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Curated OER

Music: "Hearing Between The Lines"

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The class listens to and reads lyrics from popular songs that explore themes of self-esteem, body image, and eating disorders. The song interpretations will serve as a jumping-off point to deeper discussion on the issues, culminating in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Getting the Meaning in Pop Music

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Critical thinkers compare the impact of visual versus aural perception in how they comprehend artistic intent. They consider the meaning of a set of pop lyrics first by reading them, then by listening to them orally, and finally viewing...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

25 Greatest Protest Songs - Lesson 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze the lyrics of protest songs as a catalyst for social change. They discuss the influence of music on behavior and explain the use of music as a means of self-expression.
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Curated OER

Cole Porter: You're the Top

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students watch selected film clips about Cole Porter and discover his uniqueness. In groups, they research associates of the Porter's and present reports on them. Then, they write position papers on prominent people of the Jazz Age. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Under Joni Mitchell's Influence

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view the AMERICAN MASTERS entitled Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind, examine the concept of influence, and explore how Joni Mitchell and her work have influenced others. Students read, interpret, and analyze her lyrics by...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor

For Teachers 7th - 12th
How do a person's musical preferences influence the way they compose music of their own? Learners analyze the sound and lyrics of Alicia Keys in relation to musicians that came before. Jazz, blues, and soul music from the past are shown...
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Center for Civic Education

The Power of Nonviolence: Music Can Change the World

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Here is a fantastic activity through which class members discover how music has the ability to influence others in a meaningful way. After reviewing selected pieces and modern-day protest songs, learners will research other songs that...
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Curated OER

25 Greatest Protest Songs

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers analyze the lyrics of protest songs as a catalyst for social change. They discuss the influence of music on behavior and explain the use of music as historical record.
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Curated OER

Rockin’ the World: Rock and Roll and Social Protest in 20th Century America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore protest songs. In this interdisciplinary lesson, students examine issues-based music by summarizing lyrics and revealing inferences, generalizations, conclusions, and points of view found in the songs.
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Curated OER

Understanding the Music of the Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Young scholars examine protest music and songs from the Civil Rights movement. In this music of the Civil Rights era instructional activity, students listen to selected music before working in groups to determine who the music was...
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Curated OER

MTV and Othello

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bob Marley - Legend Episode #3 - Lesson 1

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners recognize and describe elements of Bob Marley's life that influenced his song writing as evidenced in the song "No Woman No Cry". They identify the elements of music characteristic of Reggae.
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Curated OER

Keeping Time

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners compose lyrics to songs for a music festival to promote issues in their community. They write artists' statements explaining the issues they chose to write about.
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Curated OER

Learning the Blues

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars take a virtual field trip to Memphis, Tennessee in their study of the blues, its characterisitics, founding fathers, and histororical influence on modern music. They compose blues lyrics that reflect present-day attitudes...
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Curated OER

Music: Elgar (1962)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine how the creation and performance of music is affected by contextual influences. They specifically examine anthems and discuss the elements that contribute to that musical genre and how the nature of a piece of music may...
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Curated OER

Sing the Blues

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore examples of this musical form, then write their own lyrics for a blues song.
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Curated OER

Songs About Age

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students discuss common attitudes about aging that are found in popular songs and how music is a means to explore attitudes about aging in this one-day lesson ideal for a middle-level general music classroom. The lesson includes a list...
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Curated OER

VH1 Driven: Shakira, Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students watch a video about the life of Latin singer/pop star, Shakira. They research various foreign music styles and discuss how they influence American pop music today.
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Curated OER

Creating Music

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the music soldiers listen to before and after battle. They attempt to develop an understanding of the role music plays in this conflict. They create their own lyrics to attempt to construct a pro-war and anti-war song.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slices of American Pie: The 1960s Through Music

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders examine political, cultural, and social movements through music. In this 1960s American history lesson plan, 11th graders explore the music of the decade in order to better understand the complexity of the time period....
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Curated OER

Jazz Talk

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students 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...
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Black and Blue: Jazz in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers analyze the impact of jazz on the novel, "Invisible Man," by Ralph Ellison. They read and discuss excerpts of the novel, write an essay on the influence of jazz on Ralph Ellison as a writer, and view video excerpts on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historical Comparison of Anti-War Music

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain that, how in this world of increasing awareness and interdependence, music can act as a magnet to draw people together. They research and compare anti-war songs from many different generations.
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Curated OER

Storytellers: Coldplay

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students discover the importance of lyrics in the successful combination of music and words in the process of composing a song. They discuss how emotion-based lyrics influence the creative aspects in composing a song.