Lesson Plan
PBS

Breaking the Code: Actions and Songs of Protest

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
Ezell Blair, Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil changed history. Their sit-in at the lunch counter of the Woolworths in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 1960 became a model for the nonviolent protests that...
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Curated OER

Music: "Hearing Between The Lines"

For Teachers 7th - 12th
The class listens to and reads lyrics from popular songs that explore themes of self-esteem, body image, and eating disorders. The song interpretations will serve as a jumping-off point to deeper discussion on the issues, culminating in...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Teaching Peace through Literature and Song

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Negative effects of bullying come to light through listening to the book Thank You, Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco. Class members identify philanthropic acts portrayed in the story and make illustrations to connect them to their own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Songs of the Civil War

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students investigate music of the Civil War era and explore how music can be used to arouse and express emotion. They identify a rhythmical musical pattern and match lyrics to it.
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Hopi Traditional Dance and Song

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
Very few outsiders get to see the Hopi "Butterfly Dance." However, using approved footage from the tribe, class members consider the importance of symbols in Hopi culture by watching the dance and analyzing lyrics from its songs....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning From Lyrics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils analyze a song to determine the composer's point of view regarding the subject addressed in the song. They design and create an original visual aid that illustrates the theme of the song. Students identify any social studies...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Anonymous Patriots: Songs of the Revolution

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Give your class a deeper understanding of the context and meaning behind early American song lyrics. By reading the lyrics to "Yankee Doodle" and  "Revolutionary Tea," high schoolers will practice analysis by examining the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Primary Songs about Recycling

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students compose songs about recycling. For this ecology lesson, students use vocabulary and concepts related to recycling to generate lyrics for an original song. Students construct musical instruments out of discarded materials.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nos Creemos Americanos: Braceros in History and Song

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Mexican folk songs offer an authentic look at WWII immigrant workers. This study of the U.S. Bracero Program sets historians up with context information so they can write their own corrido. The class reviews themes and formulas of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

25 Greatest Protest Songs - Lesson 3

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze the lyrics of protest songs as a catalyst for social change. They discuss the influence of music on behavior and explain the use of music as a means of self-expression.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Breaking the Code: Actions and Songs of Protest

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students listen to and discuss the purpose of protest music. They analyze an editorial cartoon related to Jim Crow and read questions from the literacy tests given to African-Americans. They work together to write a song about the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Uncle Sam's Got Himself in a Terrible Jam": Protest Music and the Vietnam War

For Teachers 8th - Higher Ed
"And it's one, two, three...what are we fighting for?" Use music to assess the climate of protest during the Vietnam War, listening to and analyzing Country Joe MacDonald's "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" (lyrics included)....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Fought for the Union?

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Learners read New York Times articles, letters, and listen to songs written from a soldier's perspective during the Civil War in order to understand who was fighting in the Union Army. This is a great lesson, complete with weblinks,...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Hidden Messages in Spirituals

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
Slaves laboring in the cotton fields of the old South singing joyously may have convinced overseers that their workforce was happy and content, but in truth, these spirituals contained secret codes. After viewing a short video about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sing Away Songs

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research the history of Bryce Canyon National Park. They identify geological features of the Park while examining its recreational activities. They work together to write lyrics to a song about the Park.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Presidents Song

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Remember learning to spell “encyclopedia” by singing along with Jiminy Cricket? How about using a singing exercise to learn the names of the presidents? “The Presidents Song,” includes the names, in order, from Washington to Coolidge....
Lesson Plan
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Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Yankee Doodle: How Has It Changed over Time?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Grab your feathers and your hat! And perhaps some macaroni! It's time to investigate the evolution of "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Groups do a close reading of sheet music covers, lyrics, and even YouTube videos to see how this political song...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Myth of the West: Lonely But Free I’ll Be Found

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Tumbling tumbleweeds! Scholars work with video clips, primary and secondary documents, and song lyrics to uncover life in the Old West. They examine song's lyrics to uncover myths told in the 1930s about life in the Wild West. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cole Porter: You're the Top

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students watch selected film clips about Cole Porter and discover his uniqueness. In groups, they research associates of the Porter's and present reports on them. Then, they write position papers on prominent people of the Jazz Age. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor

For Teachers 7th - 12th
How do a person's musical preferences influence the way they compose music of their own? Learners analyze the sound and lyrics of Alicia Keys in relation to musicians that came before. Jazz, blues, and soul music from the past are shown...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Write a Song About American History

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the historic background of the song, The Battle of New Orleans. Working in pairs, students research other historic events and write their own songs based on them.
Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Immigrant Discrimination

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
For a class learning about Chinese and Irish immigration in America, here's a great starting lesson plan. It has your critical thinkers examining song lyrics, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and a political cartoon, and finally...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Campaign Songs as Propaganda:Free Trade vs. Protectionism - In Whose Interest?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners analyze campaign messages about tariffs in a 19th-century campaign song. They read and discuss the lyrics, complete an analysis worksheet, and identify the intended audience of the song's message.

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