Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Censorship in America

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students follow resource links to study the history of art censorship in the US. They study the work of the FCC and the Hip-Hop 4 Peace campaign.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sharing Beauty Through Song

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students perform a song for their school community. In this music lesson, students sing the philanthropic song See Me Beautiful by Red Grammar and reflect upon the lyrics. Students perform the song for their school community.
Interactive
Curated OER

Bessie Smith

For Students 8th - 12th
For this jazz history worksheet, students respond to 7 essay and short answer questions about the life and accomplishments of Bessie Smith.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Wanted, a Substitute

For Students 8th - 12th
In this primary source analysis worksheet, learners analyze an American Civil War song. Students respond to 5 short answer questions about the song and its lyrics.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Farm

For Teachers Pre-K - 3rd
Students explore repetition in music. In this music lesson, students discover the lyrics of a folk song from Argentina about farm animals. Students read about farms and the animals found on farms prior to learning the song in high and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Songs from the Past

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Learners research songs from the past to learn about historical events. For this music history lesson, students conduct a survey on the Star-Spangled Banner, research the song and history on various websites, and research songs in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Border Goes to Hollywood

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view a movie or tv show, or listen to music to analyze the ways border life is depicted in arts and entertainment.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mexico's Culture

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students compare and contrast the culture of Mexico to the United States. They brainstorm what makes up a culture and develop a model of their own culture. Students explore Mexican music and dance. Additional cross curriculum activities...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Empathy and the Vietnam War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students 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. Students particpate in a role-play activity...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Now's the Time, Charlie Parker Now's the Time, Eddie Jefferson

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars delve into the music of bebop style jazz and the life and talents of some of the great musicians. The styles of Charlie Parker and James Moody are compared and contrasted in this instructional activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oh My Darling

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students discuss human interaction with the environment and sing "Clementine" with historical fiction lyrics. They create a map or model of a mining camp in which Clementine may have lived. They discuss what might happen to their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Star-Spangled Banner

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore the Star-Spangled Banner. In this civics lesson plan, students read the lyrics of the song as well as a handout that details its creation. Students respond to discussion questions from the handout.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

International Curiosity and National Pride

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Pupils analyze their own culture and a Bulgarian culture to identify national, local, or ethnic traits. For this culture analysis lesson, students identify three important characteristics of their culture and compose a list of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Songs That Bring Us Together

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students listen to the song, Get Together, and discuss the theme. They list topics that bring people together, write the lyrics to and sing a class song, and write a paragraph about message songs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

One World

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore the urban socioeconomic and political problems in the US that caused hip hop to emerge in the 70's and 80's. Hip Hop culture is explored and related to the genre of art form.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students listen to and discuss the characteristics of Motown music. They recognize Motown music by its titles.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Turn of the Century: Songs and Events from 1900 to 1920

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research songs and events from the time period 1900 to 1920. They work in groups to create visual displays of the songs and historical references. At the conclusion of the unit, a concert will be held to perform the songs and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sounds of Change

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners recognize that music brings out feelings and emotions in people. In this music themes instructional activity, students explore the relationships between culture and music. Learners answer questions about favorite choices in music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating an Original Opera

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students research the lyrical and dramatic structure of opera through Internet sources and audio examples, cooperatively discuss elements of opera stories vs. their own lives and create one-act opera based on their own life experiences.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lady Sings the Blues

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students explore women and music in the 20th century. In this music instructional activity, students study the relationship between literature and music through The Color Purple and music by Ethel Waters, MA Rainey, Bessie Smith, Billie...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning the Blues

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students become familiar with the characteristic form and sound of the blues, then learn about the history and evolution of the blues in relationship to the African-American experience. Students examine the structure and language of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Rights Violations In America, A Historical Review

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze an event where a person or groups of people were singled out because of their race, religion, nationality or sexuality. They interpret the song "Scarecrow" by Melissa Etheridge and apply the lyrics to the events they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mystery of Eleanor Rigby Revealed

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders examine who Eleanor Rigby is in the song by the beatles. In this Beatles music lesson, 9th graders read an article. Students complete a set of guided questions. 
Lesson Plan
Manchester College

Spain – Culture and Famous Landmarks

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Introduce your class to Spain and liven up the class period with some Spanish pop music! Learners view a presentation about Spain and take notes on the information before watching a couple of music videos in Spanish. They use listening...