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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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Conveying Message Through Musical Composition
Students listen to and discuss various protest songs from the 1960's, and write original lyrics for a song addressing global or societal issues. They write a paragraph evaluating the efficacy of the song to convey a message.
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Individual vs. Social Responsibility: From Camus to the Cure
Students explore the individual's role in society. In this social responsibility lesson, students analyze Camus's The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus as well as Borges's "Rosendo's Tale." Students compare the themes of the pieces to...
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Give Peace a Chance
High schoolers research protest songs of the Vietnam War era. They search for information on the artists and motivation for the lyrics. They interview people who remember the music from that era and bring back information they found.
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Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Lesson 5
Students identify many genres of Black music. They listen to examples of black artists playing songs of social concious, then identify issues that are addressed by today's Black artists.
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Social and Cultural Issues in the Civil Rights Movement
Middle schoolers watch videos, listen to speeches and analyze the information that is presented about the civil rights movement. They examine visual art of the period.
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Social Sstudies: Change in Space and Time
Students examine the dynamics of change and compare and contrast it with other cultures. They cite examples of how people change over time and explain why it is necessary. Students organize a skit, Webpage, or Powerpoint presentation...
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A Penny for Your Thoughts, Movies, or Music?
High schoolers investigate copyright violation laws. In this media copyright instructional activity, students read two articles that discuss copyright laws, then they develop their own perspective on the laws. High schoolers...
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Political Campaign Ads
During a political campaign, you can hardly turn around without encountering an endorsement or attack on a candidate. High schoolers examine the ways that negative advertisement, positive advertisements, and everything in between can...
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Drafting a Recording Contract
Students study the issues involved in a recording artist's contract looking at the contract from both the artist's and record company's point of view. They write a contract based on what they discover.
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Rights and Responsibilities: Grass Born to Be Stepped On
Students use the Internet and other resources to research an aspect of history that illustrates rights and responsibilities, including historical events, issues and ideas, and the people involved.
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Jazz in America
Learners explore Free Jazz and Fusion by answering questions and listening to music.
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Rights and Responsibilities in History
Learners research rights and responsibilities in historic themes using primary source documents. They produce an iMovie including appropriate images and sounds.
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And Then One Night, The Making of Dead Man Walking: Classroom Content
High schoolers examine how art and music help to define and unify a social movement and also how they can function as symbols of protest. They watch KQED program And Then One Night: The Making of Dead Man Walking and discuss what happens...
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The Power of Images
Students explore emotions represented in artwork. For this cross curriculum social studies and art lesson, students explain examples of political and social issues expressed in artwork by Dorthea Lang, Diego Rivera, Dan Eldon, as...
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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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"We'd Like to Thank You, Herbert Hoover"
Students examine video clips and Web sites related to relevant productions, study song lyrics, and compare and contrast actual history with Broadway history. They create lyrics for a new song based on a contemporary or historical figure...
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Renaissance Feast & Fancy
Ninth graders investigate the recreation, music, clothing, and food of the Renaissance period. In small groups, they research a topic, and plan activities, music, food, and costumes to be used in a Renaissance Feast.
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Democracy…Not Yet!
Students analyze the concept of democracy. In this democratic values lesson, students analyze the lyrics of selected popular music that address issues that challenge the role of United States as a world leader. Students create exhibits...
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GET UP, STAND UP: Fighting for Rights Around the World
Students explore basic human rights as they explore music by black artists. In this human rights lesson, students examine music as a cultural reflection of the justice issues. Students analyze Jamaican roots reggae of the 70s, American...
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Lomax the Songhunter
Students write in their journals about the role of music in their lives. They discuss the media's use of music and watch a video clip about someone who prohibited the use of music. They create an illustration to show the folklife in...
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Global Happiness Through Music
Seventh graders discover their cultural and musical identities by collecting data and make journal entries. They create music artist booklet highlighting their musical tastes. Students perform music selection for an audience.
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Holiday Cards using Publisher
Students create a holiday card using technology. In this technology lesson plan, students use Publisher templates to create a holiday card. Students organize, design, and edit their card.
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Conjunto Music from South Texas
Students listen to conjunto music and identify the instrumentation. After discussing the the history of South Texas, they examine lyrics of several songs and interpret them. As extensions, students can learn to partner dance to the...