Curated OER
Our Town: Using Song Lyrics in the Classroom
Bruce Springsteen’s “My Hometown” and Billy Joel’s “Allentown” motivate young lyricists to craft poems about their own home town. Groups compare the two songs, identifying details, symbols, and conflicts. Individuals then picture a place...
Curated OER
VH1 Storytellers for Save the Music Starring Billy Joel
Students use a Billy Joel song to write a scenerio about it.
Curated OER
VH1 Storytellers for Save the Music Starring Billy Joel
Young scholars pretend they are taking a certain job in the music industry and respond to questions.
Curated OER
VH1 Storytellers for Save the Music Starring Billy Joel
Students examine recordings of Billy Joel.
Curated OER
Intro to Cold War
Eleventh graders are introduced to the events between the years 1949 and 1989. They list and explain key events and people that contributed to the development of the Cold War. Students are asked "what do you think Billy Joel meant by...
Reed Novel Studies
The Year of Billy Miller: Novel Study
Can you really knock the sense into someone? It seems that the bump on Billy's head changed his perspective on things in The Year of Billy Miller. Readers discover that after his injury, Billy appreciates his parents more and is nicer to...
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Just Chill: Don’t Stress Out!
Billy Joel's song, "Pressure," opens a instructional activity that teaches some techniques to deal with pressure and stressors, significant factors that contribute to aging and poor health. Throughout the four-day instructional activity,...
Curated OER
Our Town
With the songs "My Hometown" by Bruce Springsteen and "Allentown" by Billy Joel, learners examine external versus internal conflict. When they have finished the first part of the lesson, they create their own poem (or song) about the...
Texas Education Agency (TEA)
Effectively Managing Stress
Billy Joel's song "Pressure" launches a four-day study of stress; what it is, what causes it, and how stress impacts the body. Class members watch a presentation and short videos about effectively managing stress and then groups research...
Curated OER
The Cold War Era 1949-1989: What Really Happened
This novel approach to a discussion of the Cold War can be a way to introduce the topic in your classroom. The presentation is supposed to be played in conjunction with the song "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel. It features lists...
Curated OER
Fires of the 21st Century
High schoolers explore historical perspectives. In this contemporary history lesson, students listen to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," discuss they lyrics, and add a new verse to the song for the years 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Curated OER
Fall of Soviet Union/Rise of Chinese Communism
Ninth graders examine the reasons for the fall of communism in the Soviet Union and the rise of communism in China. They listen to a lecture and complete slot notes, listen to and read the lyrics to the song "We Didn't Start the Fire"...
Curated OER
The Cold War in Popular Music
Students analyze pop culture songs to identify cold war themes and chart. They comprehend and explain why the Cold War took place and ended and assess its significance as a 20th century event. Students conduct a song analysis of the...
Curated OER
Studies of the Eastern Worlds: Historical Summaries
Seventh graders interpret their own meaning of the painting, "Christ's Descent into Hell" by Hieronymus Bosch and the song "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel. They focus on the chaos created in both the art and music and discuss...
Curated OER
Musical Poetry
Students analyze lyrics of their favorite songs as examples of alliteration, metaphor, Onomatopoeia, personification, rhyme, and simile to determine the purpose of these devices in poetry. They use their analysis to create a presentation...
Curated OER
"We Didn't Start the Fire"
Students extract geographical and historical information from the lyrics of a popular song, make associations between people, places, and events, and plot their information on a map.
Curated OER
At The Theatre Quiz 1
In this at the theatre quiz 1 worksheet, students answer 20 questions, not interactively, about the theatre, then scroll down to check their answers.
Curated OER
Basic Waltz Steps
Learn the five basic waltz steps: box step, under arm turn, walt left box or waltz right box, hesitation step, and progressive waltz step. Teach a little about the history of the waltz and the countries from which it came: Germany and...
Curated OER
The Cold War: Solving the Mystery of History with Voices on Vinyl
Eighth graders explore the Cold War Era. In this world history lesson, 8th graders discover the positions taken by countries during the Cold War as they listen to lectures regarding the major events and turning points in the Cold War....
Curated OER
Sharing Your Music - Lesson 5
Students observe that music can communicate positive social messages. They create a theme concert with a positive social message after watching a video of famous artists playing on Sesame Street.
Curated OER
Intro to the Cold War
Eleventh graders examine the Cold War. In this American History lesson, 11th graders develop answers to comprehension questions about the song "We Didn't Start the Fire". Students write a persuasive essay at the end of the unit.
Curated OER
VH1 Road to Fame: Harry Connick Jr.
Students examine musicians of the past and examine their music.