Art and music have been vehicles for statements of civil unrest for hundreds of years. Upper graders critically analyze several pop songs or music movements from the 1980s that exemplify politically charged motives. They...

The phrase, "You sold out" has been thrown around among musicians that have lent their talents to the corporate world. Here, the class engages in an interesting discussion on how musicians make a living and the influence of commercialism...

Students discuss music of other eras students discuss the influence of elements such as politics, social events, etc. on music of the time. They examine the cause and effect of musical diversity after watching a video segment: "Behind...

Learners identify different genres of music popular in the 1980s. They study musicians of the 1980s examples of the songs that they made popular. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan to categorize the music.

Students discuss development of music videos. They identify elements that make a successful music video. Groups are assigned to do a research project on the development of music videos.

A activity focusing on over-consumption where middle schoolers are challenged to consider the impact of the American lifestyle on the environment. Using an apple as a model, this activity offers students a visual explanation of arable...

A lesson plan developed for in-class screenings of the PBS documentary "Affluenza," but which could easily be adapted to support any lesson on understanding personal consumption choices. Students will compare and contrast the affluence...

This classroom activity examines why being fashionable is expensive, and why clothing trends change quickly.