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End-of-the-Year Celebration Program
Students sing songs, recite a poem, share what they can now do that they couldn't before and explain how they see their accomplishments. They read "Leo The Late Bloomer" and create graduation hats.
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A Study of Japan with the Haiku of Basho
Sixth graders explore haiku poetry and the works of the Japanese poet Basho. They review characteristics of haiku poetry and other forms of poetry. After they write three or more haiku poems, they illustrate one of them and share with...
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Music With a Message
Students write a line by line analysis of a song which they feel expresses a powerful message that can change society for the better. They then present their analysis to the class in an oral report.
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Poetry In the World Around Us
Students engage in a lesson which is designed as a literacy connection to science lessons on the effects of water on plants. This lesson uses an excellent Reading Rainbow episode on the effect of drought, and then rainfall, have on the...
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Rockin' and Rollin'
Seventh graders, in groups, describe the three major types of rocks through either a song, skit, poem, etc. They present their work to the class during a "rock concert."
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Exploring the Self
Students examine a variety of songs, poems, and books exploring and analyzing the theme of self reliance and being true to one's self. They write a poem, essay, or letter that captures their true spirit and individuality and then they...
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Moving West
Students research the Westward Movement and struggles encountered by the pioneers as they moved from Nebraska, Westward along the Oregon Trail. In this Westward Expansion activity, students read an Oregon Trail poem and visit 5 different...
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Repetitive Song Form
Eighth graders discover different concepts for identifying musical structure and song form. In this Music History lesson, 8th graders compare and contrast a Red Hot Chili Peppers song to an Andrea Bocelli's song.
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Math: Musical Patterns
Students employ their five senses to interpret and duplicate instrumental patterns. Following the teacher's patterns, students clap their hands and later use instruments such as bells, triangles, or cymbals to create their own "songs."
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"The Block": Romare Bearden's and Mine
Students study Bearden's style of collage and create their own collage that reflects their neighborhood. They are read "The Block" and poems about neighborhoods and write one about theirs.
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Exploring the Self
High schoolers use different pieces of music and writings to explore the theme of self-reliance and individuality. After viewing a video clip, they discuss how the images made them feel. They keep a writing journal to evaluate their...
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Lesson Plan for Granny Will Your Dog Bite and Other Mountain Rhymes
Sixth graders practice choral reading of poetry. In this creative literature instructional activity, 6th graders incorporate elements of performing arts into their choral readings of various poems. They discuss musical...
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The Ogre Bully
Students listen to the book, The Ogre Bully, and discuss the problems the farmer and his family had during the story. In this garden themed lesson, students examine different fruit and vegetables and plant them in soil to...
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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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Die Lorelei
Students use a traditional German Folksong to increase vocabulary. They use a traditional German folksong to identify a historical time period and explain the meaning of Die Lorelei.
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Do a Ditty
Fourth graders work in cooperative groups to create a ditty to teach the characteristics that distinguish literary forms to younger students. The ditty is performed before the class.
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Human Rights
Students explore the importance of laws and the need to speak up against wrong doing and how to bring change in society and in the law. They discuss the needs and concerns of others. Students explore the concept of bias and prejudice....
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Hoosier Artists
Students examine the paintings of various Indiana artists. Using the internet, they relate the landscapes shown to the history of the state and how it affected Native Americans. Using the information they gathered, they write story...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 40: Rock and Poetry: A Thematic Project
Rock music can serve as a way to increase student interest in the curriculum, and a way to help young scholars make sense of who they are and what their place is in the world, so asking students to bring in their own music to teach each...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 23: The Poetry of Jim Morrison
This instructional activity is designed to help young scholars recognize how lyrics by the rock-poet Jim Morrison connect with themes from diverse and respected traditional works. While William Blake's influence on Morrison is often...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 43: Screening Coleridge's Fantasies
Students are often hesitant to speak out with their own explications of literature, but usually have no qualms when asked to offer interpretations of popular musical lyrics. In fact, they seem quite eager to defend a lyrical explanation...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 17: Irony Made Understandable
One of the more difficult literary concepts to teach is irony, especially ironic point of view. Not only do students often miss the subtle linguistic clues, they become distracted by the issue of author's intent. Whether it's the classic...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 7: Using Rock to Teach Literary Devices
Jimi Hendrix's 'The Wind Cries Mary' is an ideal song, not just to illustrate personification, but also to demonstrate how poetic devices enhance the meaning of the poem. As soon as the students recognize that the speaker is mourning the...
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 2: Langston Hughes and the Blues
Explore relationship between music and poetry in this African-American history lesson on Langston Hughes, the Harlem Renaissance, and other artists such as Bessie Smith, John Hammond, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones.