Curated OER
Harlem Renaissance and Toni Morrison's Jazz
Students study the historical time of the Harlem Renaissance, including key events and figures. They read literature that weaves fiction and history and survey some of the references to the Harlem Renaissance in the novel, Jazz, by Toni...
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Playing With Your Food
Students discover about the form and function of traditional musical instruments, then use this knowledge to create non-traditional instruments that replicate the sounds of traditional instruments. They use vegetables to create their...
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It's an Ad Eats Ad World
Students explore the power and influence of television advertisements in presidential campaigns. They choose issues in the 2004 campaign and create promotional materials addressing these issues from varying points of view.
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A Chorus For Us
Students examine "serious" choral music written for student choirs and the composers who write it. They reflect upon the notion of "serious" music, and examine the trend of concert composers writing pieces for student chorus
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The Who, What, and Y of Design
Students discover how large national chain stores create product lines that appeal to Generation-Y consumers. After learning in-depth about Target's new Dorm Room line, students create their own Generation-Y inspired product line.
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Tchaikovsky and the Nutcracker
Students study Peter Tchaikovsky, the author of the Nutcracker Suite. They listen to the associated music and view images of the author. They write a journal entry about their favorite part of the Nutcracker Suite.
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You've Got Rhythm
Students study the rhythm value of a half note, quarter note, whole note, and eighth note. They stamp a rhythm pattern and create a clay animation which demonstrates note value.
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World's Largest Concert (WLC). Aaron Copland, selected composer
Students explore the life and work of Aaron Copland. . They create a "brochure" about Mr. Copland, one of the composers highlighted in the World's Largest Concert (WLC), and explore and summarize information about the man.
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Internet Filter Infiltration
Learners explore the effects of Internet filters in schools. They work in small groups to survey different types of people in the school community about their views on school Internet filters and draft an Internet policy based on their...
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The Roots of American Culture
Students explore the notion of culture and the influence of Latino culture on the U.S. They work in small groups to identify ways that Latino and non-Latino U.S. cultures have engaged in cultural 'cross-fertilization.'
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Red, White, and Blue Notes
Students explore the history of major American music genres. Then, through mock radio shows, students examine the distinguishing features of each genre and how each has changed throughout the years.
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All Mixed Up
Students explore the emergence of bootlegs, also known as 'mash-ups' (the combination of two songs into one), on the Internet. By researching the musical origins of songs and creating and performing their own bootlegs, students gain a...
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Back to the Classics
Students closely examine chamber music as it has changed from the Middle Ages to today. They work in small groups to research the composers, instruments and typical presentation in 5 time periods. They write biographies and share their...
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The Spirits of Toys Past, Present and Future
Students explore the evolution of toys and explore how the toy industry has adapted their products in response to advances in technology and changing customer expectations.
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Feeding the Soul
Students share memories of a special meal. They research, write and peer edit a newspaper column about a favorite food associated with Thanksgiving (or other holiday or celebration).
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Reality Film
Learners propose and create documentary films depicting a slice of "ordinary" life that reveals something unique or surprising about its subject. They, in groups, make films and present them to the school.
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B-A-N-J-O: A Bluegrass Version of Bingo
Students explain the history and relevance of the following instruments in bluegrass music: fiddle, guitar, dobro, banjo, mandolin and stand-up bass.
They identify the defining characteristics of each bluegrass instrument and participate...
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Live From Your Kitchen!
Students identify cooking sounds and share opinions about their associations. After reading an article, they discover the growth of radio cooking shows. They prepare an outline and script for a cooking program and present their...
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Humorous Satire? Or Is It?
Young scholars establish background regarding a controversial article regarding rape. Students determine whether this article achieved the label of "satire". Internet sites are used for reference.
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Homeless awareness on a cold night
Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions and posing problems. They use a variety of technological and informational resources to gather and synthesize information and to create and communicate...
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Fearing the Fear Factor
Learners write a reaction paper on the topic: "Reality shows like 'Fear Factor' are dangerous/nothing to worry about because...." Students respond to the situation Akron, Ohio's First Energy Corporation being labeled irresponsible after...
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Master Artist Internet Research Project: Timeline
Seventh graders find specific information about a topic on the Internet using an outline created by the class prior to the lesson plan. Using this outline, 7th graders create a chronological timeline of a famous artist's life on...
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Out and About-Creating Design
Students demonstrate the elements of design by creating a digital photography portfolio of photos taken in and arond the scool. The edit photos using Photoshope to emphasize the element of desing in each phot.
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Which Graph is best?
Students use commercial software to organize and visually display data to draw conclusions; students use graphing software to create several types of graphs illustrating the number of each color of M&M's in one bag.