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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lady Sings the Blues

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Learners explore women and music in the 20th century. In this music lesson, students study the relationship between literature and music through The Color Purple and music by Ethel Waters, MA Rainey, Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Ella...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We Are The Freedom Riders

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students consider the role of the Freedom Riders. In this American Civil Rights activity, students watch videos, listen to lectures, and conduct research regarding the participants in the Freedom Ride protest. Several weblinks,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Swing Your Partner! It's A Virtual Square Dance

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners explore the Wessels Living History Farm website and research how to do a square dance. They read a story, listen to an explanation of barn dances, and participate in various square dances.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

America, A Home for Every Culture

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students investigate the many cultures that are represented in America. In this American culture activity, students look at the food, languages, music, and traditions that immigrants have contributed to the face of America. They complete...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Yankee Doodle... More than Just a Catchy Tune

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students investigate the history of patriotic music and practice singing the tunes with classmates.  In this U.S. History instructional activity, students examine lyrics of the traditional song "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and discuss the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Faces of the Past: Boys in the Civil War

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Learners investigate the role of boys during the American Civil War. In this Civil War Research lesson, students study the contributions of young Union and Confederate men to the war effort. Learners also make classroom presentations...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Woody Guthrie: Ain't Got No Home

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine the music of Woody Guthrie and how the political and economic climate influenced his work. They read and discuss online articles, define key vocabulary words, take a Political Orientation Survey, and write a position...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dance: Personal Soundtracks

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students create a musical autobiography. For this fine arts lesson, students explore the emotions that music can express by listening to and discussing a variety of music. Students construct a personal timeline and a collection of music...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sounds of Change

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students recognize that music brings out feelings and emotions in people. In this music themes lesson, students explore the relationships between culture and music. Students answer questions about favorite choices in music.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Mambo" from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students encounter and study "Mambo" from "West Side Story," by Leonard Bernstein. They practice utilizing musical elements (instrumentation, tempo, and dynamics) to create a certain mood for a scene with music. Each student interprets...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cinco De Mayo

For Teachers 4th - 6th
In this Cinco de Mayo worksheet, students read a detailed history about the holiday. There are then 8 pages with 10 activities on each page to correct. There are some math problems as well, which pertain to Cinco de Mayo.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cinco de Mayo

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the Cinco de Mayo holiday. They discuss the history of Cinco de Mayo, listen to the Legend of the Mexican flag, color a worksheet of the Mexican flag, and create a class coat of arms.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Gullah People of the Sea Islands

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the lives of the Gullah-Geechee people. In this unique cultures lesson plan, 8th graders explore music, language, and slavery of the Gullah-Geechee people from the southern low-country in the United States....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Letters from the Japanese American Internment

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Young scholars make deductions about life in an internment camp by reading and comparing letters written to Clara Breed. Along the way, they consider the advantages of looking at a historical event from the multiple points of view of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

From Remus to Rap: A History in Theory and Practice of the African-American Storytelling Tradition

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the specific form and function of tall tales and toasts. They discover the importance of performance in the telling of a story and the importance of rhythm in the telling of toasts. They create stories of their own, in...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stories of the American Experience

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students identify a veteran to interview. This could be a family member of one of students or someone contacted through an organization in the community. They use a storyboard to plan their movie about their subject.
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Lesson Plan
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Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Yankee Doodle: How Has It Changed over Time?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Grab your feathers and your hat! And perhaps some macaroni! It's time to investigate the evolution of "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Groups do a close reading of sheet music covers, lyrics, and even YouTube videos to see how this political song...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Rights Video Essay

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate a decade of American history when the civil rights movement was a focus of national attention. They create a video essay about a person or event that played an important role in shaping the civil rights movement.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stars and Stripes Forever: Flag Facts for Flag Day

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students are introduced to the symbolism of the flag of the United States of American. They identify flag components, history, etiquette and lore. They also use constrution paper to make a flag and discuss the Pledge of Allegiance.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Following Muddy's Trail

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view the AMERICAN MASTERS film "Muddy Waters: Can't Be Satisfied" and research him using the Guided Reading strategy. They examine the influential musician's childhood and trace his journey from the Mississippi Delta to...
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Lesson Plan
Gateways

Teaching the Easter Story

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
If you are looking for a secular approach to teaching about Easter, this may just be the resource for you. Pupils read a paraphrased text depicting the last supper, arrest, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ as told in the Bible, while also...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Jazz is About Collaboration": Jim Crow Laws And Segregation

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore development of jazz music in the 1930s by forming imaginary jazz bands which tour several cities in Depression-era America. Jazz band members create imaginary identities for themselves, develop publicity for their tour,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modern Minstrelsy: Exploring Racist Stereotypes in Literature and Life

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Satires may be designed to expose a bias to ridicule but if misunderstood can they reinforce that bias? Langston Hughes poem, “Minstrel Man” opens a discussion of racist stereotypes, the minstrel tradition, and the musical, “The...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Jazz is About Freedom": Billie Holiday's Anti-lynching Song Strange Fruit

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Working in small teams, learners analyze a variety of primary source materials related to lynching (news articles, letters written to or written by prominent Americans, pamphlets, broadsides, etc.) in order to assess the effectiveness of...

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