Curated OER
Parody Hilarity
Upper grade and middle school writers study the art of parody. In this language arts instructional activity, learners study the work of Lewis Carroll, read and discuss parodies from the book, Alice in Wonderland, and construct their own...
Poetry4kids
How to Write a Silly Song Parody
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery—and it's a great way to learn about poetic structure! Young poets use familiar tunes to write a song parody based on straightforward guidelines.
Curated OER
Sing a Song of Science
Using parodies of popular music to introduce and reinforce concepts in secondary classrooms.
Curated OER
Tee-Hee T.V.
Students examine the concept of satire by reading lyrics to a song and reading "Soap and the Campus: A Web-Site Spoof Succeeds." They create treatments for parodies based on current television shows.
Curated OER
Name That Tune
In this holiday worksheet, students choose the tune to "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" or "Row Your Boat" and write a new holiday song. Students perform their creations.
Curated OER
Poetry
Explore the semantics of poetry with this higher-level presentation. With examples from Dickinson, Frost, and Dr. Seuss, the slides clearly explain the details of poetic structure, license, and schemes. You could use this in a language...
Curated OER
Designing the Careers Show
Learners write a song. In this career lesson, students form groups based on occupational interests. Student groups write song lyrics about their chosen career. Learners present their songs to the class.
Curated OER
Folk Music
Students explore Folk Music in Iowa. For this folk music lesson, students discuss different types of folk music and how it relates to life in Iowa. They take the tune of a song and write their own lyrics to describe their life.
National First Ladies' Library
Language Arts: The Rise of the Operetta
Learners develop an appreciation for the musical theater form, the operetta. In addition, they present parodies of songs from The Mikado. Working in small groups and accessing provided Websites, they compose their parodies. Once...
University of Northern Iowa
Additional Folklife Information
Use a packet packed with ideas for how to celebrate the traditions of your country, state, community, and pupils's families. Suggestions for how to draw on oral and material traditions, customs, beliefs, music, and stories all find...
Curated OER
No Form of Tobacco is Safe
Students create an advertisement to convince children to stay away from tobacco products. For this smoking prevention lesson, students discuss the health effects of tobacco use and evaluate current tobacco ads. Students work in small...
University of British Columbia
Pondering Poetry and Playing with Words
First-year High school scholars explore the world of poetry with an 11-lesson unit that examines a range of poetry forms and tries their hand at crafting their own poems. Young poets then collect their work in a portfolio that they...
Curated OER
Cover the Music
Students explore U.S. history by listening to musical pieces in class. In this Civil War era instructional activity, students discuss the types of musical instruments that were available to soldiers during the war and the themes of their...
Curated OER
This Land is Your Land - Travel Posters
Eleventh graders compile a list of places in the United States where they have either traveled or where their relatives or friends live. They collect travel posters, brochures, postcards, and maps from their region of the United States.
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: 2012 Mid-Term Elections
Use a political cartoon to help scholars grasp the significant turnover in Congress following the 2012 mid-term election. A Mike Keefe cartoon uses symbols and current political lingo to convey perspective on the issue, and background...
Curated OER
Folk Groups and Community Folklife
Students explore folk groups and traditions in their local community. In this folklife activity, students list the folk groups they belong to and its traditions. Students write about their favorite tradition and may complete extension...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Midterm Elections of 2010
In this current events learning exercise, students analyze a political cartoon about the midterm elections of 2010 and respond to 3 talking point questions.
Writing Fix
Writing Fix: An I Pod Inspired Poetry Lesson: Song Parodies About School
After celebrating (and singing) some of the delightful songs from Alan Katz's "Take Me out of the Bathtub" and listening to songs by Weird Al Yankovic, like "Eat It," students will discuss the concept of parody. To practice writing a...