National Endowment for the Humanities
John Steinbeck’s "The Grapes of Wrath": The Inner Chapters
Here’s a must-have resource for anyone using The Grapes of Wrath. Everything from guiding questions to background information, from photographs to documentary films, from activities to assessments is included in a richly detailed packet...
Curated OER
Music
First graders identify ways in which math and language arts relate to their music. After being read a book, they sing a song about who took the cookies from the cookie jar. They recognize repeated patterns in the melody and rhythm and...
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Doo-Wop Pop
Doo-Wop Pop, by Roni Schotter is story that focuses on music and performing arts. Language arts activities include phonics, music, writing about dreams, poetry, and writing a letter are included in this literature guide. Furthermore...
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Low and High with Ives
First graders read the Poem "The Elephant" by Shel Silverstein and create a descriptive web in the shape of an animal. In this cross curricular music lesson, 1st graders recite a poem with rhythm, then listen to the song "The Circus Band...
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What is Timbre?
Young scholars analyze the differences in similar songs. In this music appreciation lesson, students discover the meaning of timbre and how it can drastically change similar pieces of music. Young scholars sing two pieces of music with...
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Dance: Discovering the Culture of Gullah
It's wonderful to see a lesson that incorporates art, movement, and writing. These three forms of creative expression are explored as learners dance to music from the Gullah people of West Africa. They analyze several paintings, listen...
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Learning the Blues
Learners take a virtual field trip to Memphis, Tennessee in their study of the blues, its characterisitics, founding fathers, and histororical influence on modern music. They compose blues lyrics that reflect present-day attitudes and...
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Experiencing "Romeo and Juliet"
Ninth graders read and analyze the William Shakespeare play "Romeo and Juliet" and compare it to the 1996 modern version of the play and the movie "West Side Story." They write an essay comparing and contrasting the three versions.
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Lesson: Elizabeth Peyton: Pictures of Royalty: The Imagined
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...
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How Music Motivates
Young scholars form conclusions regarding the motivational effects of music on the mind during the Civil Rights era. In this Civil Rights movement lesson, students describe how music motivates, describe the motivational role in freedom...
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Patriotic Arts: Influencing Canadians At War
Students study how war has shaped Canadian life, patriotism, propaganda, and music. They research primary source documents, novels, videos, and songs before celebrating Remembrance Day.
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Singing: Mi, So, La
Little ones learn the tones mi, so, and la by singing an answer to a sung question. They play a name game to identify beat, then discuss songs with no beat. If there is time during this musical instruction lesson, they dance about the...
North Carolina Standard Curriculum
Rhythm Counting
Understanding time signatures and rhythm counting are two very important parts of playing an instrument well. Here are three basic lessons rolled into one that prompt upper graders to play their instruments with care. They'll practice...
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Learning through The Duke
Students study Duke Ellington's contributions to the field of jazz. They write poetry using language that was popular in the 1920's. They listen to a piece of Duke Ellington jazz and respond with at painting.
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Rooster's Night Out
Mitch Weiss and Martha Hamilton's Rooster's Night Out, a retelling of a classic Cuba folktale, launches a cross-curricular study of Cuban cultural traditions. Class members draw the characters from the book, participate in math and...
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What Makes a Hero?
Students identify the characteristics of a hero. In this character development and writing lesson, students listen to music with a hero theme and discuss the common traits of heroes. Students explore individuals and charitable...
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Splish! Splash! From the Bath to my Glass
An excellent lesson on the water cycle! In it, learners should gain a general understanding of the water cycle, along with how water first falls as precipitation, then ends up coming out of our faucets. This lesson nicely integrates...
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Rap as Lyrical Poetry
Students investigate the history of rap as an analysis of lyrical poetry and hip hop culture. In this rap analysis lesson, students watch a PBS NewsHour clip about the difference between rap music and hip hop culture. Students analyze...
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Musical Makeover
Students explore the importance of folk music is various ethnic cultures.
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Music and Lyrics
Eighth graders analyze lyrics from songs from a variety of genres. In this musical analysis lesson, 8th graders write an essay about their life plans in which they discuss the lyrics of U2's song, "One." They tell how the writings of Dr....
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Great Online Art Sites
Learners complete an online study of art websites. In this art and technology instructional activity, students explore the links and try the activities to learn about art online.
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How to Teach Dolch Words with Kid Pix
Students use KidPix computer program to learn Dolch sight words. In this technology and language lesson, students type their Dolch sight words into KidPix to create a quasi-sentence.
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Arts Directors
Students reflect on a personally meaningful live performance and the circumstances necessary to create art. They study about the current leadership crisis facing the Met, Carnegie Hall, and the Public theater. In groups, students...
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The Very Busy Spider Art Project
Students listen to the story The Very Busy Spider and participate in an art activity related to the book. In this story inspired art lesson, students use a Very Busy Spider printable and cut out the spider's body and connect the...