Curated OER
Chinese New Year Lesson Plans
Celebrate with food, activities, and learn the traditions of the Chinese culture while enjoying the Chinese New Year.
Curated OER
Culture and Play Checklist
In this culture worksheet, students research and analyze grown-up pastimes that stem from traditional, popular, or elite culture by answering 7 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Lesson 9- Billy Wilder: Film Noir Inventor and Genius
Students study what influenced and inspired Billy Wilder while determining the plot, characters, and historical context of the film Double Indemnity. They investigate the stereotypes of Film Noir and how it shows the media messages of...
Annenberg Foundation
By the People, For the People
A picture speaks a thousand words—no matter how old. The 18th installment of a 22-part series on the making of American history has scholars research the causes of the Great Depression and the factors of the New Deal. Using photographic...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Kate Chopin's The Awakening: Searching for Women and Identity in Chopin's "The Awakening"
The final lesson of a three-part series on Kate Chopin's The Awakening has scholars investigate life as a woman in late nineteenth-century America. They research the role of women in society through the eyes of the characters in the...
Curated OER
Picture This - Stars Over Hoke
The classroom becomes a safe and inclusive place for your ELLs as they create documents about their lives. Learners create, read, and present story books based on their own personal experiences. They use digital cameras to take...
Council for Economic Education
Mercantilists and the Midas Touch
What is the connection between greed and mercantilism? Historians consider this question by analyzing a fairy-tale like story about King Midas from the nineteenth century. The background information and excerpt help pupils understand the...
Media Smarts
Unit Two: Celebrities and World Issues
Develop media smarts by considering the power of celebrity involvement in world issues. A look at the work of such celebrities as Angelina Jolie, Oprah, and Bono prepare learners to develop their own media campaign for a global...
Judicial Learning Center
State Courts vs. Federal Courts
Popular culture often portrays the Feds as the most fearsome of law enforcement agencies. Yet, someone charged with a crime is considerably more likely to end up in a state court. The lesson, one of six covering the Organization of the...
Dick Blick Art Materials
Stitch It Up!
Ever think about combining the art forms of painting and embroidery? Then this art lesson is right up your alley! Given a piece of white cloth, young artists first create a grayscale painting and then highlight certain features by...
Curated OER
Life as a Legend: Marilyn Monroe: What is Beautiful?
Students consider the notion of beauty and what impact the media and popular culture have on it. In this cross curricular activity, students examine print ads, write down and share their thoughts on them. Then students form literary...
Curated OER
Pete And Repeat
Students draw a picture of a person from popular culture, then "clone" it using printing techniques in this Art lesson that tackles the questions surrounding cloning, DNA, and current scientific techniques. An emphasis is placed on the...
Curated OER
1950's Popular Culture
Students gain a basic understanding of Capitalism and Communism, the ideologies that fueled the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
Curated OER
Respect for Authority
High schoolers develop cross-cultural understanding. In this democracy lesson, students discuss core democratic values as they examine the governance in their school and their local community. High schoolers also discuss the...
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
Mesoamerican Cultures
Students compare and contrast the Mayan and Aztec cultures. In this Mesoamerican cultures lesson, students visit classroom stations that feature the landmarks, popular foods, and gods of the 2 cultures. Students discuss their favorite...
Curated OER
American Aloha Lesson Plan: Perpetuating Indigenous Cultural Traditions in Diaspora
Students examine the culture and decline of the culture of native Hawaiian people as the islands were colonized. They study issues of cultural identity for Native Hawaiians.
Curated OER
Lesson Plan PROMPT: Not Just Halloween: Festivals of the Dead Around the World
Students research information about Halloween and other cultural festivals of the dead. In this festivals of the dead lesson plan, students use the assigned website to examine All Hallow's Eve, the Obon, or Los Dias de los Muertos. They...
Curated OER
Vietnam Revisited
Students explore the impact of the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam and popular culture lesson, students research and plot major events in the conflict. Students interview people regarding their memories of the war and watch the movie " The...
Curated OER
International Festival: France
Students explore French culture. In this cross-curriculum social studies lesson, students listen to Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans and identify words and landmarks associated with France. Students pronounce several phrases in French,...
Curated OER
International Festival: Greece
Students celebrate the culture of Greece. In this multicultural lesson, students participate in several activities which examine the culture of Greece. Students study the Greek alphabet, identify the country on a world map, and make...
Curated OER
International Festival: Mexico
Students explore the culture of Mexico through music and food. In this multicultural lesson, students read the book Mexico and listen to samples of Mexican music. Students use ingredients to make tacos.
Curated OER
What is el Dia de los Muertos?
Students explore the Mexican celebration el Dia de los Muertos. In this Mexican celebration lesson, students discuss ways people in the US honor the dead. Students compare and contrast Mexican holidays and American holidays. Students...
Curated OER
17th Century Music and Dance
Students explore American history through hands-on use and demonstration of musical material culture representing early colonial America. They compare the music of colonial America to modern music.