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Stand Up and Sing: Music and Our Reform History
Young scholars examine events of historical significance in music. In groups, they are given pieces of sheet music and work together to try to determine the social and political conditions of the time based on the lyrics. They write...
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Make a Music Video
Students develop ideas for a music video of a familiar children's song. Working together, they write a script, create costumes, props, and scenery and stage shots to be taped.
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Science Hits Activity
Students listen to a song that teaches the elements of the periodic table and write their own song to be used as an aid in remembering scientific information.
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Getting Inside The Outsiders Through Music
Young scholars listen to popular music of the 50's and 60's to make literature connections to The Outsiders. In this popular culture lesson, students evaluate and analyze various songs and connect them with the themes in the literature...
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Music Video
Students explore songs that tell stories over various decades and create a Garage band track for their voice. In this story song lesson, students create a video for their song group. Students present a proposal to their teachers for...
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Verb Tenses Exercises - Present Perfect Tense
In this present perfect tense online worksheet, students complete sentences using the present perfect tense of verbs in a word bank plus the word "just." They listen to a YouTube video of U2's song, "I Still Haven't Found What I'm...
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English Exercise - Past Simple Affirmative
In this past simple verb tense interactive worksheet, students watch a video fo Paul McCartney's, "Yesterday." They fill in 9 blanks in the lyrics of the song, They write the past simple form of 25 verbs. They submit their answers using...
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M.C. Bard: Hip Hop and Shakespeare
Students compare lyrics from hip hop songs with monologues from Shakespeare's plays, and perform both for the class.
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No Form of Tobacco is Safe
Students create an advertisement to convince children to stay away from tobacco products. In this smoking prevention lesson plan, students discuss the health effects of tobacco use and evaluate current tobacco ads. Students work in small...
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Classroom Quilt of Cultures
Students discuss the similarities and differences in their cultural traditions. In this quilt of cultures lesson, students sing and dance to "Smile at your Neighbor." Students write down their favorite food, holiday, family activity,...
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And We Were All in One Place: Youth Culture and the Rock Festival
High schoolers explore historical youth culture events. In this youth culture lesson, students discover details regarding the Altamont, Woodstock, and Monterey concerts. High schoolers conduct research that regarding the rock festivals...
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What Makes a Hero?
Students identify the characteristics of a hero. For this character development and writing lesson, students listen to music with a hero theme and discuss the common traits of heroes. Students explore individuals and charitable...
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John Brown's Raid on Harper's Ferry
Fourth graders discover facts about John Brown. In this Harper's Ferry Raid instructional activity, 4th graders evaluate the lyrics to the song "John Brown's Body", and write a descriptive obituary about John Brown. Students also view...
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Black and Blue: Jazz in Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man
Students analyze the impact of jazz on the novel, "Invisible Man," by Ralph Ellison. They read and discuss excerpts of the novel, write an essay on the influence of jazz on Ralph Ellison as a writer, and view video excerpts on jazz...
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I Watch Babies Grow
Students explore the changes of life in different generations. In this change of life lesson, students help out families with new babies and learn about their needs. Students participate in interviews, creating timelines and writing...
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Defining Voice of the Punk Years
Students analyze the music of The Clash and have extensive and intensive practice in reading and listening skills.
Orlando Shakes
In the Heights: Study Guide
Before Hamilton, Lin Manuel-Miranda gained fame with In the Heights. A study guide prepares theater goers for a performance of the musical about a group of friends living in the New York City neighborhood of Washington Heights. Resources...
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Words/Music/Images: Interpretation and Meaning A Motivational Activity
Students explore popular music in its historical context. In this music lesson, students examine the lyrics, musicical arrangement, and video imagery of selected songs to interpret the messages and themes of the songs.
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Follow the Drinking Gourd
Students listen to the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" and repeat what they have heard. They discuss the significance of the story and how it relates to Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. They observe a map of areas in the...
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Boosting Rap's Rep
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.
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Helping Others
Students explore community service. In this character development and community lesson, students sing a song based on the fable The Lion and the Mouse. Students participate in a discussion about kindness, and generate ideas for...
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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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Storytellers: Coldplay
Students discover the importance of lyrics in the successful combination of music and words in the process of composing a song. They discuss how emotion-based lyrics influence the creative aspects in composing a song.
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Connecting to Colonial Music
Students listen to songs from the French and Indian War period. They answer questions about the song and identify any historical terms. They examine the role of music in their own lives.