Curated OER
Woody Guthrie and The Grapes of Wrath
Young scholars examine American idealism. In this literature and music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of Woody Guthrie songs as well as the themes of Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. Young scholars examine parallels between the...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Immigration: Why Come to the United States?
Don't limit your curriculum to texts! Young historians listen to a song, read an interview, and examine a cartoon as they explore motivations for immigrating to the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Curated OER
Screening Coleridge’s Fantasies: Using Popular Music as a Bridge to Literacy
Twelfth graders use music to aid them in interpreting poetry. In this poetry lesson, 12th graders analyze the lyrics, figurative language, and literary devices of selected music. Students compare the music to the poetry of Samuel...
Curated OER
SATIRE AND POLITICS
Students, after analyzing a satiric song written during the Prohibition era, illustrate how humor can be utilized as a political tool by writing satiric lyrics on a current political issue at the front of the news world today. They...
Curated OER
Music of Slavery and Oppression in the Mid-1800's
Students examine 19th century life for African-Americans. In this slavery lesson, students analyze the lyrics of slave songs and present their findings to their classmates.
Curated OER
Wanted, a Substitute
In this primary source analysis worksheet, students analyze an American Civil War song. Students respond to 5 short answer questions about the song and its lyrics.
Curated OER
Music and Technology
Students analyze the lyrics, instruments, sounds and technology from the song "Vertigo" by U2. They view a video presenting interviews with the band and complete a stage design for the live playing of the song.
Curated OER
Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum
Students explore the American dream. In this contemporary music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs by Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, and David Massengill. Students create 3-D representations of the American dream and write...
Curated OER
African Women: Their Roles and Music
Students explore music by African women. In this African society lesson, students compare and contrast the roles of African and American women. Students listen to music by African women and analyze the lyrics of the music.
Curated OER
Introductory Lesson on Prejudice
Young scholars define prejudice. In this cultural diversity lesson, students analyze the lyrics of "Carefully Taught," from Broadway's South Pacific and then discuss and debate the attributes of prejudice.
Curated OER
Learning About the Civil Rights Movement Through Photographs
Young scholars examine the racial inequality that existed in the United States before the Civil Rights Movement. After listening to song lyrics and viewing photographs, they discover the importance of the movement in helping society...
Curated OER
Civil Rights Violations In America, A Historical Review
Students analyze an event where a person or groups of people were singled out because of their race, religion, nationality or sexuality. They interpret the song "Scarecrow" by Melissa Etheridge and apply the lyrics to the events they...
Curated OER
Defining Voice of the Punk Years
Students analyze the music of The Clash and have extensive and intensive practice in reading and listening skills.
Curated OER
Life Reflections in Songwriting and Poetry
Young scholars analyze, discuss and compare sources of inspiration, use of words and imagery, and other differences in writing styles between two featured songwriters. This is an introductory lesson to a creative project unit.
Curated OER
True Spin: Music
Upper graders take a critical look at art criticism, music, and politics. They watch one segment of "True Spin," produced by VH1 music television and then discuss myths that relate to art and music. Several modern songs are analyzed...
VH1
Lessons for Hight School Music Classes: Lesson 2
Art and music have been vehicles for statements of civil unrest for hundreds of years. Upper graders critically analyze several pop songs or music movements from the 1980s that exemplify politically charged motives. They...
Curated OER
Color My World Grey and Blue
Can colors help to convey a mood in writing? Explore this question with your class using the songs "Grey Street" by the Dave Matthews Band and "Blu is a Mood" by Blu Cantrell. After analyzing the effect of the color words in these songs...
Curated OER
Learning the Blues
Students take a virtual field trip to Memphis, Tennessee in their study of the blues, its characterisitics, founding fathers, and histororical influence on modern music. They compose blues lyrics that reflect present-day attitudes and...
Curated OER
The Role of Protest Songs
tudents will illustrate the role, significance, and history of protest songs from the African American Civil Rights Movement. They will verbally answer the question: "What is the link between the Civil Rights Movement and Hip Hop music...
Curated OER
The Cold War in Popular Music
Learners analyze pop culture songs to identify cold war themes and chart. They comprehend and explain why the Cold War took place and ended and assess its significance as a 20th century event. Students conduct a song analysis of the...
Curated OER
Disco - Voices of a New Generation
Students analyze lyrics of selected Disco songs for content, theme and vocabulary. They write an extended response citing specific lyrics in response to three general themes.
Curated OER
VH1 200 Greatest Pop Culture Icons Lesson 1
Students study the affect of a theme song can have on a show or performer. They compare and contrast an original television theme song with classical music.
Curated OER
Empathy and the Vietnam War
Students explore the implications of the draft during the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs that explore differents opinions of the Vietnam draft. Students particpate in a role-play activity...
Curated OER
"The Star-Spangled Banner"
Students perform a song using correct posture, correct rhythms, and accurate pitches. They read musical notation and lyrics of various patriotic tunes, analyze the purpose and meaning of patriotic songs, discuss the social and cultural...