MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Magical Musical Tour: Using Lyrics to Teach Literary Elements
Language arts learners don't need a lecture about poetry; they listen to poetry every day on the radio! Apply skills from literary analysis to famous songs and beautiful lyrics with a lesson about literary devices. As...
Curated OER
Rock & Roll through Literary Terms: An Upbeat Lyrical Adventure
Students participate in a variety of activities surrounding Rock & Roll music, lyrics, drama and visual art and how they all help demonstrate examples of literary terms. They use Rock & Roll as an effective aid to stimulate their...
Curated OER
Music of My Heart
High schoolers view and discuss the movie, Music of the Heart. They compare/contrast two versions of the song, Music of My Heart, identify characteristics of heroes, and sing the song, Music of My Heart.
Curated OER
Halloween Sing Along
First graders get ready for Halloween while engaging in a spirited sing-along. They sing the song "Halloween" along with the teacher as they clap to keep rhythm with the music. Note: This song or song lyrics are not included.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Hopi Traditional Dance and Song
Very few outsiders get to see the Hopi "Butterfly Dance." However, using approved footage from the tribe, class members consider the importance of symbols in Hopi culture by watching the dance and analyzing lyrics from its songs....
Curated OER
Yankee Doodle... More than Just a Catchy Tune
Students investigate the history of patriotic music and practice singing the tunes with classmates. In this U.S. History lesson, students examine lyrics of the traditional song "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and discuss the differing points...
Friends of Fort McHenry
Sensory “Star Spangled Banner”
Music can help us to access memories and events in a meaningful way, and Francis Scott Key used specific words to convey what he had seen and felt when writing what would become America's national anthem. Help your class connect to...
Curated OER
Oh Shenandoah
Students sing Oh Shenandoah with correct notes, diction, a characteristic choral tone, appropriate style and have an understanding of the history of the lyrics. The version of Oh Shenandoah is for an SSA choir and was arranged by Ruth...
Curated OER
VH1 Driven: Kanye West
Young scholars watch a video excerpt about the life of Kanye West. They draw connections between his life and their own and compose a rap song in the style of West, using his song, "Through the Wire" as an example.
Curated OER
SATIRE AND POLITICS
Students, after analyzing a satiric song written during the Prohibition era, illustrate how humor can be utilized as a political tool by writing satiric lyrics on a current political issue at the front of the news world today. They...
Curated OER
"Let's Write a Song"
Fourth graders analyze, brainstorm and practice playing a melody/pattern with rhythm, tempo, dynamics, and instrumental pieces of many styles. In addition, they create an original piece of music.
Curated OER
"The Star-Spangled Banner"
Students perform a song using correct posture, correct rhythms, and accurate pitches. They read musical notation and lyrics of various patriotic tunes, analyze the purpose and meaning of patriotic songs, discuss the social and cultural...
Curated OER
The Element of Color
Eighth graders study and analyze the elements of color by creating an personalized color wheel. Emphasis is placed on constructive criticism of student work by others for assessment. Students create short poems for their color wheel...
Curated OER
Vitamin A
Students explore non-locomotor movements and instrument improvisation creating accompaniments to the song "Vitamin A" in this elementary-level General Music lesson. The lesson nutrition messages links and student challenges for advanced...
Curated OER
Frida Kahlo Art
Students analyze Frida Kahlo as an artist and her artworks. In this art analysis lesson, students review the art of Kahlo and her self-portrait. Students make their own self-portrait.
Curated OER
One Song, Many Voices
Students discuss the purpose and meaning of the song "One Song, Many Voices" and how the music expresses the composer's message. Students sing, conduct, and analyze two different songs during the instructional activity in a choir...
Curated OER
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Students sing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" with others in small groups and as an entire class. Using correct posture, correct rhythms, and accurate pitches, students play improvised melodies as accompaniment to the song. This lesson emphasizes...
Curated OER
The Eerie Canal
Young scholars discover bodies of water in the United States by investigating the Eerie Canal. In this U.S. Geography lesson, students discuss Lake Eerie and the canal that was built in order to transport goods. Young...