Curated OER
Screening Coleridge’s Fantasies: Using Popular Music as a Bridge to Literacy
Twelfth graders use music to aid them in interpreting poetry. For this poetry lesson, 12th graders analyze the lyrics, figurative language, and literary devices of selected music. Students compare the music to the poetry of Samuel...
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Oh My Darling
Pupils discuss human interaction with the environment and sing "Clementine" with historical fiction lyrics. They create a map or model of a mining camp in which Clementine may have lived. They discuss what might happen to their mining...
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Music ; Oneida Harvest Song
Learners practice singing the harvest song in their native Oneida language and English. They sing the lyrics to the melody of "Children Go Where I Send Thee." Students discover the meaning of the song as it expresses thankfulness to...
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Introduction to Poetry Lesson Plan
Analyze poetry in a group setting. Middle and high schoolers read lyrics to a Tom Petty song and free write about the song's tone, setting, and speaker. They then complete the same activity in a group setting using seven poems. The...
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Storytellers: Pearl Jam, Lesson 1
Students examine the meaning of genre, and specifically investigate the musical genre of grunge. They view and discuss photos, watch the video, "VH1 Storytellers: Pearl Jam," answer discussion questions, and paraphrase the lyrics to a...
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Rock and Poetry: A Thematic Project
Students become exposed to British poetry. They identify and discuss the thematic connection between a poem and a song of their choice, and enrich their understanding of poetry through an in-depth analysis of literary devices in the song...
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Hank Williams: My Inspiration
High schoolers research information about Hank Williams using the internet. Using the lyrics from his songs, they interpret the poetry used. They work together and individually to write their own poems and interpret them.
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Conjunto Music from South Texas
Students listen to conjunto music and identify the instrumentation. After discussing the the history of South Texas, they examine lyrics of several songs and interpret them. As extensions, students can learn to partner dance to the...
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Romeo and Juliet Project: A Perfect Album Side
In this Romeo and Juliet worksheet, students combine music, lyrics, and drama to analyze Romeo and Juliet. Students select music to fit the theme, mood, and feeling of each act and research the lyrics. Students compose an essay about why...
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"I Hear America Singing": Controversy and Music in the Mexican War
Eighth graders examine the Mexican War and its outcome through music. In this primary source analysis lesson, 8th graders analyze the lyrics of selected songs to consider the 2 perspectives regarding U.S. involvement in the war. Students...
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Slices of American Pie: The 1960s Through Music
Eleventh graders examine political, cultural, and social movements through music. In this 1960s American history lesson, 11th graders explore the music of the decade in order to better understand the complexity of the time period....
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Early Industrialization
Eighth graders analyze primary source documents emphasizing young people in factory labor (mill workers during 1840-1860). They study hours of labor, ages of laborers, reasons for working, and working conditions. They write a poem or song.
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Why Does It Matter? Teaching Tolerance in an Unforgiving Society
Students listen to the song "Scarecrow" by Melissa Etheridge and draw what they think the song is about. They discover the song is about a man who was attacked. They again express their feelings about the song through drawing. Finally...
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Music: A Nation's Voice
Students investigate the impact of popular music in 1960's America. In this music and history lesson plan, students listen to several identified songs from the decade and analyze their lyrics. Students discuss their impressions and then...
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Music: Elgar (1962)
Students examine how the creation and performance of music is affected by contextual influences. They specifically examine anthems and discuss the elements that contribute to that musical genre and how the nature of a piece of music may...
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Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, The Minstrels
Students explore "Stairway to Heaven". In this music history instructional activity, students examine the music and lyrics of the Led Zeppelin song. Students compare the song to Renaissance madrigal music.
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Cover the Music
Students explore U.S. history by listening to musical pieces in class. In this Civil War era activity, students discuss the types of musical instruments that were available to soldiers during the war and the themes of their songs....
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Harriet Tubman: Dancing on the Freedom Trail
Students observe a dance interpretation about Harriet Tubman. For this art/social studies lesson, students explore how their emotions can be expressed through movement and create their own dance or dramatic interpretation.
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Singing About Zoo Animals
Fifth graders sing a variation of "The Muffin Man" with lyrics dedicated to zoo animals. As a class, 5th graders sing the song as a round and maintain a stead beat and rhythm while singing.
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Spooky Notes
Second graders move to, sing, compose, and interpret various musical techniques through the use of "America", Tchaikovsky's "Waltz of the Flowers", and a song called "Skin and Bones". Emphasis is placed upon identifying names and values...
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Jack and the Beanstalk
Students create a creative interpretation of Jack and the Beanstalk. In this artistic expression lesson, students paint the stages of the beanstalk plant as a storyboard and create song about how the seed is growing.
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The Minerva Mosaic of the Library of Congress
Learners analyze the Minerva mosaic. In this Library of Congress activity, students conduct primary source analysis of the mosaic as they interpret the symbolism and mythology featured in the mosaic.
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Whose Land Is It Anyway?
Seventh graders comprehend the interaction and conflict beween Native Americans and white settlers in the years following the Civil War. They listen to T"his Land is Your Land." Students are asked what their interpretation of the...
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Seeing a World of Difference
Students read through the lyrics and listen to a song about biodiversity. Using pictures they draw, they interpret the song according to their prior knowledge. They identify the threats to different regions around the world and create...