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1. Making Music
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Subjects: Music, Language Arts, Social Studies
They say that music "calms the savage beast." And with such a range of genres, how could the beast ever be aroused?
Instruct students to bring to class samples of music they most like, with some background on the genre. (Older students can speak to the social implications of the music.) Have students present their music type and background information, and discuss why they like this genre of music, how it makes them feel, and when they tend to listen to it.
Ask students what types of music they do not like or with which they are unfamiliar (or, you can provide a list of genres). Chart the responses. (It is likely they will list genres such as opera, classical music, jazz, country music, world music, etc.) Divide students into enough groups to represent all categories. Instruct students to conduct research on the particular genre — or, specific aspect, thereof — making sure to include the following (this will vary depending on the age group): historic background, range of styles, famous composers/musicians within the genre, famous pieces, samples of the music, and great performances. (This list is not inclusive; older students may want to generate a more detailed list.)
Students can use the Internet to find audio and video clips of the music they are researching. For example, on PBS's Great Performances, they will find classical music performances; on PBS's Jazz, they will find jazz tunes written and performed in a variety of historical eras.
Instruct students to assume the roles of members of a music association, and have them create an audio-visual presentation on their music genre, which they will present at a mock national music lovers convention.
Online Resources
PBS American Roots Music
pbs.org/whatson/press/nov01/amer_roots.htmlPBS American Masters: Database, Music
pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/database_music.htmlPBS Great Performances: Multimedia Archive
pbs.org/wnet/gperf/multimedia/multimedia.htmlPBS Africa: Explore the Regions
pbs.org/wnet/africa/explore/index_html.html
(there are audio files, illustrating different music types, in each region)PBS Buena Vista Social Club: The Music
pbs.org/buenavista/music/index.htmlHistory of Country Music
http://www.roughstock.com/history/Opera Glass
http://rick.stanford.edu/opera/main.html
2. What Can You Learn from a Fossil?
Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8, 9-12
Subject: Science, Language Arts
Fossils provide a great deal of evidence in support of evolution and provide us many clues to the past. Students can take on the role of a paleontologist in this activity and see how many clues they can decipher from images of real fossils.
Provide each student with the image of a fossil (found on one of the web sites listed below). Students should make a chart with two columns, one headed "Observation" and the other "Significance." As students study their fossil images, they should write each observation in the first column and what that observation might indicate about the organism in the significance column. For example: Observation: Sharp, pointy teeth; significance: Probably ate meat. Students should try to interpret as much as they can about the particular lifestyle of the organism — where it lived, how it moved, what it ate, how big it was, etc. After their charts are filled in individually, trade with a partner and discuss.
The next step is to view the video segment on becoming a fossil (PBS's Evolution: Becoming a Fossil), as well as reading any textbook information on how fossils are formed. Students can then write a short story describing their organism and how it happened to become a fossil.
Online Resources
Video
Evolution: Becoming a Fossil
pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/04/3/l_043_01.html
Fossil Images
The Paleozoic.org Image Gallery
http://www.paleozoic.org/gallery.htm
Fossil Vertebrates in the Burke Museum
http://depts.washington.edu/vertp/
Fossil Information
Evolution: Riddle of the Bones
pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/humans/riddle/
Charlotte, The Vermont Whale
www.uvm.edu/whale/whalehome.html
About.com: What does the fossil record tell us about evolution?
http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/
blfaq_evolution_evidence15.htm?once=true&
Evolution: Multimedia Library
pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/index.htmlGreat American Speeches
pbs.org/greatspeeches/Great Performances: Multimedia Presentations
pbs.org/wnet/gperf/multimedia/multimedia.htmlNature: Video Database
pbs.org/wnet/nature/database.htmlNOVA: Watch NOVA Programs Online
pbs.org/wgbh/nova/programs.htmlScientific American Frontiers: Video Archive
pbs.org/saf/archive.htmShape of Life
pbs.org/kcet/shapeoflife/Voyage of the Odyssey
pbs.org/odyssey/
