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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

What is real or imagined? The lines of beauty reality, and imagination are blurred in Elizabeth Peyton's portraits of her community. Learners analyze her use of artistic technique in conveying real and imagined communities. They then use...

Nicki Minaj is a pop and fashion icon to today's youth. Here, they will read an article about her and what she wore to the MTV Music Awards. They read the article, then attempt to fill in the missing words from several of the paragraphs....

Elizabeth Peyton is an artist who creates images of people (often famous) that she doesn't personally know. These images become part of her imagined community. Learners analyze her work, her community of imagined friends, and then create...

Art, identity, and an imaginary community, three components that should make for an interesting lesson. Critical thinkers explore and evaluate the work of contemporary artist, Elizabeth Peyton. They discuss her use of subject and art to...

Marketing, lighting, setting the stage, and a script. It sounds like we're going to be putting on a show! Your enthusiastic young actors research pop culture in all its facets, then set to work to write a polished script and perform an...

How has music influenced culture? This can be a great way to start this presentation on Bali and Indio pop. Balinese music from the past and how it has changed because of modern pop influences is covered in this informational resource....

Upper graders view the animated short, "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and analyze how the music score was chosen to express the scene. They create an animation as they listen to a classical recording to experience the connection between...

Music has been used to convey thoughts, feelings, and the human condition for thousands of years. Your class will analyze several songs hear in the animated classic, "Charlie Brown." They will listen to several jazz pieces from the show,...

Explore concepts of audience, purpose and symbols in this lesson from Media Smarts that asks students to consider all the functions of music. Through a series of discussions and activities, your class will brainstorm possible functions...

An interesting way to incorporate pop culture and the elements that make a book good. Kids watch a clip from MTV Cribs, they discuss how good or bad books are similar to good or bad homes. They are all different and not everybody will...

Send your high schoolers on a scavenger hunt through popular culture (music, television, video games, movies) to find allusions to Shakespeare. They must each provide three to share with the class, and the one they present cannot have...

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,...