Rap music and hip-hop were the pop music of the nineties. Students of all ages liked to mimic the rappers they listened to on CD's, tapes, and the radio. This lesson builds on students' interest in rap music as well as their enjoyment of...

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

This unit appeals to multiple intelligences, encourages interdisciplinary learning, reinforces self-confidence, and stimulates creativity, co-operation and critical thinking. Using songs with a strong narrative, students are asked to...

Throughout American history, popular music has reflected the mood and opinions of the times. By exploring sheet music, students analyze issues related to industrialization and reform to answer the essential question, "How does society...

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...

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

This activity with a song of my choice, 'People Everyday' by Arrested Development, will be an introduction to literary analysis and media/popular music literacy. Students will learn to examine critically what they view and hear. They...

Science instruction is most effective when using a hands-on delivery system. This lesson will use your students' natural affinity for music and musical instruments to reinforce and refine their knowledge of the nature of sound -...

Knowing oneself and attaining a mature identity is the developmental task of adolescence. Successful resolution of the identity crisis involves making healthy choices and personal commitments to an occupation, religious belief, and a...

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...

The topic of an author's or artist's public image or persona may become more understandable for students with the judicious selection of contemporary musicians who have taken on obvious and sometimes changing personae in their careers....

A lesson plan that helps students explore the roots of jazz music and some of the important jazz musicians in history.

A great lesson plan for introducing the musical to students. Great bibliography.

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

In this lesson plan, students will consider "The Freedom Riders and the Popular Music of the Civil Rights Movement." The plan includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.

Explore the world of African Art and Music when you check out this lesson plan. This site features learning objectives, activities and more.

Lesson plan on "Guitars as Sculpture." This is a lesson plan incorporating art, music and history. Explore the history of the guitar while making your own in a unique shape.

A lesson plan that uses holiday music as a way to explore historical events, people, or topics.

This lesson could serve as the basis of a curriculum unit on slavery and/or the Civil War. Spirituals are analyzed, especially their cultural implications.

The women's liberation movement of the 1970s is suffering a tremendous backlash and is frequently viewed as obsolete. Many young people feel as though feminism is irrelevant and sexism no longer impacts their lives. Through the...

Jimi Hendrix's 'The Wind Cries Mary' is an ideal song, not just to illustrate personification, but also to demonstrate how poetic devices enhance the meaning of the poem. As soon as the students recognize that the speaker is mourning the...

I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag' by Country Joe McDonald has been played with great success in classrooms for over twenty years. While it conveys literary elements such as theme, point of view, and irony, it also functions as an...

This Kindergarten unit introduces students to the concept of change over time by examining the historic counterparts of objects in children's daily lives, e.g., toys, food, cars, music, telephones, and toothbrushes. This develops an...

This unit embraces the development of popular culture, more widespread than ever, due to globalization.