Curated OER
Mastering the Mighty Melville
“Bartleby the Scrivner” as an existential forerunner to The Office? Dense and often dark, Herman Melville’s stories abound with Biblical allusions and complex symbols. If you are considering using Melville’s novels or short stories with...
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The Voice of Voting: How do We Judge Design
Students examine various methods of judging popular culture and compare them to the judging of the People's Design Award. In this popular culture and design lesson, students research different ways of voting in popular culture, beginning...
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Pop Turned Art
Students study the art of Andy Warhol and consider the line between art and life. They create their own artistic renditions of popular culture themes and images in order to explore their influence on our lives.
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Protest Songs
Students analyze and perform an American social protest song. They describe its historical setting, consider the effectiveness of the music and recognize that popular music is a reflection of American culture.
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Race, Education, and Income: Comparing Carter & Reagan
High school learners compare economic outcomes for 3 racial groups under the presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan by analyzing a series of graphs, answering questions from a worksheet, and participating in a discussion.
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Picture the 60s
High schoolers consider how the 1960's impacted Great Britain. In this contemporary history lesson, students visit selected websites to discover information about the decade, popular culture, and women's rights.
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Cinderella Folk Tales: Variations in Character
Students read a variety of Cinderella tales from different cultures. They discuss the differences in character, plot, and conflict resolution in the stories from different countries.
New Class Museum
Lesson: Elizabeth Peyton: Portraits: Androgyny in Contemporary Culture
Portraiture, artistic expression, romanticism, and androgyny are discussed in a thought-provoking activity. Upper graders first discuss and examine the history of portraiture and the elements common to the Romantic style. Then they turn...
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200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons
Students discuss the style and characteristics of the Classical era and the genre of opera. They compare and contrast modern day popular icons to musical icons throughout history. They write original librettos to modern entertainment.
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Media Analysis--Culture and Gender Roles
Ninth graders participate in class discussion about culture and how it influences our lives then complete an analysis of advertisements from popular magazines to derive what effects they have on our culture. They use analysis of adds to...
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Impact of Cars on Society
Students investigate the impact of the automobile on modern American society. In this car lesson, students listen to a presentation on the history and popular culture associated with cars and then write essays about their positive or...
Global Oneness Project
Flamenco: A Cross-Cultural Art Form
Notes of pride and persecution, exclusion and isolation resonate in flamenco. Introduce this musical art form to your social studies or Spanish language classes with a resource that follows a young flamenco guitarist as he...
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Sunday Night With Oscar
And the winner is.....! The Academy Awards are a big deal in film and often make top headlines in the paper. Kids read an article about the most recent Academy Awards Ceremony and answer 11 questions about who won what award, and why.
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You Can't Stop The Pop
Young scholars reflect on the popular culture of their own country and explore the "Korean Wave" of popular culture in East Asia. They research the popular cultures of various countries around the world and present their findings in an...
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Love, American Style
Students examine the cultural diffusion of American popular culture around the world and create collages of visual representations of this phenomenon. Causes and effects of the cultural diffusion of American popular culture around the...
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Arabic Folk and Popular Music: Egypt, Lebanon, and Spain
How many of us have actually listened to Arabic folk or pop music? Learn about the many facets of folk music common to Lebanon, Spain, and Egypt with this well-organized presentation. Islamic cultural influences are traced throughout...
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Jazz in America Lesson Plan 8
Students explore the present and juture of jazz. They identify terms associated with jazz and listen to contemporary recordings. They participate in a class discussion regarding jazz's contribution to and reflection of American culture...
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Canvas Folding Screen
Elementary, middle, and high schoolers design canvas folding screens; much like the ones that are so prevalent in Asian homes. Be warned that this art lesson requires a lot of materials, so it will be expensive to implement. However, the...
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Jim Crow Lesson Plan
Jackie Robinson's attempt to earn a spot on the 1946 Brooklyn Dodgers provides learners with an opportunity to examine the Jim Crow laws and revisit issues of segregation and integration. "The Unconquerable Doing the Impossible: Jackie...
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African American Community and Culture
Fourth graders explore the rise of jazz music. In this Duke Ellington lesson, 4th graders watch video segments regarding Ellington's life and showcasing a performance of Ellington and his band. Students discuss the rhythm...
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Pooling Common Knowledge
Fifth graders examine Native American cultures. In this diversity lesson, 5th graders prepare oral reports based on the research they conduct regarding Native American clothing, holidays, and sports.
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The Effect of Television in the 1960’s
High schoolers consider the impact of television on 1960's America. In this American culture lesson, students research selected Internet websites regarding the Nixon/Kennedy debate, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the moon...
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Keep on Pushing: Popular Music and the Civil Rights Movement
Young scholars explore music that exemplified the Civil Rights Movement. For 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...
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Jazz in America Lesson Plan 5
Young scholars survey Bebop and identify the basic terms associated with jazz.They experience the music of Charlie Parker and Billie Holiday and participate in a class discussion regarding jazz's contribution to and reflection of...