Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian In Your Classroom: The Music in Poetry

For Teachers K - 12th
Take poetry off the page and put it into terms of movement, physical space and, finally, music with this series of three lessons from the Smithsonian Institution. This resource introduces students to two poetic forms that originated as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Popular Music and Music Videos

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Same and Different Through Music and Art

For Teachers K
This lesson is intended for a music class but would be a great way to teach compare and contrast to any class. Kindergarteners dance the Hokey Pokey to four different styles of music and examine two paintings of Humpty Dumpty, then...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Function of Music

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

If Paintings Could Talk: Art and Language

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers learn about the artist Canaletto, play a vocabulary game, and create a landscape using collage technique. Background information on the artist is provided along with instructions for the game and vocabulary words to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MUSICAL ELEMENTS OF THE LITTLE PRINCE

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students demonstrate knowledge of musical instruments and the families of the orchestra. They acknowledge different voice types found in opera. Students interpret emotional expressions through listening. They compose sounds to express...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The South, the North and the Great Migration: Blues and Literature

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Here is a complex lesson plan that interweaves the history of the Jim Crow South and the Great Migration with the study of poetry, art, and blues music from the Harlem Renaissance. The plan helps young historians develop a deep...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Composing Music

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore music appreciation by creating their own music pieces in class. In this music composition lesson, students collaborate in small groups with their instruments and compose a short song which they will play for class....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Musical Sounds

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students investigate music appreciation by completing worksheets. In this musical arts lesson, students complete worksheets in which they identify different musical instruments, the sounds they make and the family of instruments they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Poets Got Them Blues

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Contemplate what music learners listen to and why they listen. Can they find poetry within music lyrics? Specifically hone in on blues lyrics and ruminate upon the social issues prevalent in the themes. Particular song lyrics coincide...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cover the Music

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore U.S. history by listening to musical pieces in class. In this Civil War era lesson, students discuss the types of musical instruments that were available to soldiers during the war and the themes of their songs. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pop Tops

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Get your class primed for a comparative analysis lesson with this activity. They compare and contrast their music preferences to those of their classmates. After reading an article, they identify current trends in popular music, analyze...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Television Newscasts

For Teachers 11th - 12th
When we watch news broadcasts on television, we receive a much more visual perspective than when we read the newspaper. How do sets, clothing, and music contribute to our understanding of the story? Compare American and Canadian news...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hip-Hop: A Journalist's View

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars watch a CNN television news special about hip-hop and write a review. Using the internet, they investigate the pros and cons of the music while interviewing students on their opinions. They examine the growth of this type...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stop Signs, Musical Notes, Letters & Logos: Designing Symbols

For Teachers K - 1st
Students develop an awareness of environmental print, such as signs, logos, brand names, and other print and non-print items that the children see and read in their neighborhood each day. They then engage in active problem solving as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music To My Ears: The District of Columbia Quarter

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students practice identifying different genres of music by creating posters.  In this music appreciation lesson, students research Duke Ellington and complete worksheets based on his style of music, Jazz.  Students collaborate...
Lesson Plan
Bright Hub Education

Advertisement Analysis

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers review magazine ads and take a look at some of the most common advertising techniques. From analyzing these ads, youngsters begin to become aware of how advertisers target specific age groups, gender groups, and how they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Body Language? The Language of Contemporary Fashion

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the messages given to others based on their clothing. In groups, they compare and contrast the clothes of today with those from the 1980s. While being shown a picture of a piece of clothing, they practice object...
Lesson Plan
Ellsworth American

Think About the Newspaper

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Investigate the significance of adjectives with a newspaper activity that addresses effective language. Readers probe teacher-provided articles in search of the mighty modifiers, and practice by replacing them with a different word, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Media Literacy Analyzed

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Fourth and fifth graders define the term media literacy, then come up with examples that they share with the class. The types of media studied are auditory, visual, and written. Learners get together in pairs and perform a media...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arkansas Festivals of the Land

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle Schoolers research Arkansas community festivals which are tied to the landscape. They create brochures that reflect the festival from a geographical and historical perspective and share them with the class. This ambitious and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hype!

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Eight various activities have your learners looking at hype in the media. Advertisements for films, politics, music, and philanthropy all contribute to emotional appeals and marketing strategies trying to convince consumers to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Letter Sound Accuracy, Musical Chairs

For Teachers K
Students explore word structure by participating in a game of musical chairs. In this phonics lesson, students discuss the letters of the alphabet and identify words that begin with each letter and the sounds they make. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mozart and Music

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders experience performing arts by participating in a music performance. In this music history lesson, 5th graders practice playing notes on an instrument in class and discuss the challenges associated with making music....