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The Function of Music
Explore concepts of audience, purpose and symbols in this lesson from Media Smarts that asks young scholars to consider all the functions of music. Through a series of discussions and activities, your class will brainstorm possible...
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Word for the Dazed: SAT Vocabulary
Prep those high schoolers for the S.A.T. by giving them one new word each day. There are 16 wonderful words, each with dictionary definitions and contextual example using a current pop-culture reference. Tip: Extend the daily vocabulary...
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Sunday Night With Oscar
And the winner is.....! The Academy Awards are a big deal in film and often make top headlines in the paper. Kids read an article about the most recent Academy Awards Ceremony and answer 11 questions about who won what award, and why.
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Millionaire Game: Life Since 1930 Britain
Life in the UK changed a lot during and after WWII. Review major events, pop icons, and life during wartime with a game. Kids play a Millionaire-style game to test what they know about rationing, blackouts, The Beatles, and British...
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Birds Quiz 2
In this birds quiz 2 instructional activity, students answer 10 trivia-style questions about birds and pop culture, not interactively, then scroll down to check their answers.
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Boy Bands: Hot Again
Kids read a New York Times article on the allure of boy bands, and then answer several questions via Blog post. They consider why boy bands are popular, why they are so expensive for record labels, and how they are similar to bands of...
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200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons
Upper graders explore pop culture and pop music as a forum for female role models. They explore women who have currently contributed to our pop world and why they could be considered role models. They each interview a woman in their...
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Pop Culture and Art
Learn about American pop culture, art, and the social voice that art can convey. The class discusses the life and art of Barton Benes, views his piece Reliquarium, then discusses what they see and feel when they view his work. Make sure...
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Good Book, Bad Book: Lesson 2
An interesting way to incorporate pop culture and the elements that make a book good. Kids watch a clip from MTV Cribs, they discuss how good or bad books are similar to good or bad homes. They are all different and not everybody will...
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Race, Education, and Income: Comparing Carter & Reagan
High school learners compare economic outcomes for 3 racial groups under the presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan by analyzing a series of graphs, answering questions from a worksheet, and participating in a discussion.
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Allusions to Shakespeare in Popular Culture
Send your high schoolers on a scavenger hunt through popular culture (music, television, video games, movies) to find allusions to Shakespeare. They must each provide three to share with the class, and the one they present cannot have...
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50 Cent- "Get Rich or Die Tryin"
In this popular culture reading comprehension worksheet, students read a detailed biography of rapper 50 Cent. Students answer 5 comprehension questions. Note: This is a high interest article with photographs, but contains details of his...
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Australian Crawl
During a unit on Australia's pop culture, don't forget to include a lesson about Australian Crawl, a famous band from the 70s and 80s. This worksheet includes 10 multiple-choice questions.
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Heroes and Sidekicks from Popular Culture
Students discuss familiar fictional characters. In this fictional characters instructional activity students practice pronunciation of adjectives. They describe the personality of popular characters by answering questions about those...
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Kidding Around In The 1980s
Young scholars examine pop culture of the 1980s. In this historical time period lesson, students view a Smurfs cartoon from the 1980s and discuss its similarities and differences to cartoons today. Young scholars work in groups to...
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The School: School Culture Across Louisiana
Students identify and research school customs and folk groups through discussion and interviews. Then they identify and learn that traditional culture exists within other cultural contexts, such as the academic world of school, and in...
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AIDS: A Pop Culture History
Students watch the documentary AIDS: A Pop Culture History and discuss the issues the documentary raises. Students discuss the different facts and myths about AIDS, discuss stereotypes in relation to the disease and discuss common fears...
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Pop on the Block
Students consider what makes a movie, television show, musical talent, or artist a cult classic and create descriptive lists of items from these phenomena that may be sold at auction.
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Protest Songs
Students analyze and perform an American social protest song. They describe its historical setting, consider the effectiveness of the music and recognize that popular music is a reflection of American culture.
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Multi-Media Hero Analysis
Students consider how the attributes of heroes have evolved. In this character traits lesson, students define heroism in their culture and research the epic heroes of literature. Students select heroes to write about and share their...
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Impact of Cars on Society
Students investigate the impact of the automobile on modern American society. In this car lesson plan, students listen to a presentation on the history and popular culture associated with cars and then write essays about their positive...
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Music: A Nation's Voice
Students investigate the impact of popular music in 1960's America. In this music and history lesson, students listen to several identified songs from the decade and analyze their lyrics. Students discuss their impressions and then...
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Levittown, Automobiles, and Cultures of the 1950's
Students investigate the impact of the automobile on Americans. In this 1950's America lesson, students listen to audio clips, read about Levittown, and explore the Interstate Highway Act from the decade. Students then discuss their...
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1950’s American Culture: Television, Fashion, and Music
Sixth graders investigate the impact of popular culture on Americans. In this 1950's America lesson, 6th graders view television clips, listen to audio clips, and look over fashion photographs from the decade. Students then discuss...