Curated OER
Going Greek
Third graders learn about the life of a young boy in Greece and all about his cultural heritage. Pupils gather information about the history, culture, and the many influences the ancient Greeks had on modern day society. Terrific video...
Curated OER
Rap as a Modern Poetic Form
Students write and listen to rap songs. They discover how common themes in rap are indicative of the problems, as well as the empowerments, that can be seen in our urban cultures today. They discover how rap is actually an evolution of...
Curated OER
Visual Art and Music
Students examine how pop art compliments music. In this arts lesson, students explore the elements of pop art and replicate those elements in their own piece of art.
Curated OER
Instruments Used in Folk Music
In this folk music instruments activity, students read about the banjo and the mandolin before they are presented with 2 activities they may complete to learn more about folk music.
Curated OER
Japanese Abstract Art And The Impressionist Movement
Learners study several examples of Japanese abstract art and how this style impacted the Impressionist movement of the 19th century. This lesson includes ideas for student-created sketchbooks.
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MTV and Othello
After reading Acts III and IV of Othello, give your class a fun, interactive, music-related activity. Begin by asking students about songs they have heard in movies or plays. Let them look up the lyrics online and ruminate about the...
Creative Competitions, Inc.
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Fantastic Fairy Tale
Learning about literature can be so much fun; it can also be made more accessible through projects and dramatic play. As they explore theme, character, and setting, the class gets creative and makes a dramatic recreation of a classic...
Curated OER
Expressions - Activity 1
Students create wax sculptures of a full body using mathematical calculations and information gathered from a video in this excellent art project. The lesson plan can be used along or within the unit provided.
Curated OER
"Living in the Limelight The Universal Dream"
Students, using Leo's Lyrics, investigate common themes in popular music. They create a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that analyzes their findings along with a 200 word paragraph stating their observations, conclusions and hypotheses about...
Curated OER
Define My Own Destiny: Using Arrested Development and Lauryn Hill to Teach Hansberry's Raisin in the Sun
Literary themes don't just belong to literature. High schoolers listen to the lyrics of modern songs by Arrested Development, Lauryn Hill, and others to enhance their study and to connect to characters, conflicts, and themes of Lorraine...
Curated OER
Musical Makeover
Learners explore the importance of folk music is various ethnic cultures.
Curated OER
Open Your Eyes To Art!
Students help create a colorful bulletin board for classroom art displays in this short instructional activity for the early elementary classroom. The instructional activity, which can use a variety of items, includes product ideas and...
Curated OER
Fan(tom) of the Opera
Students explore the ways in which the worlds of popular music and opera can work together to complement the other. They work in small groups to analyze plot, characters, setting and themes of a popular opera using a summary of that...
Curated OER
Jazz Talk
Learners analyze the origins of jazz music by examining work songs, spirituals, blues, and gospel songs as well as works of poetry from African American artists. They create their own poems from either the narrative, dramatic, or lyric...
Curated OER
Mozart vs. Beethoven - Real Classical Composers
Elementary schoolers are given an overview of the baroque, classical, romantic, and modern periods of music. They focus on the lives of Beethoven and Mozart; two of the greatest composers of all time. After listening to samples their...
Curated OER
Western Medieval European Poetry and Literature
One of the Common Core standards requires learners to make connections between literature or media of the past and the present. Provided here, are key elements found in medieval poetry and literature that are connected to several more...
Curated OER
Those Fabulous Fables
A video leads off this activity on fables, introducing the class to this important form of traditional storytelling. The group defines fable and hears an explanation of the origin of this type of folk tale. They summarize the story they...
University of Virginia
The Songs in Uncle Tom's Cabin
Experience Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin in an innovative, musical way. A list of audio links leads class members to spirituals from the novel, such as "Die in the Field," "The Wings in the Morning," and "Blow Ye the Trumpet."
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Voice of History
Way before the digital age radio was the medium of popular culture. After listening to excerpts from radio programs (easily available on the Internet), participants return to the radio age by creating a two-minute sketch based on a...
Curated OER
Comparing Two Stories
Compare new and old versions of the classic story Alice in Wonderland in this comprehensive instructional activity packet. Learners read an excerpt from the original, answering several analysis questions. They do the same for a more...
Curated OER
Exploring the Roots of Modern Dance in America
Students develop an understanding of how African culture impacted modern dance in the United States.
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Writing a Music Review
Students compose a written music review of one of today's popular bluegrass musicians after they read online essays and journals about the modern bluegrass music scene look over and discuss recent music reviews
Curated OER
Feel the Music
Students identify and demonstrate a positive learning attitude. They also demonstrate responsible emotional and cognitive behaviors and identify how to communicate clearly in oral, artistic, written, and nonverbal form. Finally, students...
Curated OER
Compas, The Popular Music of Haiti
In this Caribbean music instructional activity, 8th graders read about the background of and musical instruments used in Compas music which is the popular music of Haiti. They answer 4 questions based on the reading. They complete an...