Curated OER
Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum
High schoolers explore the American dream. In this contemporary music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs by Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, and David Massengill. High schoolers create 3-D representations of the American dream...
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Mending Walls: Barriers in Communications
Students explore a literal and figurative wall. In this communication lesson, students examine and discuss barriers in communication as they analyze Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and Robert Frost's "Mending Wall".
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Runaway Slaves
Students examine struggles for freedom. In this Underground Railroad lesson plan, students listen to "Follow the Drinking Gourd" and "Freedom" to lead them into a discussion regarding freedoms . Students watch the video "The Freedom...
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Empathy and the Vietnam War
Learners explore the implications of the draft during the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs that explore differents opinions of the Vietnam draft. Learners particpate in a role-play activity that...
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Vietnam Revisited
Students explore the impact of the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam and popular culture lesson, students research and plot major events in the conflict. Students interview people regarding their memories of the war and watch the movie " The...
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I Went to the Crossroads: The Faust Theme in Music, Film and Literature
Students analyze song lyrics and discuss Faust theme in musical history. In this thematic lesson, students view a film clip and create a song lyric, poem or short story developed around the Faust theme. Students perform or present their...
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The John Travolta Syndrome
Students examine the influence of music and film on contemporary fashion. In this popular culture lesson, students research select films featuring John Travolta. Students research selected time periods in American history as well....
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Rap Music and Hip-Hop
Students explore rap and hip hop music. In this music and culture lesson, students experience the music of Will Smith in order to work on language and communication skills such as rhyming words, writing, and public speaking.
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“And Still I Rise” Proud Black Women
Students examine the experiences of African American women. In this poetry lesson, students use their literary analysis skills to compare the poetry of Maya Angelou to rap music performed by Queen Latifah and Lauryn Hill.
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The Cold War
Tenth graders explore the origins of the Cold War. In this Cold War activity, 10th graders analyze selected songs and identify what historical events they reference. Students create a musical collage or timeline for the period since...
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Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey
Twelfth graders read lyrics for "My Hometown" and complete a worksheet to identify setting and tone in the song. In this Romanticism lesson, 12th graders read Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey by Wordsworth and discuss the...
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The Bill of Rights is a-Rockin
Learners explore the U.S. Constitution through music. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students discuss a hypothetical case regarding lyrics by Madonna and the historical Massachusetts Blue Laws. Learners use the Bill of Rights to support...
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Screening Coleridge’s Fantasies: Using Popular Music as a Bridge to Literacy
Twelfth graders use music to aid them in interpreting poetry. In this poetry lesson, 12th graders analyze the lyrics, figurative language, and literary devices of selected music. Students compare the music to the poetry of Samuel...
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Democracy…Not Yet!
Students analyze the concept of democracy. In this democratic values lesson plan, students analyze the lyrics of selected popular music that address issues that challenge the role of United States as a world leader. Students create...
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Feminism Does Not Have to be an F-Word
Students analyze social activism messages in music. In this feminism lesson, students explore selected music that expresses sentiments voiced in the women liberation movement in the United States. Students compare the lyrics of the songs...
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Timbre: Identifying the Tone Color of the Saxophone
Students explore the concept of timbre. For this timbre lesson, students experience timbres produced by saxophones in contemporary music. Students explore the science behind the music.
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Scops, Rappers and You: Historians with Style!
Students examine the epic poem Beowulf. For this analyzing poetry lesson, student compare listen to the Will Smith song "Wild, Wild West" and read Beowulf. Students analyze the song and the poem. Students then research an influential...
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Repetitive Song Form
Eighth graders discover different concepts for identifying musical structure and song form. In this Music History instructional activity, 8th graders compare and contrast a Red Hot Chili Peppers song to an Andrea Bocelli's song.
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John Lennon
In this famous people worksheet, students read a selection about the life of John Lennon, then complete a variety of comprehension activities including synonym matches, fill-in-the-blank sentence completions, unscrambling words and...