Smithsonian Institution
Our Story: Duke Ellington and Jazz
Get parents or guardians into the swing of things with a jazzy homework assignment. A detailed six-page guide provides before, during, and after reading suggestions for Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra, Andrea Davis...
Annenberg Foundation
Egalitarian America
What does a true American represent? Scholars investigate the equal rights era of the 1960s and 1970s in the 20th installment of a 22-part series on American history. Using photographic, magazine, written, and video evidence, groups...
Curated OER
Stained Glass Art - Activity 1
Students examine stained glass art techniques in this introductory lesson provided by Oregon Public Broadcasting. The unit emphasizes student created representations of stained glass art.
Media Education Lab
Sponsored Content as Propaganda
What is sponsored content? Who produces sponsored content? Why? Is it fair or unfair? What are the privacy implications for consumers? To answer these questions, class members view a model screencast before crafting their own that...
National Constitution Center
Creating Your Own Town Hall Poster
Middle and high schoolers are walking into a world rife with strong political viewpoints and vocal opinions. Help to prepare them for controversial discussions with a lesson in which they choose, research, and learn more about a...
Visa
Home Sweet Home: Purchasing a Place
While the process of buying a home can certainly be overwhelming, give your young adults a leg up for their future by introducing them to the components of a mortgage, as well as exploring the basic concept of credit and how to become...
Museum of the Moving Image
Developing Critical Analysis
To gain an understanding of how images and sounds are used to influence viewers, class members analyze these features in Presidential campaign commercials from 1952-2012.
Museum of the Moving Image
AdMaker, Nixon vs. Humphrey, “Convention” (1968)
After viewing the infamous 1968 Presidential campaign ad, "Convention," groups use AdMaker to create their own 30 second ad that features Richard Nixon rather than Hubert Humphrey.
Museum of the Moving Image
AdMaker, Obama vs. McCain, “Fundamentals” (2008)
Truth is often left on the cutting room floor when political ads are produced. After viewing the 2012 backfire ad, "Fundamentals" that takes John McCain's comments on the US economy out of context, class groups edit the audio and video...
Curated OER
Concept Formation Lesson Plan: Understanding "Protest"
After analyzing both examples and non-examples of a variety of protests conducted by ethnic groups in Seattle and the state of Washington during the twentieth century, your class members will work to identify the key ideas and components...
National Constitution Center
Abraham Lincoln's Crossroads
History enthusiasts participate in an interactive website that brings Abraham Lincoln to life as he shares his personal experiences between 1854-1864. Scholars listen and read carefully to form their own opinions and discover if they...
American Psychological Association
Sampling or Assignment?
Each discipline has its own vocabulary, terms it uses to identify key concepts and processes. Sample, to psychologists, refers to those people (participants) a researcher is studying, while assignment refers to the treatment conditions...
Annenberg Foundation
Postwar Tension and Triumph
Go get the American Dream lifestyle! The 19th lesson in a 22-part series exploring American history shows learners the post-WWII economic boom. Using primary sources, photographs, and cartoons, groups discuss their findings and present...
Smithsonian Institution
Black Diamond
Score a home run with this packet of information on the very first player of the Negro League to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame — cultural groundbreaker and sports legend Satchel Paige. These worksheets include a...
Weebly
Nationalism Project
Don't just ask your class to define nationalism, but invite them to experience it with an engaging project. Learners are divided into groups to design four items—a flag, slogan, national anthem, and historical tale—for a fictional...
Museum of the Moving Image
Evaluating Information: Focus on the 2008 Election
Just how true is the information contained in political ads? Determining the veracity of campaign ads from the 2008 presidential race is the focus of a lesson that introduces class members to several fact-checking resources.
American Museum of Natural History
Silk Road Fables
Talk about rabbit holes! With just this one resource, learners can travel the Silk Road listening to fables, meet a scientist who studies poisons (and whose favorite book is Alice in Wonderland), and listen to a video interview of an...
Curated OER
VH1 And You Don't Stop - 30 Years of Hip-Hop
Students examine the origin and elements of Hip Hop music and the associated culture. They visit websites and listen to examples of the music.
Curated OER
Digable Planets, K.B.'s Alley When Jazz Meets Hip-Hop
Students explore the musical style of jazz and identify its elements while listening to hip-hop recordings. They select two styles of music and fuse them together in this instructional activity.
Curated OER
Renaissance Feast & Fancy
Ninth graders investigate the recreation, music, clothing, and food of the Renaissance period. In small groups, they research a topic, and plan activities, music, food, and costumes to be used in a Renaissance Feast.
Curated OER
The Princess and the Frog
Students study the sounds of New Orleans jazz, its origins, and its influences. In this jazz music lesson, students listen to various jazz songs and discuss the songs. Students use the worksheet 'Jazz: the Universal Language' to study...
Curated OER
Mayan Culture
Students examine the attributes of the Mayan culture. In this Mayan culture instructional activity, students identify the structure of social classes in Mayan society and design posters that feature their findings.
Curated OER
Lambert, Hendricks, and Ross, Moanin,' Payin' Your Dues
Young scholars examine the musical styles of call and response and the blues while delving into the difficult lives of many jazz musicians. Travelling in the South was challenging for black musicians during this time and the difficulties...
Curated OER
A New Twist on Race Relations
Learners analyze the impact of American Bandstand on race relations. In this race relations instructional activity, students use the music and dance show American Bandstand to learn about race relations. Learners categorize pivotal...