Take poetry off the page and put it into terms of movement, physical space and, finally, music with this series of three lessons from the Smithsonian Institution. This resource introduces students to two poetic forms that originated as...

Contemplate what music learners listen to and why they listen. Can they find poetry within music lyrics? Specifically hone in on blues lyrics and ruminate upon the social issues prevalent in the themes. Particular song lyrics coincide...

Students describe some of the distinguishing characteristics of blues music. They compare and analyze two versions of the same 12-bar blues song. They read and identify notation symbols for rhythm and tempo.

Music composition can be easy with a little software assistance. The class uses Garageband to listen to, write, sing, and record a blues song. They listen to the song provided through the software, write their own lyrics to the song,...

Students discover how storytelling can shape a person's tradition.Students examine different methods of storytelling such as music, biographies, and African folktales. They then demonstrate their knowledge of storytelling by writing...

Young scholars identify various pieces of music that are familiar to them and define how the music made them feel. Then they select their favorite piece of music heard and the activities in which they like to do. Students also attend a...

Students 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.

High schoolers analyze the impact of jazz on the novel, "Invisible Man," by Ralph Ellison. They read and discuss excerpts of the novel, write an essay on the influence of jazz on Ralph Ellison as a writer, and view video excerpts on...

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. 

Students compose song as a classroom effort. They write a one-paragraph essay about "message" songs in 100 years and include three ideas for topics along with the style of music (such as folk, rock, blues, rap, etc.) that would match.

Young scholars explore early 19th century labor conditions through the use of period songs. For this tolerance lesson, students listen to period songs and respond. Young scholars write their own song that protests unfair and dangerous...

Learners read the book Ray Charles by Sharon Bell Mathis. For this biography lesson plan, students read about the life of Ray Charles. Learners answer pre-reading questions about senses, strengths, and weaknesses they have. The lesson...

Students analyze the genres of folk and country music and the importance of the singer/songwriter. They compose their own lyrics based on an inspiring event.

Young scholars explore two Native American legends. In this cultural traditions lesson, students read "The Legend of Blue Bonnet," and "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush." Young scholars then study basic Native American dance movements...

Learners study Bearden's style of collage and create their own collage that reflects their neighborhood. They are read "The Block" and poems about neighborhoods and write one about theirs.

In this interactive vocabulary activity, students read the description of educational subjects and select the subject which the sentence is describing. There are 10 questions to complete.

Students watch a whale video clip for information. Students brainstorm on the facts that they learned about whales. Students use the Internet to find information and images about whales. Students write and publish a whale poem.

In this famous person worksheet, students read a passage about Gilberto Gil and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym...

Learners select a method of presenting on a given topic by rolling paper dice which have various presentation methods on them. They produce the activity and share it with the class.

Students develop skills of biographical writing through research. Students analyze a video on John Lennon and his death. Students visit the website on John Lennon still recording details of his death.

Discover what the relationship is between poetry and the blues. This site features lesson plans and online resources.