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Music With a Message
Students write a line by line analysis of a song which they feel expresses a powerful message that can change society for the better. They then present their analysis to the class in an oral report.
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Musical Slide Show
Students create a multimedia presentation using a song they have chosen. After choosing a song, they compile images that correlate to the theme of their songs. Using PowerPoint, students create a presentation that accompanies their...
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Music: Elgar (1962)
Students examine how the creation and performance of music is affected by contextual influences. They specifically examine anthems and discuss the elements that contribute to that musical genre and how the nature of a piece of music may...
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I Hear Poetry
Students practice analysis of poetry by analyzing song lyrics using a worksheet to guide the analysis process. They work in small groups to assess the stylistic and literary devices used in the song lyrics then they find a published...
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Over There with World War 1 Songs
Fourth graders listen to and interpret songs from World War 1. They discuss the importance of radio as a mass media during the time period. They use the Internet or books to answer questions about song lyrics.
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Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, The Minstrels
Students explore "Stairway to Heaven". In this music history instructional activity, students examine the music and lyrics of the Led Zeppelin song. Students compare the song to Renaissance madrigal music.
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Music: A Nation's Voice
Students investigate the impact of popular music in 1960's America. In this music and history lesson plan, students listen to several identified songs from the decade and analyze their lyrics. Students discuss their impressions and then...
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Cover the Music
Students explore U.S. history by listening to musical pieces in class. In this Civil War era instructional activity, students discuss the types of musical instruments that were available to soldiers during the war and the themes of their...
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I Went to the Crossroads: The Faust Theme in Music, Film and Literature
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...
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Harriet Tubman: Dancing on the Freedom Trail
Students observe a dance interpretation about Harriet Tubman. For this art/social studies lesson, students explore how their emotions can be expressed through movement and create their own dance or dramatic interpretation.
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Truth, Trash and Treasure
Students examine how people can make a difference in the world. They read and analyze excerpts from a novel, discuss song lyrics, clean up a local park, and write an essay.
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Poetry
Twelfth graders examine the main characteristics of poetry. They read and discuss a handout on the characteristics of poetry, read the poem, The Road Not Taken, discuss their interpretation of the poem, and research poetry on the Internet.
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Learning About the Civil Rights Movement Through Photographs
Students examine the racial inequality that existed in the United States before the Civil Rights Movement. After listening to song lyrics and viewing photographs, they discover the importance of the movement in helping society move...
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Jack and the Beanstalk
Students create a creative interpretation of Jack and the Beanstalk. In this artistic expression lesson, students paint the stages of the beanstalk plant as a storyboard and create song about how the seed is growing.
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The Minerva Mosaic of the Library of Congress
Learners analyze the Minerva mosaic. In this Library of Congress activity, students conduct primary source analysis of the mosaic as they interpret the symbolism and mythology featured in the mosaic.
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Memory of a Kiss
Third graders read, discuss, and memorize the poem "Jenny Kissed Me." as an example of lyrical poetry. They write a letter to Jenny reliving the memory of her kiss from an elderly person's point of view. They illustrate their poems.
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Hank Williams: Still Singing After All These Years
Young scholars research the life and music of Hank Williams. They take a quiz on country music, watch a video about Hank Williams, research Williams' song lyrics, create a poster and write a bio poem about his life and work.
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Oh My Darling
Students discuss human interaction with the environment and sing "Clementine" with historical fiction lyrics. They create a map or model of a mining camp in which Clementine may have lived. They discuss what might happen to their...
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Singing About Zoo Animals
Fifth graders sing a variation of "The Muffin Man" with lyrics dedicated to zoo animals. As a class, 5th graders sing the song as a round and maintain a stead beat and rhythm while singing.
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A Country Twice Divided
Students study biography from the 19th century. They read "The Red Badge of Courage." Students research a topic from the list provided in the lesson and write a 5-7 page paper. They study lyrics and melodies of the confederacy and...
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Spooky Notes
Second graders move to, sing, compose, and interpret various musical techniques through the use of "America", Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers", and a song called "Skin and Bones". Emphasis is placed upon identifying names and values...
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Music: Follow the Drinking Gourd
Fourth graders use movement to express a concept. For this interdisciplinary lesson, 4th graders listen to the book, Follow the Drinking Gourd, which demonstrates the types of 'communication' used by slaves traveling the Underground...
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Hank Williams: My Inspiration
High schoolers research information about Hank Williams using the internet. Using the lyrics from his songs, they interpret the poetry used. They work together and individually to write their own poems and interpret them.
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How Are Boundaries Made, Kept, Broken?
Pupils examine the works of Noam Chomsky. They collaborate in small groups to read and identify vocabulary words and historical questions. They answer their questions and role-play as emissaries to locate remaining answers. They...