Curated OER
Signin' the Blues with Rock, Rap 'n Roll
Sixth graders listen to recordings and study jazz and the blues music. They identify the instrumentation and explore the 12-bar blues progression. After experimenting with different sound, 6th graders create their own arrangement, with...
Curated OER
The Music and Message of Lauryn Hill
Pupils explore the music of artist Lauryn Hill and analyze the way she uses her music in a socially responsible manner. In this music artist lesson, students read the lyrics to Hill's songs and listen to some example songs. Pupils...
Curated OER
African Art: Ntan Drum
Students study African history, anthropology and culture using the lens of the art object, Ntan Drum. Lesson and instruction is differentiated for elementary, middle and high school students.
Curated OER
Spelling Bee/Musical Chairs
Students spell and recognize vocabulary words and/or spelling words by playing musical chairs with spelling words.
Curated OER
Performance into Art
Students explore two works of art of performance art. In this performance art lesson, students analyze performance art in the examples of Yves Klein and Joseph Beuys. Students complete image based discussion activities. Students research...
Curated OER
"Music Be the Food Of Love": Found Poetry with Shakespeare and Hip Hop
High schoolers create found poetry using lines from hip hop songs and Shakespeare's plays. They try to rewrite the words to music so that more people can explain Shakespeare's plays. They discuss the results of the activity.
Curated OER
Frida Kahlo Art
Students analyze Frida Kahlo as an artist and her artworks. In this art analysis activity, students review the art of Kahlo and her self-portrait. Students make their own self-portrait.
Curated OER
Pop Art Ice Cream Painting
Students create paintings of ice cream treats using Pop Art as an inspiration while developing skills in painting in this 4th through 6th grade Art lesson. Included with the lesson are possible extensions and suggested evaluation rubric.
National First Ladies' Library
Designing an Appalachian Folk Art Museum
Learners investigate the concepts related to the Appalachian area and the movement of Folk Art. They conduct research using a variety of resources and use the samples as inspiration for creating their own works of art. They could...
Curated OER
Japanese Abstract Art And The Impressionist Movement
Students study several examples of Japanese abstract art and how this style impacted the Impressionist movement of the 19th century. This instructional activity includes ideas for student-created sketchbooks.
Curated OER
The Influence of Jazz Music in Twentieth Century Art
Students examine the effect of music on society. While listening to music, they identify the beat, rhythm and write down their reaction to it. Listening to longer selections, they assign a color to the music and share it with the...
John F. Kennedy Center
Jazz music, Dance and Poetry
Students view video and become familiar with the type of movement in jazz dance. In this jazz dance lesson, students write a cinquain about jazz dance. Students recognize the elements of jazz dance and the type of music...
Curated OER
Musical Alphabet: Skipping Down
Students explore the concept of skipping down while reading music. In this skipping down lesson, students review how to step up, skip up, and step down when reading music. Students then learn how to read music by skipping...
Curated OER
Playing And Writing Music Basics for the Guitar
Students view DVD "Greatest Guitar God Guide Video Primer," examine and demonstrate understanding of layout of fret board, practice basic fingering patterns, play simple melodies using E and B strings, write original melody, and practice...
Curated OER
Exploring Music and Movement
Students explore a variety of music types and movements with an emphasis on moving "with" or "against" the music. They move with and against the music, complementing or contrasting the music, and discuss their connections with the music...
Curated OER
Mourning in Art and Ancient Cultures
Learners compare and mine two prints by Canadian artist Robert Harris for clues about the story depicted. They brainstorm ancient cultures that tell similar stories and download images to portray them. They also research how the ancient...
Curated OER
Pictures at an Exhibition
Learners discuss how the musical composition was created. They listen to "Pictures at an Exhibition." Students discuss how the Promenade in the beginning of the opus is based on Mussorgsky walking through the exhibit of paintings....
Curated OER
Mariachi Mania
Ninth graders examine mariachi music and its different musical forms. In this music history lesson, 9th graders compare and contrast mariachi music from its beginnings to the present. Students research different aspects of...
Curated OER
Play a Painting
Students examine music and art together and see the distinctive elements of each form. It can also demonstrate how their characteristics are interrelated. They create musical interpretations of two works of art.
Curated OER
Chance Art: Pollock, Cage and Cunningham
Students clearly identify commonalities and differences between dance and other disciplines with regard to fundamental concepts such as materials, elements, and ways of communicating meaning.
Curated OER
Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival Chicago - Chicago Blues
Watching Great Performances’ Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival Chicago launches an investigation into and discussion of how the electric guitar and guitarists have changed the sound of the blues over time. An engaging way to...
Weston Wood
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
Create a cross-curricular learning experience based on the children's book Joseph Had a Little Overcoat with this collection of learning activities. Starting with a class reading of the story, children go on to learn about the...
Curated OER
Basketball Notes
Students add the value of various musical notes to win a chance to shoot a basketball. They compete in teams and consider the values of quarter, half and whole notes to complete related math problems.
Curated OER
Down By the Riverside
Students discuss the musical genre of spirituals and its influence on our musical history. They perform various songs, and read the student score for, Down By the Riverside.