Curated OER
Lesson: American Idyll
Using the painting, Childhood Idyll for inspiration, learners reflect on things that are idealized. They focus in on pop music and pop idols, write a song, and perform it in front of the class, American Idol style.
VH1
Lessons for Hight School Music Classes: Lesson 2
Art and music have been vehicles for statements of civil unrest for hundreds of years. Upper graders critically analyze several pop songs or music movements from the 1980s that exemplify politically charged motives. They analyze lyrics...
Curated OER
Popular Culture & Diversity
The topic of cultural diversity is explored with the use of pop songs and lyrics. As a way to celebrate Harmony Day, small groups read, reflect, and present their opinions on how the lyrics they analyzed have expressed a statement of...
Curated OER
MacBeth Activity Using Alanis Morissette's "Wake Up"
Learners analyze Macbeth through the lens of a pop song. In this Macbeth lesson plan, students read Act I, Scene 7 of Macbeth and determine Lady Macbeth's viewpoint. Learners read the lyrics to Alanis Morrissette's song 'Wake Up' and...
Curated OER
The Classic Songs of Paul Simon
In this classic songs of Paul Simon worksheet, students use their knowledge of popular music to fill in the blanks in the 15 song titles.
Curated OER
Music and Animation: 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons
Music has been used to convey thoughts, feelings, and the human condition for thousands of years. Your class will analyze several songs hear in the animated classic, "Charlie Brown." They will listen to several jazz pieces from the show,...
Little Kids Rock
The Latin Rhythms of “Despacito”
When you hear the first few beats of "Despacito," the unrivaled Latin pop hit of 2017, you can't keep your feet from moving! A music analysis lesson plan examines the intoxicating hit by Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee and introduces the...
Curated OER
Puttin' On the Hits
Students explore "summer songs." They compose a list of songs that they would put on a summer CD and write an essay that explains the images they would choose for the cover for this CD. They also create collages that represent their...
Curated OER
Give Peace a Chance
High schoolers research protest songs of the Vietnam War era. They search for information on the artists and motivation for the lyrics. They interview people who remember the music from that era and bring back information they found.
Curated OER
True Spin
Students gain an understanding of concepts of marketing and promotion in popular music. They pretend as if they are in the position of employee in a recording label's promotion department and determine what type of promotion is needed...
Curated OER
Protest Songs
Students analyze and perform an American social protest song. They describe its historical setting, consider the effectiveness of the music and recognize that popular music is a reflection of American culture.
Johnny Mercer Foundation
The American Musical
General music students learn about the history of popular American music by creating and performing a one-act musical. After researching and creating an American Musical timeline, class members write a song with lyrics using Jam Studio,...
Curated OER
VH1 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons Lesson 2
Students compare two versions of song done as an original and as a cover. They attempt to arrange a pop song to show a different musical style.
Curated OER
In My Dream
Students discuss similarities in various pop songs over the second half of the 20th century and explore how musical management influences the careers and longevity of various artists.
Curated OER
Song Lyrics Scramble
Students who are learning English play a game in which they hear pop music lyrics (in English) and they must identify the song from which the lyrics come. This activity encourages students to listen to all words being said, not just the...
Curated OER
Popular Music and Music Videos
This resource is part of a three-activity unit that introduces your class to the concept of popular culture and the role that it plays in their lives. Here, learners examine the importance of the music industry and music videos in pop...
Curated OER
Popular Music of Brazil: Samba
Samba music is a musical mixture of both African and Brazilian sounds and rhythms. Explore this art form with your class using this easy-to-follow slide show. They'll learn about Samba's roots, beats, characteristics, instruments, and...
American Museum of Natural History
They Glow!
Let there be light! An interactive online lesson describes the process of bioluminescence and how ocean species use it to their advantage. The lesson highlights several specific species as well as provides vocabulary support with...
Curated OER
Democracy…Not Yet!
Students analyze the concept of democracy. For this democratic values lesson, students analyze the lyrics of selected popular music that address issues that challenge the role of United States as a world leader. Students create exhibits...
Curated OER
VH1 Legends Sam Cooke Lesson 3
Learners examine Sam Cooke's transition from gospel to pop music as they study his style. They dance the Cha Cha and the Twist.
Curated OER
Rockin’ the World: Rock and Roll and Social Protest in 20th Century America
Students explore protest songs. For this interdisciplinary lesson, students examine issues-based music by summarizing lyrics and revealing inferences, generalizations, conclusions, and points of view found in the songs.
Curated OER
Psychedelic 60's
Students examine the Pop Art of the 1960s. Using the internet, they become experts on the subject through research. They compare and contrast the literary work to the art work during this same period and examine how the culture of the...
Curated OER
Rabbits Rhymes and Finger Plays
Pupils sing songs about bunnies and pick out the rhyming words. In this rhyming lesson plan, students develop an understanding of rhyming words at the end of each verse of a song or poem.
Curated OER
Keep on Pushing: Popular Music and the Civil Rights Movement
High schoolers explore music that exemplified the Civil Rights Movement. In this music and history lesson plan, students research 1960's protest songs, Motown recorded music, and rap of the 1990's to consider the power of music and its...