The television and interstate highways both came of age in 1950s America. Scholars use film, text, and discussion to explore how these and other cultural icons shaped the literature of the time. Pupils also create a family history...

Pop music and marketing are thrown into the mix to make a fun and engaging lesson. Learners listen to several pop songs and discuss the differences in musical style. They then get into groups and work together to decide how they are...

Good enough for a college class, this resources discusses multiple aspects pertaining to the issues with globalization and the differences between pop and folk culture. It defines major terminology, provides concrete examples, and...

Youth, fame, and beauty are marks of modern society. Artist Elizabeth Peyton has captured all three in her series of imagined rock star portraits. The class analyzes her use of technique, emotion, and imagination in each of six pieces,...

Upper graders are tasked with developing a social consciousness as they analyze the impact of the news media. They view a presentation depicting various media events in order to understand threshold moments in history. There are three...

Middle schoolers look at different types of primary sources. They work with partners to analyze three popular culture primary sources. They write a paragraph telling whether they think it belongs in a time capsule. They will also...

Identify different genres of music popular in the 80's and 90's. Learners will identify the current issues and musical elements that made them popular to make comparisons to music of the 60's.

To conclude a unit study of Jason Reynold's Ghost, class members examine how Castle's feeling about his bedroom change over the course of the novel. Groups use the provided graphic organizer to identify the plot of the novel and then use...

As part of a study of Jason Reynold's Ghost, readers take a close look at sneaker culture and how Reynold uses sneakers as a symbol in his award-winning young adult novel. Groups explore links to "Sneakerology 101", a Carnegie Mellon...

Melting pot, salad bowl, or mixed salad? Those are the questions asked by a lesson on cultural diversity designed for high school social studies classes. Pupils watch a short video, gather in groups to answer questions posed by a...

Are listicles a satisfying intellectual treat? Or do they ruin the capacity of the mind? While learners may enjoy lists that run the gamut from politics to cute animals, experts unpack the psychology of what makes these tidbits of...

In an invertebrate beauty pageant, why do millipedes always scuttle away with the crown? Part four of a five-part series of Invertebrate videos compares and contrasts the millipede with the centipede in terms of diet, behavior, and body...

Popular culture can pack a powerful punch when it comes to creating awareness around an issue! Teams collaborate to create a pop-culture-themed message during a digital citizenship lesson. Part of a vast library of resources, the...

Money talks ... especially in the media world! How do finances influence the media we see? Answer that, and many other questions using a video in a media literacy series. The narrator discusses how economic reasons influence media...

Teenagers are the first to agree that they are the frontrunners in popular culture. But how much of their image is constructed by individualism, and how much of it have they bought from capitalistic sources? Roland...

Spark an animated debate in your class! Young adults consider some of the fads or trends that are prevalent at their school, as well as their own level of participation in them. Just how much of a role does popular culture play in their...

This resource is part of a three-activity unit that introduces your class to the concept of popular culture and the role that it plays in their lives. Here, learners examine the importance of the music industry and music videos in pop...

What part does media play in creating, defining, and perpetuating popular culture? High schoolers chart their encounters with fads, trends, and icons and reflect on the media's influence on popular culture.

Encourage your pupils to think critically about media and the messages media portrays. Starting off with a quick-write about pop culture, this assignment launches into a hands-on, collaborative collage project. After creating collages,...

Discuss the very interesting topic of the impact of rock and pop culture with your class. How is youth culture tied to rock and pop culture? Why were The Beatles so overwhelmingly popular? What effect did Beatlemania have on youth,...

One of three lessons on gender stereotype, this resource from the Media Awareness Network discusses the violence that is inflicted on men and women as they try to live up to the stereotypes of their gender. The section on women focuses...

High schoolers explore the relationship between video games and actual population. Example: A 2005 study showed Latino youth play at higher rates than other groups, but there are no Latino playable characters. They watch a brief video...

The Beatles, Teddy Boys, and Winston Churchill all have one thing in common. They are all part of British culture after the 1930s. Learners play an adapted version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire to answer 15 common-knowledge questions...