Curated OER
Billie Holiday's Song "Strange Fruit"
Pupils analyze a variety of primary source materials related to lynching (news articles, letters written to or written by prominent Americans, pamphlets, broadsides, etc.) in order to assess the effectiveness of the anti-lynching...
Friends of Fort McHenry
Sensory “Star Spangled Banner”
Music can help us to access memories and events in a meaningful way, and Francis Scott Key used specific words to convey what he had seen and felt when writing what would become America's national anthem. Help your class connect to the...
Curated OER
Civil War Music - Irish Folk Songs
Students determine what it was like to serve as an Irish-American in the American Civil War. In this Irish folk song lesson, students use the provided worksheets to analyze selected Irish folk songs and make inferences about war...
Curated OER
Realism in Music, The Underground Railroad
Students complete a unit of 9 lessons to learn about realism in music during the time of the Underground Railroad. In this music realism lesson, students learn about coded lyrics in the slave songs. Students complete 9 lessons using...
Curated OER
The Sound of Music and Passage to Freedom
Seventh graders examine music examples to investigate a conflict in history about Hitler's invasions during WWII. In this music analysis lesson, 7th graders discuss vocabulary and the history for the Holocaust and Hitler's invasions....
Curated OER
Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum
High schoolers explore the American dream. In this contemporary music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs by Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, and David Massengill. High schoolers create 3-D representations of the American dream...
Curated OER
Music, Culture and War
Students see that music serves as a major conduit for the transport of knowledge. As they watch video, students tabulate the variety of music artists listed by different soldiers.
Curated OER
An Ancient Greek and Roman Festival
Third graders label a map of ancient Greek and Roman civilizations and do a written report on one element of these two cultures. They participate in discussions of food, farming, daily life and government (among others). Students use the...
Curated OER
Women's History
Students research famous women in history. In this Women's History month instructional activity, students choose one historical woman to research and use biographies and websites to gather information. Students complete an included...
Curated OER
Harriet Tubman
Students sing the song "Harriet Tubman" by Walter Robinson. In this African-American history lesson, students review code words that were used during the slave trade and listen to the song "Harriet Tubman". Students create movements to...
Curated OER
Call and Response Singing
Students investigate call and response singing. In this fine arts and U.S. history lesson, students listen to several call and response songs that were sung by African-American slaves during the period before the Civil War. Students...
Curated OER
Say It Loud!: A Celebration Of Black Music In America Music In America
Students study early New Orleans Jazz music and recognize Louis Armstrong as an early jazz artist. They recognize the elements and roots of Jazz.
PBS
Breaking the Code: Actions and Songs of Protest
Ezell Blair, Jr., David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil changed history. Their sit-in at the lunch counter of the Woolworths in Greensboro, North Carolina on February 1, 1960 became a model for the nonviolent protests that...
Museum of Tolerance
Cultural Research Activity
Class members explore cultural diversity through a variety of texts that showcase the importance of traditions. Then, they interview their family members to research their own cultural background and write their findings on quilt pieces....
ABCya
Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle
Solve an eight-question crossword puzzle all about Thanksgiving. Players click on rows and columns, read a question, and answer using the given letters. Hints are provided at a point cost.
Curated OER
"I Hear America Singing": Controversy and Music in the Mexican War
Eighth graders examine the Mexican War and its outcome through music. In this primary source analysis instructional activity, 8th graders analyze the lyrics of selected songs to consider the 2 perspectives regarding U.S. involvement in...
Curated OER
True Music
Eleventh graders research a given decade in US History. In this American History lesson, 11th graders interview a person who lived during the decade to gain a personal perspective on it. Students rehearse and present their composition.
Curated OER
Poetry through Jazz, Rap, and Hip Hop
Students explore poetry through jazz, rap, and hip hop music. They discover the common threads that run through the poetry and music. Students design their own lyrics to a jazz, rap, or hip hop selection and share their songs with the...
Curated OER
History, African Americans, The Blues
This lesson enables teachers to use blues music to explore the history of African Americans in the 20th century. By studying the content of blues songs, students can learn about the experiences and struggles of the working-class...
Curated OER
Living History
Students write an essay and interview someone who remembers the 1960's and 1970's. In this history lesson plan, students write their essays as if they were there in that time period, write their feelings, and put together a mini museum...
Curated OER
Music of Slavery and Oppression in the Mid-1800's
Students examine 19th century life for African-Americans. In this slavery lesson, students analyze the lyrics of slave songs and present their findings to their classmates.
Curated OER
Hero or Tyrant: Connecting Beethoven’s Third Symphony to Napoleon, Part One
The second and third movements of the Eroica, Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, provides listeners with an opportunity to connect to French Revolution and to Napoleon Bonaparte. As they listen to the music, individuals draw what their ears...
Curated OER
Jazz Exploration: A Collage Project
Middle schoolers explore and experience jazz through collage. They listen to improvisational jazz, discuss the origins of jazz, then design and create a collage that shows jazz being played. This project will result in amazing works of...
Curated OER
Arkansas Festivals of the Land
Middle Schoolers research Arkansas community festivals which are tied to the landscape. They create brochures that reflect the festival from a geographical and historical perspective and share them with the class. This ambitious and...