Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The South, the North and the Great Migration: Blues and Literature

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Here is a complex lesson plan that interweaves the history of the Jim Crow South and the Great Migration with the study of poetry, art, and blues music from the Harlem Renaissance. The plan helps young historians develop a deep...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poets Got Them Blues

For Teachers 11th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Leonardo da Vinci: Creative Genius

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine how Leonardo da Vinci exemplified the Renaissance period. They explore various websites, conduct Internet research, complete a chart, explore virtual da Vinci notebooks, and write an essay.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Harlem Renaissance

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students, after researching/analyzing the movement "Harlem Renaissance" and Africa as well as reading literature from that time period, create lists of the major characteristics of the movement and its important writers. They bridge the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creative Voices of Harlem

For Teachers K - 4th
Students explore the Harlem Renaissance. In this American history lesson, students examine a poem by Langston Hughes and identify the characteristics of the Harlem Renaissance. Students research and report on a famous Harlem artist.
Lesson Plan
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Power vs Truth

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore Italian politics and warfare of the High Renaissance. They explain the effects of the Protestant Reformation and the Counter Reformation.
Lesson Plan
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The Medici Popes

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore Italian politics and warfare of the Renaissance. They explain the origins and effects of the Protestant Reformation and contrast Renaissance and Medieval attitudes.
Lesson Plan
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Breaking the Codex

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students work with an online multimedia show to study the life of Leonardo da Vinci in Renaissance Italy. They explore different writing systems and create an advertisement for one of Leonardo da Vinci's inventions.
Lesson Plan
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The Printing Press

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore importance of Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press during the Renaissance by copying short poem or sentences and using pre-arranged alphabet stamps to make copies.
Lesson Plan
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Heroes of Harlem

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students explore the artists of the Harlem Renaissance. Their research culminates in a Harlem Renaissance Fair celebrating the movement's cultural and artistic contributions to society.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Being Heard

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Examine the work of contemporary authors who use their writing to express opinions about the struggle against prejudice and oppression in our society. A short lesson on the Harlem Renaissance introduces learners to the most prominent...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Ratios

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students study the Golden Ratio and its relationship to Renaissance artists. After exploring proportions and ratios used by Renaissance artists, students create a mix of ten variations of color paint, and record the ratios of primary...
Lesson Plan
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Inventor's Workshop

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers explore the six simple machines that are the basis for all mechanical devices. In this physics lesson, students choose one simple machine to research and then find a complex machine it is apart of. Middle schoolers...
Lesson Plan
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On Stage Tonight . . .

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the World Wide Web for information concerning the period known as "The Harlem Renaissance." They study the contributions made by African Americans in the areas of literature, art, and music during this period in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spiritual Space

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore Italian Renaissance artwork. In this visual arts lesson, students examine "Madonna, Saint Thomas Aquinas, and Saint Paul'" by Bernardo Daddi. Students investigate the use of space, scale, and proportion in the work prior...
Lesson Plan
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Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, The Minstrels

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore "Stairway to Heaven". In this music history lesson, students examine the music and lyrics of the Led Zeppelin song. Students compare the song to Renaissance madrigal music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Meet the Architects

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study the architects of the Renaissance. In this architecture lesson, students research the lives and accomplishments of Brunelleschi, Bramante, Michelangelo, de Vinci, and Raphael. Students present their findings to their...
Lesson Plan
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Paul Robeson: 20th-Century Renaissance Man, Hero In Any Century

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore several themes relevant to the life of Paul Robeson and the social, artistic, & political realities of the first half of the 20th century, identify and interview heroes in their communities, and publish profiles on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

'European Exploration, Conquest, and Trade

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine the motives, progress and results of the European exploration and conquest of Asia, Africa and the West Indies from the 15th to the 17th centuries. They use maps to trace spice routes and research the role of spices...
Lesson Plan
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Modern Dance and the Harlem Renaissance

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students create an artistic rendering based on what they have learned from the film and the lesson.
Lesson Plan
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The Great Migration

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore how migration to Harlem created a new life for African Americans. In this cross curricular lesson, students illustrate maps showing the migration, paint murals representing African American life in the South and...
Lesson Plan
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Leonardo da Vinci

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine the life of artist Leonardo da Vinci. They tour his birthplace via a virtual tour. They explore his many different paintings and sculptures. They discover his personal history and discuss his most famous painting, The...
Lesson Plan
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Explorers of the New World

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research explorers and explore how exploration affected the Western Hemisphere; students demonstrate competency in using multimedia encyclopedia and information software, and present PowerPoint presentation to class with two...
Lesson Plan
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The Vitruvian Theory - Does It Apply to You?

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students explore the concept of the Vitruvian theory.  In this Vitruvian theory lesson, students collect data from their classmates about their arm span and height.   Students compare their ratios of arm span to height...