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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Popular Music and Music Videos

For Teachers 9th - 12th
This resource is part of a three-activity unit that introduces your class to the concept of popular culture and the role that it plays in their lives. Here, learners examine the importance of the music industry and music videos in pop...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival Chicago - Chicago Blues

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Watching Great Performances’ Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival Chicago launches an investigation into and discussion of how the electric guitar and guitarists have changed the sound of the blues over time. An engaging way to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Slices of American Pie: The 1960s Through Music

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders examine political, cultural, and social movements through music. For this 1960s American history lesson, 11th graders explore the music of the decade in order to better understand the complexity of the time period....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock & Roll through Literary Terms: An Upbeat Lyrical Adventure

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners participate in a variety of activities surrounding Rock & Roll music, lyrics, drama and visual art and how they all help demonstrate examples of literary terms. They use Rock & Roll as an effective aid to stimulate their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Time for All Ages

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders discover time keeping by analyzing technological advances in history.  In this time lesson, 4th graders create and complete a KWL chart based on their research of a famous timekeeping invention, such as a sundial....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Know Thyself: Reflections of the Adolescent Identity Crisis in Rock and Roll

For Teachers 12th
Twelfth graders define themselves through music. In this psychology lesson, 12th graders identify James Marcia's 4 states of identity and identify songs that reflect each of the states.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Remembering Buddy Holly

For Students 8th - 9th
In this music activity, students locate 42 hidden words relating to Buddy Holly. Words are hidden in a traditional word search format.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Rock 'n Roll

For Students 6th - 8th
In this music worksheet, students find the words that are used to name bands and the answers are found by clicking the link at the bottom of the page.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rock

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students play "Fly Away" and "All Along the Watchtower" and then use different voicings of guitar chords and compare them.
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Website
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

For Students 9th - 10th
The online home the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame lets visitors journey through the history of rock 'n' roll and discover the talents of the hall of fame inductees. Includes many stylish exhibitions and fashions to sample.
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Lesson Plan
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 22: Youth Culture and the Rock Festival

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The major rock festivals have been viewed as seminal mileposts of the counterculture era. Not only were there significant musical performances from the festivals themselves, but music was created before and after these concerts to...
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Lesson Plan
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 45: Democracy Not Yet!

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The following lesson uses the lyrics of four popular songs (songs that were commonly sung or played) to stimulate critical thought and discussion of what is right or wrong with American democracy.
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Handout
Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: Guide to Black History: Motown

For Students 9th - 10th
Information on the popular style of music called Motown that developed from a recording company of the same name.
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Website
University of Virginia

Psychedelic 60s: Literary Tradition and Social Change

For Students 9th - 10th
This exhibition is an attempt to revisit, share, and interpret the 60s.
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Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Rock Concert

For Students 9th - 10th
This clip asks students to place themselves in the parents shoes and respond to their teenager's request to attend a rock concert and to think about the concerns parents have when making their decisions.
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Website
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 25: Vietnam Revisited

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Using music, videos, and interviews are effective ways to study the Vietnam War era. The music from the late 1960s and early 1970s offers wonderful insights into how many Americans felt about the times. Through the use of personal...
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Website
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 31: Syncopation and Rhythm

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Music students rarely see the value or have any interest in music other than their favorite popular artist or group. By showing connections and similarities between current music and 'classical' music, the teacher begins to break down...
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Website
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 10: Interpretation and Meaning

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Using the lyrics, music and video of a selected song (example used here is 'One' by the Irish group U2), students will explore the ways in which words, music and visual images interact to create meaning. Students will analyze the...
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Handout
Other

Rhof: A Tribute to Alan Freed, Mr. "Rock 'N' Roll"

For Students 9th - 10th
Contains an extensive biography on Alan Freed as well as several audio clips.
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Handout
Other

Bo Diddley: The Originator

For Students 9th - 10th
Biographical information on Bo Diddley, popular musician of rhythm 'n' blues and rock 'n' roll. Provides highlights of his 50 years in the music industry.
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Website
PBS

Pbs: American Masters: Paul Simon

For Students 9th - 10th
Along with Art Garfunkel, Paul Simon was part of one of the most popular bands of the 1960's. Still popular today, read about his career in this biography from PBS.
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Website
Other

Mdl Communications: Super Seventies Rocksite

For Students 9th - 10th
A good source of information about rock music in the 1970s, including band spotlights and a photo gallery, plus much more.
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Website
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Bo Diddley

For Students 9th - 10th
Creator of the "Bo Diddley beat", this rock & roller was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987. Here is a brief biographical sketch of his life.
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Website
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Frank Zappa

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn much about the life and career of rock and roll performer and composer, Frank Zappa, a 1995 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events, recommended reading list, and essential songs.