to Say
Eighth graders study poetic devices included in conversation poems and explore their eloquent messages. They read and discuss poems by Langston Hughes and Don Marquis.
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I'm A Poet and Now I Know It
Eighth graders gather ideas generated from other poems and their own inspiration, to create original poetry. A celebration is included as students bind and submit poems for publication.
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The Days of Jane Eyre's Life
Learners watch the movie Jane Eyre and complete a viewing log. They take a test on their findings.
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ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES: CAN'T WE ALL GET ALONG?
Students reflect and explore their feelings and reactions to a segregation experiment through poetry. They discuss acceptable behavior during the experiment and the next day write journal entries reflecting their experiences.
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Conduction, Convection, Radiation, Oh My!
Middle schoolers draw a line graph, and use graphing as a tool to discover more about conduction, convection and radiation. They should design their own experiment using heat sensitive paper to show they explain these 3 processes.
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Soft Sculpture Self-portraits
Students create a soft sculpture bust of themselves using such as muslin. They color, stuff and sew the bust.
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Power vs Truth
Students explore Italian politics and warfare of the High Renaissance. They explain the effects of the Protestant Reformation and the Counter Reformation.