Curated OER
Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe: What is Beautiful?
Learners consider the notion of beauty and what impact the media and popular culture have on it. In this cross curricular lesson, students examine print ads, write down and share their thoughts on them. Then learners form literary groups...
Curated OER
Pete And Repeat
Students draw a picture of a person from popular culture, then "clone" it using printing techniques in this Art instructional activity that tackles the questions surrounding cloning, DNA, and current scientific techniques. An emphasis is...
Curated OER
Mesoamerican Cultures
Students compare and contrast the Mayan and Aztec cultures. In this Mesoamerican cultures lesson, students visit classroom stations that feature the landmarks, popular foods, and gods of the 2 cultures. Students discuss their favorite...
Curated OER
American Aloha Lesson Plan: Perpetuating Indigenous Cultural Traditions in Diaspora
Young scholars examine the culture and decline of the culture of native Hawaiian people as the islands were colonized. They study issues of cultural identity for Native Hawaiians.
Curated OER
International Festival: France
Students explore French culture. In this cross-curriculum social studies activity, students listen to Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans and identify words and landmarks associated with France. Students pronounce several phrases in French,...
Curated OER
International Festival: Greece
Students celebrate the culture of Greece. In this multicultural lesson, students participate in several activities which examine the culture of Greece. Students study the Greek alphabet, identify the country on a world map, and make...
Curated OER
International Festival: Mexico
Young scholars explore the culture of Mexico through music and food. In this multicultural lesson, students read the book Mexico and listen to samples of Mexican music. Young scholars use ingredients to make tacos.
Curated OER
Types of Folklife Worksheet
In this types of folklife worksheet, students define the varying types of folklife, their motifs, and any variants. Students are challenged by the cultural processes they must categorize.
UTSA Institute of Texas Cultures
Teaching Through Kamishibai and The Art of Chinese Calligraphy
Young learners discover kamishibai, a popular Japanese storytelling art, and explore how these Japanese folktales illustrate the country's cultural themes and values through discussion and storyboarding.
Smithsonian Institution
African American Music: Let’s Sing and Play Clapping Games
Two lessons focus on making a beat. Using popular African American music of its time, scholars listen and analyze the rhythm then recreate it with hands drums, and cups.
Curated OER
Up From the Streets: Hip Hop as a Recognized Art
Students discuss the historical roots of Hip-Hop to the present as an example of an art form that arose from the street into popular culture. Emphasis is placed on in-class discussion and written reflections in this introductory lesson.
Curated OER
Styrofoam Relief Prints
Using Styrofoam trays, kindergartners carve and create their own prints. They create an image in the Styrofoam, ink it up, and then use it to create prints. It would be great to mention and show how ink blocks or block prints have been...
Cave Creek Unified School District
Crusades and Culture in the Middle Ages
The Crusades sounds like a glamorous time period in the Middle Ages full of glory—but was it? Scholars find and review the truth of the Crusades' influence on the world through the resource. The study guides, separated individually by...
Curated OER
Power to the People: Social Movements of the 1960s
Students engage in a professional development workshop for teachers in the delivery of curriculum about the era of the 1960's. The emphasis of the workshop is using popular culture of the time in order to launch investigations that are...
Curated OER
1950's Popular Culture
Students gain a basic understanding of Capitalism and Communism, the ideologies that fueled the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Curated OER
VH1 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons Lesson 1
Students study the affect of a theme song can have on a show or performer. They compare and contrast an original television theme song with classical music.
Curated OER
VH1 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons Lesson 2
Students examine the origins of ragtime music in American and analyze its musical form.
Curated OER
Keep on Pushing: Popular Music and the Civil Rights Movement
High schoolers explore music that exemplified the Civil Rights Movement. In this music and history lesson, students research 1960's protest songs, Motown recorded music, and rap of the 1990's to consider the power of music and its...
Curated OER
A Guide Through the Culture of the Blues
Students examine the history of blues music and discover how it relates to the music of today. As a class, they listen to the drum songs of Africa and compare it to the use of drums in pop music today. Using the internet, they research...
Curated OER
17th Century Music and Dance
Students explore American history through hands-on use and demonstration of musical material culture representing early colonial America. They compare the music of colonial America to modern music.
Curated OER
Tobacco: Exploring Tobacco Culture
Eighth graders are introduced to the tobacco planting process. Using primary sources, they identify the steps necessary to grow the popular crop. They create a flow map to organize the process graphically. They discuss the...
Curated OER
African American Community and Culture
Fourth graders explore the rise of jazz music. In this Duke Ellington activity, 4th graders watch video segments regarding Ellington's life and showcasing a performance of Ellington and his band. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Roman Relaxation
So what did the ancient Romans do to have fun? Explore the Colosseum, amphitheaters, baths, and arenas that housed the exciting and at times dangerous activities enjoyed in ancient Rome. An interesting look at ancient life!
Catherine Schmidt-Jones
Two Traditional Korean Songs
"Arirang," the most popular Koeran folk song, and "Doraji" are featured in a resource that includes suggestions for how to incorporate these hauntingly beautiful songs into your curriculum.