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"Escuela" Debate
Students observe a documentary on "Escuela" to explore the life and education of migrant families. After discussing the related topics in the movie, students share their conclusions migrant farmworkers. Using the Internet and other...
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Rhythmic Dancing
Fourth graders practice expressing themselves through the art of dance. In this physical education lesson plan, 4th graders discuss choreography and how moving specific ways at certain times can be artistic. Students create...
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Patriotic Music: Three Cheers for the Red, White & Blue
Students examine the patriotic songs of the 1940's and compare them to those of today. They identify elements that classify a song as patriotic, listen to several examples and complete Venn diagrams contrasting different examples.
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Respect, Cooperation
First graders listen to the Rainbow Fish and sing the song We Are Crayons and list. In this respect and cooperation instructional activity, 1st graders answer questions about things that make them special. Students write something...
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All Mixed Up
Students explore the emergence of bootlegs, also known as 'mash-ups' (the combination of two songs into one), on the Internet. By researching the musical origins of songs and creating and performing their own bootlegs, students gain a...
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Tee-Hee T.V.
Students examine the concept of satire by reading lyrics to a song and reading "Soap and the Campus: A Web-Site Spoof Succeeds." They create treatments for parodies based on current television shows.
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“Home on the Range”
Fourth graders analyze the song "Home on the Range" and identify its meaning and setting. In this timeline and retelling lesson, 4th graders use dictionaries to find definitions of unfamiliar words, create a timeline and retell the...
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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...
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iRock
Students explore, listen to and analyze songs that helped define rock and roll music. They read and discuss the article, "They're All Oldies, Dad Included." Research on contemporary artists is conducted and then the students choose who...
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Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Young scholars explore the concept of self-respect. In this character education lesson, students listen to the original "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" story and listen to the song. Young scholars discuss the meaning of the word...
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Can You Compose?
Fourth graders investigate musical notes. In this music lesson, 4th graders compose a short song while clapping the rhythm and singing the syllables using the appropriate notes or rests.
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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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Mixed Blessings
Young scholars investigate the recent federal appeals court decision finding the Pledge of Allegiance unconstitutional. They further investigate the notions of constitutionality and separation between church and state by analyzing a...
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Consumer Fraud
Students create consumer fraud reports from given topic list, including visuals and a song.
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Twinkle, Twinkle Traffic Light
Students practice traffic rules. In this traffic rules lesson, students gain knowledge about the colors of traffic lights and their meanings. Students sing a song about traffic lights.
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Transportation Unit
Students maintain a journal and write about various types of transportation. In this transportation lesson, students write using flash cards to describe vehicles. Students listen to stories and sing a song...
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History, African Americans, The Blues
This lesson enables teachers to use blues music to explore the history of African Americans in the 20th century. By studying the content of blues songs, students can learn about the experiences and struggles of the working-class...
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Student Composers with Music Ace
Students compose short compositions using Doodle Pad. In this Musical composition lesson, students a clef and note lines to prior knowledge of the treble clef and note lines to write short songs on the computer. Students use...
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A Quilt of Many Colors
First graders learn the "Quilt Song." They brainstorm items they could draw that would remind them of the person in the song. Students work in groups to complete a "Person Outline" page (included with the lesson). They draw one part of...
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Trip to a Nursing Home
Students participate in a field trip to a nursing home. In this character education lesson, students visit a local nursing home and bring the residents cards or crafts that they made.
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Class Activities for the Last Week of School
The last week of school can be a time to have students engage in some fun, and educational, activities.
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Strike Up the Band
Students create song lyrics celebrating the history of labor unions serving the entertainment industry, then create posters illustrating the importance of each union to the industry they represent.
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Sam Cooke - Lesson 1
Students identify the impact of the social injustices and Civil Rights movement on Cooke's life and career. They create lyrics to a familiar song that express a personal struggle or concern.
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Look, Listen and Learn
Students brainstorm what they know about the performing arts and research an artist or song and its related genre. Students work in groups to create an online banner to attract peers to their performing arts genre.