Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Minerals, Crystals, and Gems

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Learners discover the relationships between minerals, crystals and gems. They bring in rocks that they find at home, in the schoolyard, etc. and examine them and attempt to identify them. They set up a classroom exhibit that includes all...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Art to Zoo: Celebration

For Teachers Pre-K - 3rd
Students research and develop a report on birthday rituals around the world. In this research lesson plan, students compare birthday rituals from other cultures to their own. Images and resources are included.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Being in the Noh: An Introduction to Japanese Noh Plays

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students read a Japanese Noh play and discuss its structure and traditional characters. They choose a short myth and write a Noh play based on it.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Speak Out!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers are introduced to Yvonne Ranier's "Trio A" dance and investigate how to express concern over social issues through choreography. They research important issues from the 1960's, choreograph and perform original dances.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Encounters

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students use their visualizing and interpreting skills to produce original writings and artwork.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Timeline

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders examine the Holocaust from a chronological perspective.  In this Holocaust lesson, 10th graders create parallel timelines on a poster about the Holocaust. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Japanese Noh Masks

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students examine Japanese theatre and create their own face masks which display certain emotions, props, costumes and perform in improvisational theatrical games.
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Education: Musical Theater

For Students 9th - 10th
A short and concise history of musical theater with two early performers and a composer highlighted.
Lesson Plan
Yale University

Yale New Haven Teachers Inst.: Am. Musical Theater: Making It Work in Classroom

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A great lesson plan for introducing the musical to students. Great bibliography.
Graphic
Library of Congress

Loc: American Variety Stage: Bijou Theater

For Students 9th - 10th
Musical theater and vaudeville were popular in the Gilded Age. Here is a theater program from the Bijou Theater in Boston. Leaafing through the pages gives a great slice of life at the time, not only because of the playbills, but also...
Article
TheatreHistory.com

Theatre History: American Musical Theatre: An Introduction

For Students 9th - 10th
A commercial website that provides a solid history of American musical theatre. Includes summaries of many musicals through history. Focus is on shows before 1960.
Online Course
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Course Ware: Introduction to Western Music

For Students 9th - 10th
A complete undergraduate-level online course that introduces the history of western music.
Primary
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Primary Source Set: The Golden Age of Broadway

For Students 9th - 10th
This collection uses primary sources to explore the golden age of musical theater on Broadway.
Article
Musicals 101

Musicals 101: History of the Musical Stage: Ziegfeld Follies

For Students 9th - 10th
This article gives a history of the Ziegfeld Follies, with information on its creator Florenz Ziegfield, its origin, and the performers. The site also includes thumbnails of pictures of the Follies.
Article
Nederlander Organization

Broadway Direct: 20 Benchmark Musicals in Broadway History

For Students 9th - 10th
The history of Broadway musical theater is demonstrated through brief examinations of twenty groundbreaking musicals, from The Black Crook in 1866 to Hamilton in 2015. Nine videos accompany the descriptions of some of the musicals.
Article
Musicals 101

Musicals101: History of the Stage Musical 1910 1920

For Students 9th - 10th
From Jerome Kern's Americanized shows to the Ziegfeld Follies, the stages saw a whole new type of musical from 1910-1920.
Online Course
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Mit: Open Course Ware: Modern Music: 1900 1960

For Students 9th - 10th
A complete, undergraduate level online class on the topic of modern music in the 1900s. Includes complete course material.
Website
Other

Puppet Theater of Japan: Bunraku

For Students 9th - 10th
An introduction to bunraku--the traditional puppet theater of Japan. Find clear explanations of the history of the art form and details of the music, props, and puppets used. Illustrated with beautiful pictures. Includes several video...
Website
Other

Museum of Ancient Greek Technology

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a virtual exhibition of inventions from ancient Greece that have been reconstructed by Kostas Kotsanas after over two decades of study and research. Click on 'The Museum' link at the top of the page to read an explanation and to...
Lesson Plan
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 3: Fifties/sixties Musical Playwriting

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This unit appeals to multiple intelligences, encourages interdisciplinary learning, reinforces self-confidence, and stimulates creativity, co-operation and critical thinking. Using songs with a strong narrative, learners are asked to...
Website
Other

Stephen Schwartz

For Students 9th - 10th
A biography and partial listing of the works of Stephen Schwartz, composer. He also wrote lyrics for the two Disney musicals Pocahontas and The Hunchback Of Notre Dame.
Website
Other

Canal Kids: Arte (Explore Art?for Kids?in Portuguese)

For Students Pre-K - 1st
History of the development of cinema, painting, theater, music, and dance--for kids. Visitors can explore how music is mixed, listen to radio, and watch the making of animated cartoons, among many other activities.
Article
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

Gilder Lehrman Institute: History Now: The Wpa: Antidote to the Great Depression?

For Students 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] A good assessment of the Works Progress Administration and its contribution not only of providing jobs for the unemployed during the Great Depression, but for the lasting improvements it made in the...
Website
Musicals 101

Musicals101: Homepage

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from Musicals 101 provides a very comprehensive site dealing with all aspects of musicals. Includes great material for schools wanting to put on a musical. Over 330 biographies plus lots of history.