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Peer Pressure
Eleventh graders analyze the social impact media plays in relation to peer pressure. In this peer pressure instructional activity, 11th graders listen to Afroman's "Lets All Get Drunk" and read the lyrics. Students write about the song...
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No Path Without Pain
Students analyze the message of John Lennon's "Imagine." In this promoting peace lesson, students complete a cloze activity on the song and discuss its meaning. Students then write their own versions of "Imagine."
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Freedom
Students brainstorm a list of the freedoms they have living in the United States. In groups, they compare and contrast these freedoms with those of their home country. After completeing a worksheet, they examine lyrics to songs to...
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John Brown Lesson Plan
High schoolers create timelines of the Harper's Ferry Raid. In this Civil War lesson, students analyze information and music related to John Brown and his abolitionist work. High schoolers design timelines that document the events that...
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VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx, Lesson 3
Students examine the blues, poetry, the Harlem Renaissance, and the 12-bar blues form. They watch a segment from the video, "VH1 Driven: Jamie Foxx," participate in a class discussion, and listen to songs by Ray Charles and a poem by...
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Increase the Peace At Recess
Students discuss activities that could further keep the peace at recess. Using vocabulary, they analyze recess from a different point of view. They discover how working together can make their school a safer and fun place. They...
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Black Music: Its Message and Meaning
Pupils develop an appreciation for modern black music from a historical, political and lyrical perspective. They examine the political and the historical surge of the civil rights movement of the 1960's and how this surge directly or...
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Reflections and Revisions
Students reflect upon and express affective and cognitive learning experience as a result of a direct service experience. For this service learning lesson, students examine and analyze symbolism portrayed in literature and its...
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Just Lookin' For a Home
What is a boll weevil? Your class can find out that and more by following the activities included here. Pupils read an article, sing a boll weevil song, add to the song with their own original lyrics, illustrate the song, study the...
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P.O.W.: Products of War
Tenth graders are introduced to concepts of war through musical lyrics. They demonstrate and understanding of the role of segregation in US military policy and practice.
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Caribbean Beats and Blends: A Global Sound Lesson
Learners listen and respond to various forms of Caribbean music. In this music and culture lesson, students clap rhythms and respond to a sung call. Lyrics are analyzed for language blends and repetition. Music and culture from Puerto...
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The Underground Railroad and The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
Students discover racism and slavery by completing a role playing activity. In this U.S. history lesson, students analyze documents from the Civil War era and describe the Fugitive Slave Law. Students view a video on YouTube about the...
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The Border Goes to Hollywood
Students view a movie or tv show, or listen to music to analyze the ways border life is depicted in arts and entertainment.
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Slavery
Fifth graders complete a short unit on slavery and the U.S. Civil War. They read and analyze the book, "Follow the Drinking Gourd," compose their own secret song, complete an Abraham Lincoln crossword puzzle, and dramatize a historical...
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Oh Shenandoah
Students sing Oh Shenandoah with correct notes, diction, a characteristic choral tone, appropriate style and have an understanding of the history of the lyrics. The version of Oh Shenandoah is for an SSA choir and was arranged by Ruth...
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Mending Walls: Barriers in Communications
Students explore a literal and figurative wall. For this communication lesson, students examine and discuss barriers in communication as they analyze Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and Robert Frost's "Mending Wall".
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Poetry Continued
Students are introduced to the elements in poetry. After listening to music, they discuss how it made them feel and what the lyrics mean to them. Individually, they are given specific elements to write their poem and share it with the...
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The Minerva Mosaic of the Library of Congress
Students analyze the Minerva mosaic. In this Library of Congress lesson, students conduct primary source analysis of the mosaic as they interpret the symbolism and mythology featured in the mosaic.
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Natural Disasters: Nature's Fury
Young scholars explore the human experience. In this business ethics lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the American natural disasters of the 19th and 20th centuries and the implications they presented.
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Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Students sing "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" with others in small groups and as an entire class. Using correct posture, correct rhythms, and accurate pitches, students play improvised melodies as accompaniment to the song. This lesson emphasizes...
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VH1 Driven: Kanye West
Students watch a video excerpt about the life of Kanye West. They draw connections between his life and their own and compose a rap song in the style of West, using his song, "Through the Wire" as an example.
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Hearts and Partners
Tenth graders explore, examine and study poetry within a variety of different strategies within this lesson. They review and discuss a diagram of the big picture of why it's importance to study, analyze and deconstruct poetry, so that...
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Literature Soundtracks
Student choose ten songs to create a soundtrack for a novel read in class or as outside reading. In the liner notes, instead of lyrics Students writes a rationale of why or how the song relates to the novel in terms of setting,...