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DiscoverE

Arts and Engineering Activity Packet: Grades 3-5

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Art and science sometimes go hand in hand. A set of four activities for learners in grades 3-5 teaches engineering concepts as part of art projects. Class members build homemade robots, elastic puppets, musical instruments, and...
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Phantom of Opera

The Phantom of the Opera: Ideas for Research and Discussion

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
You could spend a full day discussing The Phantom of the Opera and not scratch the surface, but a set of lessons about the literary elements and themes of the musical production is a great start. Young thespians build upon the...
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Canada's National Arts Center

Vivaldi and The Four Seasons

For Students 4th - 6th
Did you know that Vivaldi’s orchestra was largely made up of girls from an orphanage? Fun facts like this fill a 34-page teacher's kit designed to accompany a cross-curricular study of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons. 
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Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

West Side Story Suite and In The Night Fancy Free

For Teachers 8th - 12th
West Side Story and Romeo & Juliet—two classics in their own rights that help young literature lovers better analyze different works. Learners research and compare the characters and story elements of West Side Story and Romeo...
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Illinois Music Education Conference

Taking the “General” Out of Middle School General Music!

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Middle schoolers will sing the praises of this music program. The resource, designed as an overview for music instructors, is loaded with ideas, activities, and links. Not a sour note in the packet. 
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National Constitution Center

Born in the U.S.A: Music as Political Protest

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
Though often used in shows of patriotism, Bruce Springsteen's 1985 song "Born in the U.S.A." is critical of America's role in the Vietnam war and its treatment of American veterans. High schoolers analyze the song's lyrics in an activity...
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Curated OER

Musical Activities for Early Childhood Inclusion

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st Standards
Get your movers and shakers grooving to the beat with this series of musical activities designed to meet everyone's needs! Ten games, using an assortment of instruments, bring awareness to one's body, brain, and social interactions in a...
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Teaching Tolerance

Community Arts Showcase

For Teachers 6th - 12th
An art showcase encourages class members to explore the themes of social justice and tolerance. They create an original artwork, engage in group discussions, and journal writing. The art gallery also provides a chance for families and...
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Fun Music Company

Substitute Lesson Ideas For The Music Teacher

For Teachers K - 5th
Have to sub for a music class on short notice? Or have some extra time to play with? Never fear! Help is here in the form of 20 sure-fire music activities and worksheets tested and submitted by music teachers. A great resource to add to...
Lesson Plan
Mary Pope Osborne, Classroom Adventures Program

Dinosaurs Before Dark

For Teachers 1st - 5th Standards
Young readers travel back to the time of the dinosaurs in this literature unit based on the story Dinosaurs Before Dark. Intended for use with upper-elementary special education students, this resource provides reading...
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Curated OER

Lesson 3 - Lighting Design

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
The final lesson in a series on theatre design spotlights how lighting is incorporated into a production. After watching videos that focus on lighting fixtures and their positioning, individuals create a basic design plan for a scene,...
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Curated OER

A Study Guide for The Phantom of the Opera

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Immerse yourself in the beautiful, twisted world of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. A detailed lesson plan provides important details about the writing, stagecraft, music, and literary elements of the famous musical,...
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Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre

The Nutcracker Teacher Resource Guide

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Clara becomes Marie, The Mouse King becomes a rat, and the Shadyside section of Pittsburgh becomes the setting for a modern interpretation of Tchaikovsky's famous ballet. Intended as a resource guide for a 2012 performance, the...
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Library of Congress

Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the Fugitive Slave Act

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
From the time of its publication, Uncle Tom's Cabin has been controversial. To better understand the debate, class members first examine a broadside decrying the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, and then two newspaper reviews of the...
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Fabius-Pompey School District

Paired Passage Practice and the Extended Response Question

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
How do pupils relate paired passages to each other? Here's a resource that helps! The lesson includes a short story and a poem as a set of paired reading passages, followed by some analysis questions. It also includes an essay template...
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Dallas Symphony Orchestra

Musical Families

For Teachers K - 5th
Planning a trip to the symphony? Prepare first-time attendees for the experience with overheads that identify the roles played by the concertmaster, conductor, musicians, and even the audience. The musical families are introduced...
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Can Teach

Pass the Melody

For Teachers K - 4th
Get a jam session started in your elementary music class! Learners engage in melody transitions by singing a familiar song and passing on the tune to the next person.
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Novelinks

Zach’s Lie: Guided Imagery

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Close your eyes and picture a time where you decided to tell the truth to someone. What were you wearing? How did you feel? Such prompts begin a guided imagery activity for Zach's Lie. Directions for creating an environment conducive to...
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Poetry4kids

Rhythm in Poetry: The Basics

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
What makes a great poem sound so good? Learn the rhythmic secrets of poetry with an explanatory online lesson.
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Poetry4kids

How to Write an Alliteration Poem

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
Learners follow five steps to compose an alliteration poem. They choose one consonant and brainstorm as many nouns, verbs, and adjectives they can think of to create rhyming sentences that come together in a poetic fashion. 
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Poetry4kids

How to Write a “Favorite Things” List Poem

For Students 3rd - 8th Standards
If your students made a list of their favorite things, would writing poetry be on it? After this poetry writing lesson, it might! Young writers make a list of what they like—or what they don't like—before crafting the list into...
Lesson Plan
Japan Society

Akutagawa Ryunosuke and the Taisho Modernists

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Japan's Taisho Period was a time when authors like Akutagawa and other Japanese modernists began to experiment with point of view and literary form, making the literature produced during this time period a natural choice for teaching...
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Broadway Teaching Group

Acting the Song

For Teachers 6th - Higher Ed
Get to know the meaning behind the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from the legendary 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Groups of two take the roles of performer and questioner. Performers sing lines of the song while questioners...
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Orlando Shakes

Into The Woods: Study Guide

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Fans of musical theater may know the title tune of Into the Woods well, but do they know what the show is all about? A study guide provides information about the classic musical, including details about the characters and a summary of...