Education World
Black History Month Rap
Young scholars write a rap or hip-hop lyric about the life of a famous Black American. They explore famous Black Americans in history and explore how the rap form compares to other forms of poetic expression.
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A Lesson To Accompany "The First Bank of the United States: A Chapter in the History of Central Banking"
Here is an interesting topic. Learners examine the economics that led to the founding of the First Bank of America. They participate in a reader's theater experience depicting the debate between Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson...
Curated OER
Comic Theater
Students explore stock characters and pantomime. In this comic theater lesson, students examine an ancient Greek statuette depicting a comic actor and an ancient Roman lamp decorated with a comic mask. Students pantomime short scenes and...
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Greek Theater Masks
Sixth graders learn the importance of mask in Greek theater, explore the history of Greek theater, integrate planning - design and construct a mask that shows exaggeration of features, build up features using paper mach mash, enhance...
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The African Grove Theater
Students study the African Grove Theater in New York. In this African American history lesson, students examine the evolution of race relations in the United States as they research the theater and its history.
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The Jim Crow Era
Students examine how African-Americans were affected by the Great Depression. In this African-American history lesson, students conduct independent research on the social conditions of the time period using the suggested resources....
Shakespeare Uncovered
All the Globe’s a Stage: Shakespeare’s Theatre
“All the world’s a stage,” exclaims Jaques in As You Like It, but it is the structure of the Globe stage and how that structure influenced Shakespeare’s plays that is the focus of an on-line research project. Class members visit a series...
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Costume Exploration
What a great lesson, upper graders are sure to love. They explore costume design and the relationships between theatre, culture, and history. They research three time periods, write a response about two of them, then create a composit...
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Colonial America Introduction
Students watch a teacher presented Readers Theater about Colonial America to introduce the students to the topic. In this Colonial America lesson, 4th graders recreate a timeline of early American history, using unconventional...
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The Art and History of Japanese Calligraphy
Chinese and Japanese calligraphy is beautiful and significant in both culture and tradition. Engage your class in this expressive fine art form through a activity on using, holding, and creating brush strokes common to Japanese writing...
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Animal Farm - The Rest of the Story
Young scholars participate in a reader's theater using farm animals in the novella Animal Farm. In this Animal Farm lesson plan, students evaluate interpretations using the text, personal experience, and historical events.
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Explore the Constitution
Students examine the U.S. Constitution. In this American history instructional activity, students explore the founders' vision of U.S. government as they participate in readers' theatre, role-playing scenarios, and constitutional...
US Holocaust Museum
Time Capsule in a Milk Can
Imagine dumping out a milk can and finding letters from one of the darkest moments in history! Scholars use Holocaust Reading Passages and research to discover how people recorded and hid history during the events of World War II. They...
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Coal Camps and Mining Towns
Young scholars should gain a better understanding of the processes involved in extracting coal from the Earth as a result of this lesson. They reearch the history of coal mining, look into coal mining towns, and create a short story...
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Showdown on the Frontier
Especially critical following a series of shootings in schools, theaters, and religious buildings, it's safe to say that we need to evaluate the current laws on gun control. Eighth graders read a New York Times article in order to better...
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DANCE
Students create and perform a dance or series of movements one to two minutes in length. Their dance supports and enhances the expressive qualities of the theater production and accompany the music students selected to perform.
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ABBA - Lesson 4
Students discover a connection between the genres of popular music and musical theater. They find and discuss musicals written in many different musical styles.
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20th Century II: The 1940's - The War
Students watch the movie The Tuskegee Airmen. Write a one page typed paper that describes the obstacles the African-American servicemen, particularly these aviators, had to over come to defend their country. They use specific scenes from...
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Alicia Keys, Songs in A Minor
Need a musical lesson for your drama or performing arts class? VH1 has put together a really neat lesson, in which learners use biographical information about Alicia Keys to write and perform a one-act musical related to her life. This...
Smithsonian Institution
Mobilizing Children
Scholars find out how the government used propaganda to mobilize children to help in the war effort. Lesson exercises include analyzing a quote from Franklin Roosevelt, viewing propaganda images and posters, and participating in a lively...
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Revolutionary Money
Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included.
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Its All In The Delivery
Students investigate the concept of different words and how they are used in specific texts. They develop scripts based upon readings and then design props and costumes to act out the new text. Students read to one another using the...
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The Battle of the Bulge
High schoolers research the events and results of the Battle of the Bulge during World War II. As a class, they discuss the role of the military in the entire European theater and write a paper describing the situations and conditions...
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Strike Up the Band
Students create song lyrics celebrating the history of labor unions serving the entertainment industry, then create posters illustrating the importance of each union to the industry they represent.