High schoolers use different pieces of music and writings to explore the theme of self-reliance and individuality. After viewing a video clip, they discuss how the images made them feel. They keep a writing journal to evaluate their...

Students study the development of early Latin American civilizations in unit one. The second part of the unit is based on early image-making attempts from the Cro-Magnon to the Peruvian Incas. Students create their own weavings using a...

High schoolers explore the implications of the draft during the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs that explore differents opinions of the Vietnam draft. High schoolers particpate in a...

Eighth graders discover different concepts for identifying musical structure and song form.  In this Music History lesson, 8th graders compare and contrast a Red Hot Chili Peppers song to an Andrea Bocelli's song. 

Students examine different music styles played on AM radio versus FM radio. They compare a 1972 music hit from AM radio with a 1972 hit album on FM radio.

Fifth graders explore components of Japanese language, song, instruments, and music. Dotted eighth and sixteenth notes are practiced, the pronunciation of words for the song taught, and chords for tone chimes played in this lesson.

Students research symbols from Texas history and make selections for quarter designs. In addition, they include written explanations to accompany their drawings. Coin designs cultural background and visually represent patriotism and...

Students analyze an event where a person or groups of people were singled out because of their race, religion, nationality or sexuality. They interpret the song "Scarecrow" by Melissa Etheridge and apply the lyrics to the events they...

Learners identify and describe the various roles that musicians fulfill. They recognize various genres of music. They identify and interview musicians in the community and invite them to come in and talk about their roles as musicians.

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.

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...

Students identify the steps involved in starting a band and promoting an album. They work in small groups to create a band and market it to their designated audience.

Rock music can serve as a way to increase student interest in the curriculum, and a way to help students make sense of who they are and what their place is in the world, so asking students to bring in their own music to teach each other...

By listening to and analyzing the lyrics of selected examples of popular music from the 1960s era, young scholars will develop a greater understanding of the historical and political forces as well as the emotional climate of the decade....

Students are often hesitant to speak out with their own explications of literature, but usually have no qualms when asked to offer interpretations of popular musical lyrics. In fact, they seem quite eager to defend a lyrical explanation...

The personal narrative, apart from appearing as an option in the writing component of many state assessment tests, is a form of writing which allows students the chance to reflect seriously and honestly on important events in their own...

Using an artistically integrated approach in teaching literary themes helps students to explore more fully the universality of those themes. Rock music is a form of cultural expression which, because of its mass appeal, can become a...

Learners are aware of most their personal rights and freedoms. However, many have not critically evaluated the significance of the Bill of Rights and are unaware that the Bill of Rights only applied to the federal government from 1791...

The major rock festivals have been viewed as seminal mileposts of the counterculture era. Not only were there significant musical performances from the festivals themselves, but music was created before and after these concerts to...

The following lesson uses the lyrics of four popular songs (songs that were commonly sung or played) to stimulate critical thought and discussion of what is right or wrong with American democracy.

This lesson plan introduces students to the blues. The origin and development of the blues is explored as well as its distinctive structure.

Many high school students do not recognize the use of repetitive song form in rock and roll music. This instructional activity will introduce concepts for identifying musical structure and, more specifically, song form. A comparison of...

As the Cold War evolved over four decades, the end of the world seemed imminent as the nuclear arms race continued to escalate. Popular music, especially in the 1980s, reflected this growing pessimism. By 1989 and 1990, as the Berlin...

Young music students rarely see or, better still, hear a connection between the different types of scales, modes, intervals and other compositional techniques such as meter, tonality, and form used in both traditional 'Art' music and...