Students are introduced to the various songwriting techniques of Paul McCartney. They explore and compare the basic melodic, harmonic, and lyrical tendencies of the different types of pop music.

Learners study symbolism in media. They listen to two Hip Hop songs and watch the videos for them. They identify symbols and their meanings based on the context of the images seen in the videos and the lyrics heard.

Students analyze the music of The Clash and have extensive and intensive practice in reading and listening skills.

Students analyze an event where a person or groups of people were singled out because of their race, religion, nationality or sexuality. They interpret the song "Scarecrow" by Melissa Etheridge and apply the lyrics to the events they...

Students compose song as a classroom effort. They write a one-paragraph essay about "message" songs in 100 years and include three ideas for topics along with the style of music (such as folk, rock, blues, rap, etc.) that would match.

Fourth graders explore language arts by analyzing poetry styles. In this writing analysis lesson plan, 4th graders read several sample poems in class and identify similes, metaphors and other figurative language within them. Students...

High schoolers analyze musical and topical elements in popular songs and compose song as a classroom effort. They write a short paragraph evaluating the effectiveness of the song in conveying the message of the lyrics.

Students consider the negative image that some have of rap and hip-hop music through discussion and reading an opinion piece from The New York Times. They create CD cover artwork reflecting these messages.

Pupils analyze lyrics of selected Disco songs for content, theme and vocabulary. They write an extended response citing specific lyrics in response to three general themes.

Students recognize and describe elements of Bob Marley's life that influenced his song writing as evidenced in the song "No Woman No Cry". They identify the elements of music characteristic of Reggae.

Students write a song about the southeast region. In this southeast region lesson plan, students view pictures of landforms, hear music, look at maps of states, and more.

Eleventh graders discover the thematic connections between classical literary and popular song lyrics.  In this English instructional activity, 11th graders research a specific topic to be presented to the class.  Students...

Students practice singing rounds in daily warm-ups for 2 weeks prior to beginning this composition lesson. Students incorporate movement to the rhythm of each syllable, discuss syllables of words and their relationship to note values and...

Young scholars explore the meaning behind "The Star-Spangled Banner." In this music lesson, students sing the first verse of the national anthem and watch several performances of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Young scholars define several...

Students view examples of songs that have the ocean and its life as their themes. After hearing and reading them, students write their own, having done research on the social and political issues of the ocean's environment.

High schoolers brainstorm lists of songs that were written in response to American wars; consider the patterns in the lists they create.

Students examine why music is considered to be the "universal language" and study the expressive quality of a musical performance. They compose a melody using a computer and software which they perform on an instrument.

Tenth graders study songs and music of the US Civil War period. They use technology to compose a song that highlights an event or concept from the war.

Young scholars demonstrate an understanding of shanties, a traditional music form. They listen to several shanties and create their own verses to add on to these songs. They express their feelings through music by using rhythm and...

Learners read, analyze and critique a newspaper article about ancient musical tunes that have been found in a church in Scotland. They assess key vocabulary terms found within the article and compose lyrics for a song after answering a...

Students review concepts of the oppressive system of apartheid and relate the significance of Mandela's freedom from prison. They also use music to understand a concept and to convey a concept by using music.

Pupils listen to a song in popular culture. Using the lyrics, they identify the theme and share their conclusions with the class. While listening to the song again, they complete a worksheet along with defining new vocabulary words. ...

Students explore the role of the spiritual played during the period of slavery and the Civil War. They listen to and analyze various forms of spirituals They gain an awareness of how music reflects cultures and social issues.

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...