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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mending Walls: Barriers in Communications

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore a literal and figurative wall. In this communication activity, students examine and discuss barriers in communication as they analyze Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and Robert Frost's "Mending Wall".
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

M.C. Bard: Hip Hop and Shakespeare

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars compare lyrics from hip hop songs with monologues from Shakespeare's plays, and perform both for the class.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Magic Squares for Cyrano de Bergerac Act II

For Students 8th - 9th
There is some tricky vocabulary in Act II of Cyrano de Bergerac! Front-load these words with this magic squares activity. Sixteen new words are listed, along with their definitions. Kids must match each word to its definition, completing...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

“And Still I Rise” Proud Black Women

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the experiences of African American women. In this poetry instructional activity, students use their literary analysis skills to compare the poetry of Maya Angelou to rap music performed by Queen Latifah and Lauryn...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Pony Song

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students sing "Three Little Pigs", the "Pony Song", and "The Animal Blues" in this elementary school music lesson. National and State Standards are addressed. Assessment rubric is included for grading and student evaluation.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

P.O.W.: Products of War

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders are introduced to concepts of war through musical lyrics. They demonstrate and understanding of the role of segregation in US military policy and practice.
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Lesson Plan
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Locking up teenage criminals

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students evaluate comments submitted by young people regarding teenage criminals. They plan a new approach to young offenders and explain their ideas as a poem or rap lyrics.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Quatrain

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners analyze the quatrain structure and rhyming in the song, "Puddles". They use this format to create their own quatrain lyrics for a song then they share their song ang revise it.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Repetitive Song Form

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders discover different concepts for identifying musical structure and song form.  In this Music History lesson plan, 8th graders compare and contrast a Red Hot Chili Peppers song to an Andrea Bocelli's song. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sing Me a Story!

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore lyrics, phrases, and the beats in each phrase. They select a nursery rhyme, set it to a simple tune they already know, and match the tune with the same number of beats per phrase with a poem with the identical...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Garage Band

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders identify a pop rock music form that includes a verse, a chorus, and a bridge in ABABCBB form. They demonstrate basic skills using the "Garage Band" application. Students crate a piece of music using the garage band...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders discover the thematic connections between classical literary and popular song lyrics.  In this English lesson, 11th graders research a specific topic to be presented to the class.  Students analyze song lyrics in their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Round and A Round

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students practice singing rounds in daily warm-ups for 2 weeks prior to beginning this composition lesson. Students incorporate movement to the rhythm of each syllable, discuss syllables of words and their relationship to note values and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oh, Say Can You See...

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Learners explore the meaning behind "The Star-Spangled Banner." In this music lesson, students sing the first verse of the national anthem and watch several performances of "The Star-Spangled Banner." Learners define several vocabulary...
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Lesson Plan
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Stand Up and Sing

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pupils journal and respond to the question," How does society respond to change?" They create original lyrics to their own song that reflects the context of the Progressive Era.
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Lesson Plan
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Know Yourself

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the events of the  Holocaust.  In this cross curriculum lesson, 11th graders examine the differences between prejudice and discrimination.  Students read various forms of literature and write journal entries. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Life And Death of Tupac Shakur

For Teachers 6th - 7th
In this reading comprehension worksheet about Tupac Shakur, young scholars read a short article about his life and death. Students answer 5 questions. There are mature themes in this article.
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Activity
Shmoop

ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.7

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Your pupils are beginning their research project and are having a hard time narrowing their topics down. If you’re not sure how to help them, then start here. Provided is a student dialogue that works though the issues of narrowing a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Under Joni Mitchell's Influence

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view the AMERICAN MASTERS entitled Joni Mitchell: Woman of Heart and Mind, examine the concept of influence, and explore how Joni Mitchell and her work have influenced others. Students read, interpret, and analyze her lyrics by...
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Lesson Plan
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Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students use the music of Bruce Springsteen to learn literature techniques.
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Lesson Plan
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Crossroads Blues

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
The crossroads, and the decisions made and entities met there, are a common theme in literature, pushing readers to examine the choices and encounters that shape life experience. The theme has also been explored in blues music, most...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Storytellers: Dave Matthews Band

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students listen to the music of the Dave Matthews Band in order to discuss and analyze the lyrics. They examine how the songs are presented and determine if the Dave Matthews Band does a good job of presenting the meaning of the lyrics...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Early Industrialization

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders analyze primary source documents emphasizing young people in factory labor (mill workers during 1840-1860). They study hours of labor, ages of laborers, reasons for working, and working conditions. They write a poem or song.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Element of Color

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders study and analyze the elements of color by creating an personalized color wheel. Emphasis is placed on constructive criticism of student work by others for assessment. Students create short poems for their color wheel...