Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rhythm and Art: Gesture Drawing

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students make connection between music and art. In this integrated arts lesson, students complete gesture drawing activities as they listen to Cuban, flamenco, classical, jazz, and contemporary music. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rhythm and Art: Rhythm Collage

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers create a collage in response to musical rhythm. In this visual arts lesson plan, students will better understand the connection between visual arts and musical rhythm. High schoolers will follow the teacher's model of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Poetics of Hip Hop

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners consider the role of rhythm, form, diction, and sound in poetry. In this integrated arts lesson, students discuss the attributes of poetry as they analyze Shakespearean sonnets, hip hop music lyrics, and poems by Nikki...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The History of Rock and Roll: Part 10 - Up From the Underground - Lesson 2

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars discuss the societal roots of music from times of slavery and black spirituals, and compare it to the emergence of Rap and Hip Hop music.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pop on the Block

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students consider what makes a movie, television show, musical talent, or artist a cult classic and create descriptive lists of items from these phenomena that may be sold at auction.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Call and Response Singing

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners investigate call and response singing.  In this fine arts and U.S. history lesson, students listen to several call and response songs that were sung by African-American slaves during the period before the Civil War. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock & Roll through Literary Terms: An Upbeat Lyrical Adventure

For Teachers 7th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"ART ZOO 'Blacks in the Westward Movement', 'What Can You Do with a Portrait', and 'Of Beetles, Worms, and Leaves of Grass'"

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students study black history, examine portraits and portrait making and create their own portraits, and  investigate their natural environment. This humanities lesson provides a text that can be used to teach lessons in black...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Graffiti Project

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students inspect performing arts by participating in a class presentation. In this art collage lesson, students examine the graffiti art created on New York subways and discuss the life of Keith Haring. Students create their own images...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

M.C. Bard: Hip Hop and Shakespeare

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students compare lyrics from hip hop songs with monologues from Shakespeare's plays, and perform both for the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stone Passing Game with Calabash Song

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discuss games and their use around the world in many different cultures and how music and games are related. They discuss the rules of West African game then play a game from West Africa and review and learn the "Calabash" song...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music of Puerto Rico

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders study about the musical rhythms and instruments of Puerto Rico. Then they construct their own instruments using recycled products. Students listen to different genres of music and define them. Students focus on the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

I Went to the Crossroads: The Faust Theme in Music, Film and Literature

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze song lyrics and discuss Faust theme in musical history. In this thematic lesson, students view a film clip and create a song lyric, poem or short story developed around the Faust theme. Students perform or present their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Motown Dynasty (1969-1980) Part 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners connect achievements of noted artists with their roles in the music industry. They identify many Black music industry leaders and their contributions with the Motown Sound.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rhyming With Ramon

For Teachers K
Students study the importance of being clean and healthy while working with rhyming words. They waddle like penguins when the hear rhyming words in sequences, and tap their feet and clap their hands in tune to a rap about being healthy....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rockin’ the World: Rock and Roll and Social Protest in 20th Century America

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore protest songs. In this interdisciplinary lesson, students examine issues-based music by summarizing lyrics and revealing inferences, generalizations, conclusions, and points of view found in the songs.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Lesson 5

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners identify many genres of Black music. They listen to examples of black artists playing songs of social concious, then identify issues that are addressed by today's Black artists.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America - Episode 3: Can I Get A Witness

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify many genres of music that influenced gospel and study examples of gospel music. They explain that gospel music is sacred and is usually performed with sincerity, dignity, and passion with vocal improvisation.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music in America - Episode 3: Can I Get A Witness: Lesson 2

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students watch a video on spiritual music, then engage in a discussion about the artists and styles mentioned in the video. They discuss vocal improvisation, and engage in a call and response to "This Little Light Of Mine.'
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Impact of Islamic Culture on the Arts of the Renaissance

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the linguistic and cultural impact of the Arabic language and Islamic culture on the Spanish language. They analyze and label maps, listen to and differentiate between Spanish and Arabic music, and compare and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Off the Record

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Music reflects culture and culture is reflected in popular music. Reading an article on how hip-hop has affected the lives of two young men of different races launches an investigation of the development and influences of various musical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Willie Nelson: All Together Now!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students recite Willie Nelson's lyrics in one voice and then analyze their tone and vocabulary usage. They research Willie Nelson's history and dramatize the song: "On the Road Again."
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Foods and Languages of the World

For Teachers K
Students study world cultures with an emphasis on languages and cultures. In this world cultures lesson, students study the countries of Spain, China, Italy, and the United States. Students read the story Everybody Cooks Rice and move...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music-Follow the Drinking Gourd

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd." For this dance lesson, 4th graders listen to the book by the same name, listen to the music, and in small groups create a short dance illustrating a stanza from the song.