The TeacherÕs Guides are designed to assist the educators with descriptions, notes, and lesson plans that are introduced in the YouTube Tutorials.

The YouTube Tutorials are completely translated and transcribed in Spanish language and made available for the teachers and students who might benefit from bilingual resources.

In this video from the American Masters film Ralph Ellison: An American Journey, scholars discuss the author’s ideas about jazz music. Ellison recognized jazz as an art form that represented the complexity of America’s multicultural democratic society. This resource may be used alongside Ellison’s Invisible Man, but is also well suited for use in a lesson, unit, or course on African American literature.

Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.

Students are introduced to traditional folk music in this animation of the French song, “L'Arc en Ciel” which means "the Rainbow." Students learn the colors of the rainbow in French while following the adventures of a singing bumblebee.

Children will listen to music and dance to the beat of that music using large coordinated movements of isolated body parts.  An adult or peer will be holding up cards to demonstrate what body part to move.

Students get the inside scoop on a story when they create interview questions and answers for characters in the books they read.

After reading a work of literature as a class, students will brainstorm "crimes" committed by characters from that text. Groups of students will work together to act as the prosecution or defense for the selected characters, while also acting as the jury for other groups. Students will use several sources to research for their case, including the novel and internet resources. All the while, students will be writing a persuasive piece to complement their trial work.

While this lesson uses Shakespeare's The Tempest, there are several other text options. Handouts (except for the model case handout) are generic so that they can be used with any text.

In this digital short from Unladylike2020, students learn about Lois Weber, the first woman director of a feature film, and her impact on silent film and early Hollywood. Utilizing video, discussion questions, vocabulary and an in-class activity, students explore the life and legacy of Lois Weber and her role in the fight for women’s suffrage.

Find the author’s purpose for a text and create a work of art!

Magician Magdalena and her sidekick, Marvin, are sharing the secrets of their marvelous magic show! Using their "stop and jot” method, they reveal how to find the author's purpose for a text. They then show you how to transform that author’s purpose into glorious work of art!

Learning Objective: explain the author’s purpose and message within a text.

Learn about the fundamental connections between math and music, in four Acts: "Rhythm," "Frequency," "Harmony," and "Fractals." Concepts presented in the video documentary are reinforced by hands-on experiments using the Google Chrome Music Lab Experiments. Learn the instructional design process used in creation of The Majesty of Music and Math incorporating Universal Design for Learning and the methodology of assessing non-cognitive skills using a combination of gains in Experience Level, Depth of Knowledge, and Performance Quality.

This activity from the Commonwealth Theatre Center in Louisville, Kentucky uses drama to explore what emotions we like to share with the world and what emotions we tend to keep to ourselves, and why. Students explore the six core emotions and learn that they are all valid but we can work on how we deal with them.

From the brainstorming process to the stage, follow three University of Kentucky dance students as they create their own original choreography. Learn how movements are used to express ideas and emotions. Also witness the challenges of creating a dance as a soloist and as a group.

This is a virtual example of the written lesson plan for elements of dance and counting money

This is a virtual example of the written lesson plan about number and nature

This is a virtual example of the lesson plan about symmetry, angles and perimeter

This is a virtual example of the written lesson plan about telling time

Students learn the different lengths for each rhythm and understand the length of each rhythm through their movement.

This lesson plan utilizes music making as well as filmmaking to help students implement their Mac and computer skills with their dance making process. While the plan is tied to 5th grade Dance standards, it can be adapted to meet Dance standards at an older grade level, into middle school, and high school.  The thumbnail image was created by me, the author of the lesson plan.

Hip hop music is a staple of music lovers around the world. With its strong, rhythmic beat and lyrical rap vocal tracks, the genre that originated in New York City after the Civil Rights Movement has grown into one of the most popular styles of music in the world.

In this lesson, students will learn about hip hop as a tool for empowerment and critically analyze its place in American history as they read, analyze, and respond to film clips and lyrics from select songs. Through the discussion questions and activities, students will question the historical complexities and come up with their own interpretation of how music can be a tool for empowerment.

Students will answer questions before, during, and after watching the clips. Teachers may choose to have students create a social post/poem/rap about a social issue or create a presentation about a song with social justice themes. The lesson also allows students to explore other songs with social justice messages, across genres.

The activities in this lesson can be implemented across curricula, including, music, history, ELA, and non-academic classes (e.g., advisory).

More About This Resource

About the Authors:

This resource was developed by PBS Digital Innovator All Star Educators. The PBS Digital Innovator All Star program brings together a community of PreK-12th grade educators, who are hometown thought-leaders and classroom changemakers, for ongoing professional learning and growth. The program creates opportunities for participants to share strategies, learn from peers and leverage PBS platforms to elevate their own ideas and voice.

PBS Digital Innovator All Stars are characterized by their ability to seamlessly integrate media and digital technology into their learning environments, inspiring students to use media and emerging technologies in responsible, effective and empowering ways.

David Upegui is a Latino immigrant who found his way out of poverty through science. He currently serves as a science teacher at his alma mater, Central Falls High School (RI) and as an adjunct professor of Education. His personal philosophy and inclusive approach to science education have enabled students to become problem-solvers and innovative thinkers. He has a keen ability to engage students in learning, exploring, and contributing to science. He received the NABT’s Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (2021) and the Evolution Education Award (2014) as well as the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching in 2019 (2017 cohort). Upegui started, and runs, the school's Science Olympiad team and has contributed to several publications on science education and appropriate pedagogy. He completed his doctoral degree in education at the University of RI, focusing on science education and social justice.

Darnell Williams was born on the south-side of Chicago. As a child his family traveled to different parts of the United States during his father’s service in the Navy. Williams would go on and obtain his B.A in Childhood Studies of Psychology at Rutgers University- Camden. Soon after, Williams would become an English Language Arts teacher and Social Studies teacher. In 2020 Williams would have the honor of becoming a Digital Innovator and work on several projects. During this time, Williams would also obtain his Masters in Educational Leadership. Williams would be recognized for his educational leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic. He is currently the Supervisor of Pupil Services in Hamilton Township School District in Mays Landing, New Jersey. Williams in dedicated to serving staff and students in mental health and equity.

Sensitive: This resource contains material that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether this resource is suitable for their class.