Library of Congress
Loc: Performing Arts Encyclopedia: Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Did you know that the song "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" is over one hundred years old? Find out why this song has enjoyed lasting popularity. Includes an image of the artwork for the sheet music of this song.
Other
Aloha hawaii.com: Celebrating the Birth of Hula
An interesting description of the history of hula in Hawaii. Use this site to learn the origins of this ancient folk dance and how it evolved to become the most popular symbol of the state of Hawaii.
Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Japan Web: Kyo Sensu (Folding Fans)
This page gives a description of how Japanese Kyo-Sensu (folding fans) were once very popular.
University of Maryland
Romantic Circles Praxis Series: Immortals, Vampires, Ghosts: Byronic Heroes
Essay considers modern-day examples of Byron's heroic ideal found in the popular culture of movies, music, popular novels, and television.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 36: Cross Genre Comparisons in Hip Hop
From being viewed as a fad, hip-hop's commercial success has allowed it to permeate virtually all aspects of popular culture. By critically analyzing hip-hop music and comparing it with established music forms, the cultural relevance,...
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Pop Art in the Uk
While American artists were primarily inspired by what they saw and experienced within their own culture, early Pop art in Britain was fueled by American popular culture viewed from a distance. Learn more about Pop art in the UK here.
Library of Congress
Loc: The Great Gatsby: Primary Sources From the Roaring Twenties
In order to appreciate historical fiction, students need to understand the factual context and recognize how popular culture reflects the values, mores, and events of the time period. Since a newspaper records significant events and...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Understanding Different Views on Death
Examine how people come to understand and deal with death in their own ways, and examine the importance of expressing emotions and values surrounding the issue. Analyze how death is portrayed in the media and popular culture.
PBS
Pbs: The Sixties: The Years That Shaped a Generation
Online companion to a PBS documentary that tells the story of America during the 1960s includes a timeline of newsworthy events from the decade and a series of thematic vignettes that addresses the war in Vietnam, sixties pop culture,...
Other
The Sam Shepard Website
Shepard website put together by Bucknell University professor. Provides valuable links to Shepard & pop culture, music, biographies, films & published works.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Flower Power
An interesting look at the counterculture of the 1960s and 1970s and what influence it had on popular culture.
Annenberg Foundation
Annenberg Learner: You Decide: The Roaring Twenties?
Read about prohibition, prosperity, the role of the automobile and popular culture to decide if the 1920s were a roar or a big yawn. How would you describe the 1920s?
Other
Kirkus Media: Judith Viorst
An interview with Judith Viorst where she talks about her children's book Lulu Walks the Dogs. She describes how she created the character Lulu and her admiration of her illustrator, Lane Smith. She also talks about the impact her book...
Other
Center for Media Literacy: The Power of Images
Web-article that looks at images and their power to persuade. Several myths are explored and their relationship to the images in popular culture are discussed.
New York Times
New York Times: Batman's Evolution
Audio slideshow explains differences in Batman characterizations that have evolved over time as the superhero, first created in 1939, moved across media formats from print, to television, to film. An interesting overview of a favorite...
NBC
Nbc News: u.s. News
Find the latest U.S. news stories, photos, and videos. Read breaking headlines covering politics, economics, pop culture, and more.
International Literacy Association
International Literacy Association: How to Help Students Interpret Digital Texts
How can we help students to move beyond summary and toward interpretation? A combination of digital popular culture modeling, heuristics, and choice - along with digital composition - can initiate that process. Interpretation combines...
A&E Television
History.com: Was There Really a "Red Telephone" Hotline During the Cold War?
During the height of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union established a direct communications link to allow their leaders to contact one another in the event of a nuclear crisis or other emergency. This Washington-Moscow...
Other
English Made in Brazil: Proverbios (Proverbs)
A list of common proverbs and popular sayings in English and Portuguese.
Other
Electoral Reform Society
This British website is home to a not-for-profit group promoting alternative democratic voting systems. Students studying representative government can examine if Canada's current First-Past-the-Post system best suits Canada's changing...
Library of Congress
Loc: Teachers: Recreation Yesterday and Today
Primary texts from the 1920s and 1930s launch an exploration of entertainment and recreation popular during that time in America's history. Students will research rural and nationwide experiences from this time and, in turn, make...
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: How Fiction Can Change Reality
Reading and stories can be an escape from real life, a window into another world -- but have you ever considered how new fictional experiences might change your perspective on real, everyday life? From Pride and Prejudice to Harry...
PBS
Pbs: American Roots Music: Lesson Two: Desegregating the Airwaves: Blues on the Radio
This lesson deals with the emergence of the blues as a form of popular music on the radio, beginning in Helena, Arkansas in 1940. Students will understand and discuss the relationship between technological and social change, discuss how...