Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using West African Gold Weights and African Masks as a Way of Communication

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discuss how communication, or lack thereof, can have either a favorable or detrimental effect on a community. They study and interpret proverbs as a means of teaching a lesson. Finally they discuss symbolism and design a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble: A Dual Exploration of Macbeth

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students emulate a key practice of Renaissance theater: doubling. The goal of this lesson is for students to experience-to see, hear, and feel-the differences between characters. Each group presents scenes to the rest of the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ooooh, The Oud

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students listen to a performance of the instrument, oud. After watching a video, they discover how many parts of the world it is used in and locate the countries on a map. They compare and contrast the oud with other instruments from the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

House Keys: The Architectural Features of Victorian Homes and Buildings

For Teachers 5th - 10th
Students analyze Victorian architectural patterns wit regard to materials, doorways, windows, towers, bays, roofs, and decoration. Students discern varying architectural traits by studying Victorian era pictures and drawings and using a...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Home, Sweet, Home!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate the local history and architecture of their community. They draw maps, conduct Internet research, discuss varied architectural designs, take a walking tour of their town and work in teams to record their community's...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Liverpool Lights Up

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the culture of Liverpool.  In this World History lesson, students research a variety of events and activities in Liverpool, then they work in groups to prepare a class presentation to share their findings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Digital Self Portraits

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students use digital cameras and computers to create their own self-portrait. After taking their picture, they download the image and use brush and shape tools, colors and the elements of design to create a distorted portrait of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Midsummer Night's Dream Unit

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners use the Internet to research one of Shakespeare's plays. They read two myths and create their own script for the play. They also examine the history of Ancient Greece.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deep like Rivers: Four African American Poets of the 1920s and 1930s

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine work by outstanding African American poets from the time period of the 1920s and 1930s. They study aspects of American and African American social, cultural and artistic history that influenced the content of some of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paul Robeson: The Renaissance Man

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars research the life of athlete, actor, singer, cultural scholar, author, and political activist, Paul Robeson. They answer the question, "Which was most important to American culture -Robeson's work as a scholar, a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Doorways/Printmaking

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are introduced to the techniques used in printmaking along with the relief method and tessellation relationships to art. In groups, they examine a variety of architecture used throughout the Islamic culture. To end the lesson,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stain Glass

For Teachers Pre-K - 12th
Students study the history of stain glass. In this stain glass lesson, students select an art period and research the use of glass during that time. Students create a picture presentation of stained glass pictures from their town....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mali

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders begin the activity by reading primary sources about the country of Mali. Using maps drawn in the past, they discuss what they can gather about the country from the map and how it has changed over time. They use a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Constructing a Timeline of African History

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create a timeline of African History. In groups, they research and describe eight different important periods in the country's history. They apply this information to compare and contrast them and how it has allowed Africa to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Influences on Musical Styles

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discuss music of other eras students discuss the influence of elements such as politics, social events, etc. on music of the time. They examine the cause and effect of musical diversity after watching a video segment: "Behind...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Langston Hughes

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students identify similarities between Hughes' poetry and music (jazz and the blues).
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Immigrant's Story

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students discuss famous examples of historical fiction as a genre and why it is used so often. They create an original piece of historical fiction by developing a character who is an immigrant to the United States. They are assessed...
Lesson Plan
Museum of Science

Open Window: Using Leonardo's Perspectograph

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students look through one eye and trace the outlines of objects seen through a window to create a drawing with natural and correct perspective.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Name That Tune

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders listen to different types of music, then categorize them into two different areas of classification.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mind over Matter

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders create new devices out of everyday objects.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Research Project

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders use research, word-processing, graphic skills and a multi-media presentation. They complete a research project that meets the requirements for the Grade 6 Renaissance report.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Akan Gold Weights and Understanding their Proverbial Meanings

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars examine a variety of gold weights used by the Asante in West Africa. In groups, they discuss the purpose of the gold weights and practice saying proverbs associated with different pieces of art. To end the lesson, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Woman Holding Plum Blossoms

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils contrast and compare the definition of beauty in Tang dynasty China with that of America today in this high school Social Studies lesson. The lesson concludes with a small group activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orfeo: Sinfonie e Ritornelli

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students identify the dramatic expression made by performance and how it relates to the content of the story L'Orfeo. They determine the form of orchestra and each instrumental group within the orchestra for this piece.