Class pairs examine eight runaway slave advertisements from the mid-1800s to develop an understanding of the conditions slaves faced and of race relations.

Learners explain the potential consequences of protest. They discuss selected historical conflicts and examine the role of the individual in protest.

Students explore the meaning of Passover. In this holiday lesson, students participate in various learning centers that focus on the Passover holiday. The learning centers include simulating the feelings of slavery, listening to music by...

Over the history of the world, music has been at the heart of some of the greatest social and political movements. Scholars discover their musical roots as they dive into the sounds and emotions of renowned jazz players. They see how...

High schoolers discuss the topic of freedom and what the National Anthem means to them and to our country. They create a new and original verse for the National Anthem.

Students examine protest music and songs from the Civil Rights movement. In this music of the Civil Rights era lesson, students listen to selected music before working in groups to determine who the music was directed at, what social...

Learners explore the history, meaningful background, and significance of Patriotic songs in the eight lessons of this unit. Each of the different grade levels experience a different amount of lessons all culminating in a Patriotic Program.

Sixth graders complete activities about colonial history through an examination of art from the American Revolution period. In this history and art lesson, 6th graders define an iconic image, sing the song 'Yankee Doodle,' and analyze...

Students investigate the Underground Railroad. In this slavery lesson, students read books about slavery, the Undeground Railroad, and how slaves escaped the south. Students develop knowledge about coded songs and constellations that...

In this Civil War worksheet, learners listen to the song "Civil War" and complete 11 sentence completions based upon the information from the lyrics.

Students portray the mood of a piece of music in a drawing.  In this mood in music lesson, students discuss how music creates a mood.  Students listen to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons," "The Wreck of The Wreck of the Edmund...

Who else had a dream other than Martin Luther King, Jr.? Pupils explore civil rights leaders in a fourth lesson out of a series of five about people who paved the way to freedom for African Americans. The inquiry-based unit has your...

Students study how Frederick Douglass uses language to describe a realistic picture of slavery in his writings which are primary source documents. They examine his use of word choice, imagery, irony, and rhetorical appeals and use slave...

The Royal Canadian Legion offers this teacher's guide designed to remind learners of all ages of the sacrifices made by Canadian soldiers in not only World War I but also the Korean and Gulf wars. The 42-page packet is filled with...

For a class learning about Chinese and Irish immigration in America, here's a great starting lesson plan. It has your critical thinkers examining song lyrics, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and a political cartoon, and finally...

Students examine democratic values. In this current events lesson, students watch video clips about rebellions on Tunisia and Egypt. Students respond to the provided discussion questions and participate in a critical thinking activity on...

Students examine the concept of freedom of speech as it applies to music. They watch and discuss the video, "VH1 Storytellers: Pearl Jam," participate in a class discussion about free speech, conduct research, and conduct a debate.

Use this cross-curricular history lesson to work on your learners' informational writing skills. After listening to songs and stories related to Sultana, they engage in a several activities to boost their understanding of slavery and...

There's hope in music. Pupils discover what gave enslaved people hope by examining lyrics and music during their time of bondage. A series of prompts helps individuals investigate songs of enslaved people. The cumulative assignment...

Students form conclusions regarding the motivational effects of music on the mind during the Civil Rights era. In this Civil Rights movement activity, students describe how music motivates, describe the motivational role in freedom songs...

Some enslaved people decided to run for their liberation. Using lyrics of songs they sang, young historians look at these anthems of freedom. An assessment asks them to write the story of escape from the perspective of an enslaved...

Students experience the aesthetics of music and learn about freedom songs that motivated the Civil Rights activists. In this music history lesson, students learn how music can motivate and move listeners. Students then describe how...

Students examine how African Americans escaping slavery used storytelling to communicate. They listen to and read the lyrics for the song, Follow the Drinking Gourd, view the Reading Rainbow video, and write and illustrate their own story.

Don't limit your curriculum to texts! Young historians listen to a song, read an interview, and examine a cartoon as they explore motivations for immigrating to the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.