Library of Congress
Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal: An Educational Voyage
Following the book, Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal, readers complete an activity for each chapter, take part in discussions, and respond to several questions. To show what they know, scholars create an alphabet book using primary...
Museum of Tolerance
Cultural Research Activity
Class members explore cultural diversity through a variety of texts that showcase the importance of traditions. Then, they interview their family members to research their own cultural background and write their findings on quilt pieces....
American Museum of Natural History
Silk Road Fables
Talk about rabbit holes! With just this one resource, learners can travel the Silk Road listening to fables, meet a scientist who studies poisons (and whose favorite book is Alice in Wonderland), and listen to a video interview of an...
Curated OER
Native American Indian Musical Instruments
Students listen and react to recordings of Native American Instruments with each student completing a corresponding Reaction Worksheet after listening to the recordings.
Curated OER
Poets Got Them Blues
Contemplate what music learners listen to and why they listen. Can they find poetry within music lyrics? Specifically hone in on blues lyrics and ruminate upon the social issues prevalent in the themes. Particular song lyrics coincide...
Berklee College of Music
Create Your Own Afro-Latin Groove
The backbone of Latin American music is the beat! Young musicians work on blending Afro-Latin rhythms and beat patterns before incorporating the major pentatonic, minor pentatonic, and blues scales in their own compositions.
Midland Independent School District
Celebrating National Holidays
There's more to holidays than just days off! Young historians explore the meaning behind national holidays in a five-part lesson. They focus on what holidays are and why they are celebrated, as well as learn the meaning of music in the...
Curated OER
Draw Me the Music
Middle schoolers explore and investigate the foundation and history of jazz music. They listen to various pieces of music while creating drawings, develop a timeline of jazz history, and read and discuss biographies of famous jazz...
Curated OER
Grand Canyon Suite
Take a trip to the Grand Canyon! Lesson one explores how Ferde Grofe painted a musical landscape of America when he wrote the Grand Canyon Suite. Learners then examine art that shows the Grand Canyon in lesson two. Finally, lesson three...
Curated OER
International Dance Day: Reading and Activities for ELD
A brief passage about International Dance Day, April 29, is accompanied by an array of language activities based in sound ELD practice: cloze exercise, phrase matching, word jumble, multiple choice, sequencing, interview, group...
Curated OER
Learning Through the Duke
Students examine the contributions of Duke Ellington to the field of jazz. They create an original poem using popular vocabulary from the 1920s, listen to the book, "Duke Ellington," and paint a picture while listening to music by Duke...
Curated OER
Music in the Common Schools
Students sing songs from the common schools era and compare music from the common schools era and today. In this music lesson plan, students look at pictures, fill out Venn Diagrams, and listen to music.
Curated OER
Mexican Culture “La Raspa”
Here are three lessons that work together to engage learners in a cultural and musical exploration. In lesson one the listen to the Mexican folk song, "La Raspa" and discuss cultural context. In lesson two they dance along to both "La...
Anti-Defamation League
10 Ideas for Teaching Black History Month
Celebrate Black History Month with the help of 10 ideas that delve deep into the history, major events, contributions, famous African Americans, and sheds light on how scholars today can take a proactive stance on current civil rights...
Curated OER
The Meaning of Passover Story Through Songs and Traditions
Students explore the meaning of Passover. For 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...
Curated OER
Call and Response Singing
Learners investigate call and response singing. In this fine arts and U.S. history instructional activity, students listen to several call and response songs that were sung by African-American slaves during the period before the Civil...
National Constitution Center
Abraham Lincoln's Crossroads
History enthusiasts participate in an interactive website that brings Abraham Lincoln to life as he shares his personal experiences between 1854-1864. Scholars listen and read carefully to form their own opinions and discover if they...
Curated OER
Ambassador Satch, Superb Entertainer: 1950-1971
High schoolers participated in guided listening lessons of Louis Armstrong's jazz music while interpreting his lyrics. They study his life as an entertainer and goodwill ambassador for the US.
Curated OER
Designing Musical Instruments
Students examine musical instruments as main part of the study of sound energy. In this designing instruments lesson plan, students focus on the elements of an instrument that cause sound to be created and design a unique musical...
Curated OER
The State Of Wisconsin
Students investigate the state of Wisconsin and use sound to experience the concept differently. They listen to Native American songs of a tribe in the state. Also they listen to the frogs that live there in the classroom or out in the...
Curated OER
Hero or Tyrant: Connecting Beethoven’s Third Symphony to Napoleon, Part One
The second and third movements of the Eroica, Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, provides listeners with an opportunity to connect to French Revolution and to Napoleon Bonaparte. As they listen to the music, individuals draw what their ears...
Denver Public Schools
Kung-hsi Fa-ts' ai! – A Chinese New Year Celebration
Looking for ideas for your Lunar New Year celebration? Check out an interdisciplinary unit of study that includes lessons in counting, calligraphy, culture, geography, literature, art, and music. Kung-hsi Fa-ts' ai! (May you become rich!)
Curated OER
Tango Stories
Students listen to tango music and research the country it came from. In this music lesson, students find that tango music comes from Argentina. They listen and dance to the music and then write stories.
Curated OER
Connecting to Colonial Music
Students listen to songs from the French and Indian War period. They answer questions about the song and identify any historical terms. They examine the role of music in their own lives.