Lesson Plan
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Woody Guthrie: Ain't Got No Home

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the music of Woody Guthrie and how the political and economic climate influenced his work. They read and discuss online articles, define key vocabulary words, take a Political Orientation Survey, and write a position...
Lesson Plan
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Sense of Place: No River Too Wide-Bridges

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders discover the history of their hometown Des Moines River.  In this U.S. Geography lesson plan students speak with Iowans that tell stories of the settlers and early villages near the Des Moines River.  Students...
Lesson Plan
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Kidding Around In The 1980s

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners examine pop culture of the 1980s.  In this historical time period lesson, students view a Smurfs cartoon from the 1980s and discuss its similarities and differences to cartoons today.  Learners work in groups to...
Lesson Plan
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Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition: Corridos

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students create and perform Corridos which are oral tradition ballads. In this Passing Down Family History Through Oral Tradition lesson, students interview family members using a predetermined list of questions. In addition, students...
Lesson Plan
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Rhythmic Movement Skills

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students explore rhythmic movements. In this performing arts lesson, students create their own movements and then repeat the each others movement. Finally, students create movements to the Haiku generated by the entire class.
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You're Invited to a Ceili: Exploring Irish Dance

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students recognize a Ceili as an Irish dance of celebration and investigate Ireland while studying the dance.  In this Irish dance instructional activity, students search the geography of Ireland, read poetry, identify costumes,...
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Africa Wants Its MTV!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students consider the impact of MTV and the introduction of an MTV channel in Africa. They develop original programs for MTV Base that appeal to both local and global audiences.
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Living History

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students write an essay and interview someone who remembers the 1960's and 1970's. In this history lesson plan, students write their essays as if they were there in that time period, write their feelings, and put together a mini museum...
Lesson Plan
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International Festival: Greece

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students celebrate the culture of Greece. In this multicultural lesson, students participate in several activities which examine the culture of Greece. Students study the Greek alphabet, identify the country on a world map, and make...
Lesson Plan
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History: An African American Cultural Celebration

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students prepare and organize a cultural celebration of African migration and immigration. Working in groups or individually, they research topics and present the information, including dance demonstrations, instrumental or vocal...
Lesson Plan
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The Twentieth Century

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders summarize a decade in the twentieth century and compare it to another decade. They present facts in a Hyperstudio document that includes text, photos, and audio to describe the decade.
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Trouble With Trolls

For Teachers K - 1st
Students listen to The Trouble With Trolls and discuss fables.  In this story elements lesson, students work on reading skills.  Students participate in different reading activities.
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Getting To Know You

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students listen to the book "I like me" by Nancy Carison, or a similar self-esteem book, and then create self-portraitswhile the song "Getting to Know You" is being played. This is an excellent ice-breaker for the beginning of the...
Lesson Plan
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Moving West

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students research the Westward Movement and struggles encountered by the pioneers as they moved from Nebraska, Westward along the Oregon Trail. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students read an Oregon Trail poem and visit 5 different...
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Learning from Photos

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students use photographs to study the Bracero Labor Program. In this analyzing photographs instructional activity, students are broken up into groups and given a photograph of Bracero laborers. They predict the answers to questions about...
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Traveler's in Time

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students analyze artifacts to become familiar with the Great Migration.  In this migration activity, students read an article and answer comprehension questions. Students role play a migration scenario using an artifact to help...
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Gettysburg Movie

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create a movie that includes both sound and pictures of the Gettysburg Address using iMovie, digital cameras, and copies of the Gettysburg Address. Extensive examples of student works are given.
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My Own Cultural Traditions

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students complete a worksheet on personal traditions. In this cultural traditions activity, students discuss what a cultural tradition is and why they are important to the members of the culture. Students distinguish between cultural...
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Music Motivates

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students listen to songs from the Civil Rights movement. They explain how the music might have inspired African-Americans to be activists in the movement. They examine how the Civil Rights movement affected the common good.
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Native American Song and Dance

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine the importance of the drum and drumming in the cultural context of the Native American. Musical insturments and native dance is employed to support the focus of the lesson.
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Music: Solo and Group vVcal Practice

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders individually sing and record "Child of the Universe" and play their performances back to the class for evaluation. Next, in groups, they sing "Deck the Hall," and sing the countermelody for evaluation. Then students...
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Art and Sole

For Teachers 1st
First graders discuss how culture can be transmitted from generation to generation. In groups, they create a bust of themselves after viewing various artists artwork. They also develop their own dance routine and perform it in front of...
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Race, Culture, And Identity in Daughter From Danang (Part 2)

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine cultural identity. They watch and discuss the second half of the PBS documentary, 'Daughter From Danang,' and write an essay addressing ethnic and cultural identity and how a film would portray their own cultural identity.
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Poets Got Them Blues

For Teachers 11th - 12th
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...