Curated OER
The Sounds of Samba
Students research the origins of Samba in Brazil using the internet. After defining new vocabulary, they locate the cities in Brazil using latitude and longitude which practice the Samba. In groups, they compare and contrast the...
Curated OER
The Cotillion or One Good Bull is Half the Herd, a Black Arts Movement novel by John O. Killens
Students study late twentieth-century African American satirical literature as well as its cultural antecedents. they analyze and discuss, within the contexts of race and gender, the social criticism of the middle classes presented by...
Prestwick House
The Things They Carried
The Things They Carried, Tim O'Brien's powerful collection of vignettes about the experiences of a platoon of soldiers during the Vietnam War, serves as a text for a crossword puzzle. The 23 clues asks readers to recall characters,...
Curated OER
Presentation Culturelle
Students explore various aspects of French life. They determine
which topic dealing with French history, art, food, music, dance, celebrations or traditions they research and present.
Curated OER
"Nutcracker"
Students recognize the timbre of a celesta by listening to music that contains the celesta. They listen to music from Tchaikovsky's "Danse de la Fee-Dragee" (Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairies), track #14 and describe how the music...
Curated OER
Inexpensive Marrionette Puppet
Learners follow directions to create a marionette puppet using Styrofoam balls, fishing line and feathers. They practice making it walk, dance, eat, sit, and walk backwards.
Curated OER
Muses of Independence
Eighth graders explore the entertainment options in colonial America. In this colonial life instructional activity, 8th graders watch a movie about colonial music and arts. Students then respond to questions regarding the movie and also...
Curated OER
Phenomenology Lesson Plan #1
Students approach media with a phenomenological criticism. They recongize biases that they have and where they have come from. They also identify biases in professional work.
Curated OER
MTV and Othello
After reading Acts III and IV of Othello, give your class a fun, interactive, music-related activity. Begin by asking students about songs they have heard in movies or plays. Let them look up the lyrics online and ruminate about the...
Media Education Lab
Understanding Viral Messages
Imagine advertising for a product but not being paid to do so. Welcome to the world of Viral Messaging. Class members first view a T-Mobile flash mob video that went viral and has been seen by over 14 million viewers. After analyzing the...
Curated OER
Landscapes of the Mind
High schoolers review Emily Dickinson's biography and examine themes and forms of some of her poems. They measure ways Graham integrates aspects of Dickinson's life and the themes and forms of her poetry into Letters to the World.
Curated OER
Graham's Appalachian Spring: A Study
Young scholars explore choreographic narrative. In this choreography activity, students explore the elements of Appalachian Spring as they develop a series of written responses to assignments that challenge them to investigate the...
Curated OER
Wetland Metaphors
Learners describe the characteristics of wetlands and identify their ecological functions. They inspect items and use them to create metaphors about wetlands.
Reed Novel Studies
Hatchet: Novel Study
Thanks to Gary Paulsen's Hatchet, teen readers now know it's possible to survive in the wilderness. A study guide for the novel discusses common topics and vocabulary words found within the text. Additionally, readers get the chance to...
Curated OER
Observational Drawing
Young scholars create drawings using oil pastels that convey cultural, social and historical meaning. Drawings are evaluated on use of color planning, contour drawing, color blending, line and pattern.
Curated OER
Hold That Pose
Students discuss the painting The Radcliffe Family and discuss what it was like for them to hold poses for portraits. In this portrait lesson plan, students then pose stuffed animals and make their own portraits.
Curated OER
Jazz and Math: Rhythmic Innovations
Students watch a segment of the PBS Ken Burns JAZZ documentary about Buddy Bolden creating the "Big Four." They compare and contrast the rhythms of marches and jazz based on the examples in the film, and explore notation, subdivision of...
Curated OER
Gesture Drawing
Students investigate the use of proportion using gesture drawing as the subject matter. They create a painting using the elements of art and principles of design.
Curated OER
Sports Screeners
Students watch videos to discover the amount of physical activity in film and television. They present their findings to the class after viewing a film. They discuss how perceptions in films can influence young people.
Curated OER
Celebrate Native American Heritage
Students examine Native American heritage. They explore a museum of Native American culture and explore their food, dress, and customs. They also explore the Native Americans role in the first Thanksgiving.
Curated OER
What is the Risk?
Students investigate the 1950's pollution tragedy in Minamata, Japan. The elements of dose, response, individual susceptibility, potency, and threshold of toxicology are explored in this instructional activity.
Curated OER
Patterns
Students create and extend patterns. In this pattern lesson, students learn to identify patterns using multiple senses. Students work at centers in small groups to explore and extend their understanding of patterns.
Curated OER
Eagle Boy: A Pacific Northwest Native Tale
Students read the story of the Eagle Boy. In this Native American Tale lesson plan, students discover the respect a boy has for wildlife. Students discuss eagles and what they symbolize. Students create song lyrics for the story and...