Core Knowledge Foundation
Ray Charles
Introduce young learners to the read-aloud process with a short biographical passage about Ray Charles. After listening to the passage, class members respond to factual, inferential, and evaluative questions, and then create a timeline...
Mississippi Whole School Initiative
Dream Big...With Your Eyes Wide Open
For many people, Barack Obama's presidency was the next step in Martin Luther King, Jr's dream of America's future. Explore the dreams of Americans past and present, as well as the young Americans in your class, with a set of activities...
Louisiana Department of Education
The Scarlet Letter
Use Nathanial Hawthorne's immortal text on the influence of religion on the early American settlements, as well as its continued impact on American culture, with a unit that focuses on The Scarlet Letter. In addition to Hawthorne's...
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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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African American Heritage in Arkansas
Students research and write about three African American composers from Arkansas: Scott Joplin, Florence Price and William Grant Still.
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Memorable Singer 1929-1949
Students examine how Louis Armstrong's fame spread from the African American community to the whole world. They examine how his singing style influenced both popular and jazz musicians by participating in guided listening of his musical...
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Compare and Contrast Composers
High schoolers identify various pieces of music that are familiar to them and define how the music made them feel. Then they select their favorite piece of music heard and the activities in which they like to do. Students also attend a...
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Kandinsky Color Studies
Students study the artist Wassily Kandinsky as well as his art and and music. In this art appreciation lesson, students view a variety of Kandinsky's work and circular color studies. Students relate the use of color to emotion...
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Facial Tattoos or Face Painting
Students use a grid-like method to create a life-size self-portrait from a 3X5 black and white photo. They explore the different customs and rituals surrounding face painting from ancient through modern civilizations. Students create a...
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Scratch Some Fireworks
Students create sheets of "fireworks" using art paper, crayons, black paint, and wooden skewers in this lesson that can be adapted to celebrate any time of the year. The lesson also includes a short introductory discussion on fireworks.
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Sunset Silhouettes
Students create "SUNSET SILHOUETTES" using primary colors, black construction paper, and glue in this elementary-level Art lesson. The lesson extension included with this lesson involves creating a nativity scene and might be...
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Fireworks
Students listen to a short lecture on the history of fireworks and identify how fireworks are made. They paint a picture depicting fireworks and view a presentation on firework safety.
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Wiggly Spiders
Students create "wiggly spiders" using black paint, construction paper, yarn, and their hands in this fun, messy, art lesson for the early elementary classroom. An ideal lesson for the Halloween holiday or for a lesson/unit on spiders.
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Noh Theater
Students compare Noh drama to western drama and trace the influence of Japanese theater on modern western drama. In this Noh drama activity, students read the play Black Tomb (Kurozuko) defining the elements and conventions of Noh...
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Heavy: The Story of Metal (Part 1) (Lesson 3)
Students analyze and write an evaluation on the song "Black Sabbath". They interview a person who grew up listening to heavy metal music and compare and contrast the interview with their evaluation on the song. They share them with the...
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Simple Gifts
Learners examine the concepts of half notes, quarter notes, whole notes, and musical phrases by performing the Shaker song "Simple Gifts". Emphasis is placed on movement with music and meeting national standards for the arts.
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Jazzing Up the Classroom
Tune-up mundane subjects with some lively jazz for a cross-currricular kick!
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A Cure for the School-Day Blues
Lessons on the Blues will have students singing for joy!
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The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance inspired a group of writers, musicians, and artists whose influence is still seen today.
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Democracy Sense
Students define democracy and distinguish representative from direct or pure democracy. Then, with the focus on representative government, students will discuss and trace voting patterns in the United States.
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Is London Bridge Really Going to Fall Down?
Students discover what forces work together to hold up a suspension bridge. They see various bridges around the world, and learn the basic principles that enable each bridge to support itself. Groups design their own bridge, testing how...
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Six Billion and Beyond
Students consider the idea of a world with Six Billion people and subsequent results and ramifications. Then students will gather data regarding the state of these diverse nations and then create a presentation as a culminating activity.
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This Land is Your Land - Travel Posters
Eleventh graders compile a list of places in the United States where they have either traveled or where their relatives or friends live. They collect travel posters, brochures, postcards, and maps from their region of the United States.
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Expressions - Activity 1
Young scholars create wax sculptures of a full body using mathematical calculations and information gathered from a video in this excellent art project. The lesson can be used along or within the unit provided.