San Francisco Symphony
Dear Mr. Copland and Mr. Ellington
After a teacher-led demonstration on the lives and music of Aaron Copland and Duke Ellington, learners write a letter to them which shows their understanding of how a person's life experiences can be reflected in a composer's music. They...
Curated OER
Civil Rights Video Essay
Students research an event or a person from a decade in American history when the civil rights movement was an important focus. They create a multimedia project based on the research.
San Francisco Symphony
Instrument and Visual Appreciation of Art
There are a lot of great ideas to be found here. To better understand the connection between art and history, learners research several music and art pieces, then relate them to major social events. They study the lives and works...
Curated OER
Rights and Responsibilities: Grass Born to Be Stepped On
Students research an event in history in which rights and responsibilities are involved. They create a movie of the information they find.
Curated OER
Patti Smith: Dream of Life
How do artists affect and how are artists affected by the time periods in which they live? Learners examine the life and work of controversial and influential cultural artist Patti Smith as they seek answers to this essential question....
Japan Society
Akutagawa Ryunosuke and the Taisho Modernists
Japan's Taisho Period was a time when authors like Akutagawa and other Japanese modernists began to experiment with point of view and literary form, making the literature produced during this time period a natural choice for teaching...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Dance in Hawai`i
Nearly every people group has some type of dance, and those dances usually reflect history and culture. Little researchers write an essay on the cultural significance of the Hawaiian hula dance. They research the role of the hula dancer...
EduGAINs
Introduction to the Great Depression—Canadian and World Studies
Ah, the classic business cycle model: recession, depression, recovery, prosperity. And then there was the Great Depression. Groups investigate the economic conditions that led to and social movements of the 1920s that great out of the...
Speak Truth to Power
Harry Wu: Forced Labor
Over the course of two class periods, young historians explore human rights issues; specifically, forced labor in China. This resource provides everything you need, including relevant vocabulary, an anticipatory activity, and a...
Curated OER
Sachets and Nosgays
An impressive lesson plan on the many uses of gardens during the Colonial and Federal periods of history is here for you. In it, learners explore the uses of flowers and herbs grown in gardens at that time; from deodorants, to insect...
New Class Museum
Lesson: Elizabeth Peyton: Portraits: Androgyny in Contemporary Culture
Portraiture, artistic expression, romanticism, and androgyny are discussed in a thought-provoking lesson. Upper graders first discuss and examine the history of portraiture and the elements common to the Romantic style. Then they turn...
Curated OER
Teaching the Holocaust through Literature
Centered on the short story "The Tenth Man" by Polish Holocaust survivor Ida Fink, here is a solid one-day resource to support study of World War II or Nazi history, short stories, or to complement any ELA unit on The Diary of Anne Frank...
The New York Times
Super Brand
Children can recognize popular brands from an early age, but these images symbolize much more than what they advertise. Take a journey through the design of a logo with a instructional activity that focuses on the history and ubiquity of...
Curated OER
Music, Slavery, and the Civil War
Students explore the role of the spiritual played during the period of slavery and the Civil War. They listen to and analyze various forms of spirituals They gain an awareness of how music reflects cultures and social issues.
Curated OER
Urban Concentration and Racial Violence
Students research one of the many urban race riots in U.S. history, from the New York City riots during the Civil War to the "Red Summer of 1919" or the hate-strikes of 1943. They present their findings in the form of a newspaper's front...
Curated OER
The John Travolta Syndrome
Students examine the influence of music and film on contemporary fashion. In this popular culture lesson, students research select films featuring John Travolta. Students research selected time periods in American history as well....
Curated OER
The Great Depression: A Study Guide Through Song
Students take a closer look at the political and social outlook during the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson plan, students analyze selected songs from the time period. Students use the provided lyric sheets and song...
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
Island Maracas
Students listen to Caribbean folk music and discuss maracas and their role in music. They construct and design pairs of maracas using paper mache, then perform a Puerto Rican folk song using their maracas.
Curated OER
Americans Who Stood Up for Their Beliefs
Students will reflect upon the use of music to teach lessons throughout history. The focus of the study is based upon early American History. The tie of music and the abolition of slavery makes for interesting inquiry for learners.
Curated OER
Moving Objects
Students discover the history of the United States by examining the Great Migration. In this U.S. History lesson, students research the immigration movement on the Internet and complete a worksheet about the large population shift. ...
Curated OER
Storytellers: Pearl Jam, New Twist on an Old Song
Students examine the use of music as a medium for social protest. They watch the video, "VH1 Storytellers: Pearl Jam," describe the historical significance of words/phrases in three versions of one song, and answer discussion questions.
Curated OER
The Mandan Buffalo Dance and You
Students create short oral presentations describing how Native American tribes use dance, poetry, music, art and other expressions to make a dedication to a physical concept or thing.
Curated OER
The Border Goes to Hollywood
High schoolers view a movie or tv show, or listen to music to analyze the ways border life is depicted in arts and entertainment.