What makes a culture unique? Learners research life in the Appalachia region of the United States. Poetry, music, and oral history create Affrilachia, the term used to describe the lifestyle of the area. African-American mountain culture...

Young scholars research, interpret, and become able to explain general characteristics of weather in tropical regions. Students observe and compare tropical and mid-latitude weather patterns.

"What a beautiful noise comin' up from the street; got a beautiful sound, it's got a beautiful beat..." Use Neil Diamond's "Beautiful Noise" to guide your class through a Six Trait writing activity, in which they write an original poem...

Harriet Tubman developed a rich extended metaphor for slavery and the imperative for Lincoln to abolish it in this dictated letter from 1862. Young historians read the original document and interpret Tubman's allegory with a pair of...

Eight various activities have your learners looking at hype in the media. Advertisements for films, politics, music, and philanthropy all contribute to emotional appeals and marketing strategies trying to convince consumers to...

The interpretation of a poem often lies in the mind of its reader, especially when reading the tone. Focus on author's word choice, middle schoolers read four different poems and briefly state a perceived tone for each, along with the...

Water is the source of life. It appears in poetry in both peaceful and torrential descriptions; it appears in earth science in its liquid, gaseous, and solid states. Combine these interpretations of our planet's most precious and...

True friends stick together. In the case of The Wind In The Willows, the friends just happen to be a toad, mole, rat, and badger who team up to beat the weasels. The resource covers the first chapter of their raucous adventures. Scholars...

Fourth graders experience the music and arts of Japan as they explore the language and culture of the country in this lesson. A variety of musical elements from the culture are demonstrated.

First graders make a book that shows the different musical pieces in Carnival of the Animals that represent animals. In this animals and music lesson plan, 1st graders tell how they interpreted each part to represent an animal.

Third graders assess how to read and write rhythmic notation in music. They explore the concepts of whole, half, quarter, eighth, dotted lines, extended pentatonic, diatonic and major/minor modes. Symbols along with additional...

Students identify legends in Tennessee and U.S. history, and differentiate between primary and secondary sources. They list examples of primary and secondary sources, participate in a field trip to the Country Music Hall of Fame, and...

In this poetry comprehension worksheet, students read a poem about love called "Thankful to Know." Students discuss or write about 3 interpretation questions.

Learners explore how dance/movement tell a story. They analyze the elements of dance through interpretation of the story. Students exercise how the feelings and moods of the music suggest certain body movements and actions.

Students listen to conjunto music and identify the instrumentation. After discussing the the history of South Texas, they examine lyrics of several songs and interpret them. As extensions, students can learn to partner dance to the...

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...

Pupils review concepts of the oppressive system of apartheid and relate the significance of Mandela's freedom from prison. They also use music to understand a concept and to convey a concept by using music.

Learners create a multimedia presentation using a song they have chosen. After choosing a song, they compile images that correlate to the theme of their songs. Using PowerPoint, students create a presentation that accompanies their...

Students employ their five senses to interpret and duplicate instrumental patterns. Following the teacher's patterns, students clap their hands and later use instruments such as bells, triangles, or cymbals to create their own "songs."

Learners compose eight measures of music after they practice interpreting time/signature meter.

Students gain an appreciation for various types of music. Using the music of the past, they compare it with the music of today. In groups, they research periods in which blues and jazz were most popular and write their own piece of music...

Students explore the components of sound and how it can be represented visually. A trip to a circus and a walk through a magical forest are used to encourage visualizations and creative thinking.

Middle schoolers listen to various selections of music, discussing the interpretations of the song. They create a picture illustrating the feelings, mood, and message the music conveys.