The Spanish-American War in Motion Pictures
This site features films and actualities taped in the U.S., Cuba, and Philippines showing troops, ships, notable figures, and parades, as well as reenactments of battles and other wartime events. These films mark the first U.S. war in which the motion picture camera played a role.
We'll Sing to Abe Our Song!: Sheet Arts about Lincoln, Emancipation, and the Civil War
Alfred Whital Stern (1881-1960) of Chicago presented his outstanding collection of Lincolniana to the Library of Congress in 1953. Begun by Mr. Stern in the 1920s, the collection documents the life of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) both through writings by and about Lincoln as well as a large body of publications ...
Literature to Life: Zora!
Zora Neale Hurston was one of the most important and celebrated figures to emerge from the Harlem Renaissance. Outspoken, spirited and gifted, Ms. Hurston was the most prolific African-American woman writer of the 1930's. Adapted from the theatrical biography of her life by Laurence Holder, this performance ...
The Branding of America
This site offers thumbnail histories of nearly 30 well-known brand names associated with soft drinks, potatoes, cereal, fruit, airplanes, buses, pianos, sewing machines, jeans, shoes, and other products.
Edward S. Curtis's The North American Indian: Photographic Images
This is one of the most significant and controversial representations of American Indian culture ever produced. Issued in a limited edition from 1907-1930, the publication continues to influence the image of Indians in popular culture. In over 2000 photos and narrative, Curtis portrayed the traditional ...
Selected Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865
This site contains more than 1,100 photographs, most of which were made under the supervision of Mathematics and Statisticsew B. Brady. The collection includes scenes of military personnel, preparations for battle and consequences of battle, portraits of Confederate and Union officers and enlisted men.
By the People, For the People: Posters from the WPA, 1936-1943
This is a collection of 900 boldly colored and graphically diverse posters produced as part of FDR's New Deal. These striking silkscreens, lithographs, and woodcuts were created to publicize health and safety programs; cultural programs including art exhibitions, theatrical, and musical performances; ...
Coca-Cola Television Advertisements
This site presents TV commercials, never-broadcast outtakes, and experimental footage that together reflect the historical development of TV advertising for a major product. Ads include the 1971 Hilltop commercial with an international group of young people on an Italian hilltop singing I'd Like to ...
Drawing a sea turtle
This lesson plan takes students step by step through drawing a sea turtle, using the process to discuss the animal's anatomy.
The Adventures of Rama
The Ramayana, the famous Hindu epic, is retold here in words and illustrations by "The Golden Eagles," Loretta Hopper's Grade 2 class from Ephesus Elementary in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Storytelling Activity
This storytelling activity started out with template for a story with many sections missing. We went around the circle, with each person filling in different blank spots. Below is the final product our group created. After completing our tale, half of us did a drawing to represent the story, which is also below. The other group acted out the story and performed it for the rest of the group.
Inquiry into Poetry
Sometimes the topic of poetry is not received with enthusiasm by a classroom of high school students. What has worked for me in the past is to have a set of simple questions in regards to poetry itself, answered by my students (the 5 w's? + how?). There are no wrong answers because poetry means different things to different people. After the answers to the questions have been written on the board ( or butcher paper) and explored, I present a bilingual poem that includes everyday things ( such as
Digital Storytelling: Through the Eyes of Others
This website on digital storytelling has been created as a resource for those who would like to pursue digital storytelling for educational, personal, or collaborative purposes. You will find links to a variety of resources that will help you get started.
Kids Gardening Themes
We use gardening as a vehicle for encouraging children to make good food choices, augmenting classroom studies with experiential learning, building a love of nature, stimulating social interaction, facilitating cultural exchange, and more.
Each of the following topics in our Thematic Explorations Library features scads of classroom stories, curriculum connections, "how-to" articles, related Web sites, and more. We hope they will inspire you to cultivate curious learners.
Telling an Ancestor's Story
Lesson plan outlines a collaborative process of creating an ancestor's story and preparing a performance using movement and props.
Romeo and Juliet Teacher's Guide
Written in conjunction with Cal Shakes' 2008 production of Romeo and Juliet, this comprehensive Teacher's Guide serves to engage students with summaries, activities, games, and relevant readings about the themes and time period of the play . The theme of this guide is "You Just Don’t Understand." Cue your students to look for the misunderstandings in the play and how the world of the play creates and perpetuates them.
A Midsummer Night's Dream teachers' guide
Based on the 2009 production directed by Aaron Posner in Orinda, CA, this guide has easy to use tools to bring the play to life in your classroom. Guide includes a plot summary, visual character map, a breakdown of Shakespeare's language, an overview of Elizabethan culture and many play related classroom activities.
Notenscheibe
The "Notenscheibe" is a teaching material for music lessons. Currently available in German language and licensed under cc-by-nc-sa.
Season Storytelling Activity
An activity that allows students to explore the words, images, sounds, and movements that represent the season of their birth. Activity incluedes photos taken of arts educators performing during ISKME's OER and Arts Education workshops, Fall 2009.
Flocabulary: Hip-Hop in the Classroom
This site provides a free song from each of their titles in Vocabulary, Literature, Social Studies, Math and Science. There are also videos for some of these songs, and a handful of free songs that don't correspond to any particular album. Feel free to use these songs in your classroom, download them ...
