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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native American Friendship Dance

For Teachers All
The performing arts offer artistic perception, creative expression, historical and cultural context and aesthetic valuing. This dance helps students understand dance history and develops cultural awareness. Students are given the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Influence of Musical Folk Traditions in the Poetry of Langston Hughes and Nicolás Guillén

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students listen and explore how African-American culture relates to learning Spanish as a foreign language. Poetry, music, and history are utilized while learning about Langston Hughes and Nicolas Guillen.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lessons in Drama: Learning About American Political Thought

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students develop critical thinking skills so that they may produce their own written plays or music from their thoughts and feelings. They express their thoughts based on what has been presented to them over the duration of the course.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music: Dancing a Jig

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Young scholars Watch a video to observe Celtic dancers prior to playing a game called, "Irish Jig Tag." When students are tagged with a Shamrock wand, they mimic an Irish jig. The game can be adapted to celebrate other nationalities or...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Crackin' the Musical Code

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students decode musical notation and then synthesize and apply by notating their own musical composition. Students draw various rhythmic examples which are equal in time duration. They notate and count rhythmic patterns. Additional cross...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black American Musicans: Precursors of Jazz

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Young scholars trace the course of Black music from the 1900's to the beginning of the jazz age. They realize that when education is defined as enlightened training for a place in society and for individual personal development, it was...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Keep on Pushing: Popular Music and the Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore music that exemplified the Civil Rights Movement. In this music and history lesson, students research 1960's protest songs, Motown recorded music, and rap of the 1990's to consider the power of music and its reflection...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music and Dance Celebration

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders demonstrate effective use of a Venn Diagram Graphic Organizer by comparing and contrasting music and dance. They discover how different cultures around the world celebrate with music and dance.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

William Grant Still: "Afro-American Symphony"

For Teachers K - 1st
Students learn basic improvisation of a four beat measure through a game using a four quarter note pattern. NOTE: The idea in this lesson is to teach the student to create something on the spot.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Folktales

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read and interpret an American Folktale. Students create their own folktale about Indiana. Students use digital cameras and clipart from the computer to create a photo story. Students present their animated folktales to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music And The Related Arts / Fiesta

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders investigate the concept of a celebration through the experience of music and culturally relevant conversation. They have a class discussion about thankfulness and tie it the tradition of celebration. Then students listen...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

William Grant Still: "Afro-American Symphony"

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners learn basic improvisation of a four beat measure through a game using a four quarter note pattern. NOTE: The idea in this lesson is to teach the student to create something on the spot.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ethnic Music: Carptho Ruysn

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students define the term ethnic music, ethnic dancing, and a simple Carpatho Rusyn dance step.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Music

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders sing the Shaker tune "Simple Gifts" while identifying eighth, quarter, and half notes. They listen to Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring and recall other ballet music.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American History Review

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils examine how people have contributed to American history, regardless of culture, race or religion. They develop a sense of pride for their own efforts, as well as for the efforts of others. They also study how to work both...
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Unit Plan
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

One Land, Many Trails: Challenge Activities (Theme 5)

For Teachers 5th Standards
Bring history to life through literature. The first in a series of three challenge activities designed to accompany Theme 5: One Land, Many Trails does just that through unique projects connected to historical fiction and nonfiction...
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Lesson Plan
Prestwick House

The Poetry of Bob Dylan

For Teachers 9th - 10th Standards
Bob Dylan's selection as the 2016 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first songwriter ever to receive the honor, has focused the attention of a new generation on the work of the legendary artist. Class members analyze the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Protest Songs

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze and perform an American social protest song. They describe its historical setting, consider the effectiveness of the music and recognize that popular music is a reflection of American culture.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Life of a Navajo Weaver

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students explore Native American weaving patterns and dance movements. For this Native Americans lesson, students view examples of weaving patterns on the Internet and compare the patterns to a Native American dance. Students demonstrate...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story - The Birth of Soul

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars analyze various kinds of music.  In this music lesson, students listen to music clips to determine the kind of music each clip is then they participate in a class discussion about the music and prepare a presentation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Red, White, and Blue Notes

For Teachers 6th - 12th
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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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A New Twist on Race Relations

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners analyze the impact of American Bandstand on race relations. In this race relations instructional activity, students use the music and dance show American Bandstand to learn about race relations. Learners categorize pivotal...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

AT THE CORRAL

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study dotted eighth/sixteenth note rhythm pattern using percussion instruments and alternating from "corral to corral" in groups of 4-6. They play the pattern while listening to selected American western theme songs.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

We Are The Freedom Riders

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students consider the role of the Freedom Riders. In this American Civil Rights activity, students watch videos, listen to lectures, and conduct research regarding the participants in the Freedom Ride protest. Several weblinks,...