A comprehensive unit for middle school band students to master the chromatic scale, focusing on note identification, enharmonics, and instrument-specific fingerings through a 'blueprint' technical aesthetic.
A multi-day unit exploring Augusto Boal's Theatre of the Oppressed, focusing on the transition from spectator to 'spect-actor' through Image and Forum Theatre to address contemporary social issues.
A comprehensive four-week unit and independent study guide for contemporary drama. Students analyze scripts, research playwrights, design technical elements, and stage scenes for a final production portfolio.
A 3-day collaborative art project where students transform recycled materials into large-scale sculptures while applying principles of design and creative problem-solving.
A 3-day collaborative sculpture project where students transform recycled materials into massive structures while overcoming engineering challenges.
A 3-day intensive exploration of the fundamental building blocks of music theory—Dynamics, Tempo, and Intervals—designed through a modern sound studio lens.
A hands-on career exploration unit focusing on the dynamic world of retail. Students will master customer service excellence, learn retail operations like inventory and POS systems, and design their own retail floor plan and brand strategy.
A high school art history and studio unit exploring the life, technique, and socio-political impact of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Students will trace his journey from SAMO graffiti to global art icon while analyzing his unique neo-expressionist style.
A high school art unit focused on creating massive, 'larger than life' sculptures using recycled cardboard, paper clay, and found objects. Students analyze contemporary environmental artists and master structural engineering and surface texture in 3D design.
A comprehensive 3D art unit that guides students from transforming recycled materials to mastering monumental scale, combining fine arts history with engineering and technical skill.
An exploration of music written for and inspired by dance across cultures and eras. From the modern concert band work 'Spirit Dance' to global traditions like Samba and Indigenous Hoop dancing, students analyze the relationship between rhythmic pulse and movement.
A comprehensive music technology unit where middle and high school students master digital audio production and collaborate to produce a multi-grade showcase concert, bridging the gap between classroom creation and public performance.
A comprehensive workshop where students in grades 5-8 master the art of digital storytelling by blending narrative structure, audio production, and visual composition into a final multimedia project.
A high school visual arts sequence focusing on mastering colored pencil techniques, specifically layering, blending, and creating three-dimensional value. Students will progress from basic mechanics to rendering realistic forms with depth and vibrancy.
A comprehensive score analysis framework for middle school band and choir ensembles that integrates music literacy with text-based evidence and academic rigor. Students learn to 'read' a musical score as a primary source document, identifying technical elements and structural patterns while providing specific citations for their findings.
This sequence explores the representation of apes in the film 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes', focusing on the transition from scientific subjects to sentient leaders. Students analyze the use of motion-capture technology and narrative techniques used to humanize non-human characters.
A comprehensive workshop sequence on goal setting and visual manifestation.
This sequence explores how technology—from the electric guitar to digital software—transformed music from the mid-20th century to today, focusing on genre evolution, song structure, and production.
This sequence investigates how the technological explosion of the 20th and 21st centuries, from the electric guitar to AI, redefined music genres and creation. Students analyze production techniques, listen for layers, and explore the concept of technology as a musical instrument.
This project-based sequence takes students on a global tour as ethnomusicologists, examining how geography and culture influence musical instruments and sounds. Students classify instruments using the Hornbostel-Sachs system and explore rhythms and scales from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
A chronological journey through the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras of Western Art Music, focusing on critical listening and historical context.
This sequence traces the evolution of contemporary music from 19th-century African American spirituals through the development of the Blues, Jazz, and Rock & Roll. Students investigate how cultural exchange, technology, and social struggles shaped the sounds we listen to today, culminating in a musical genealogy project.
A chronological exploration of Western music history for 7th-grade students, connecting the innovations of the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Jazz eras to modern sampling and production techniques. Students develop critical listening skills and analyze how historical structures influence contemporary genres like pop, hip-hop, and EDM.
Students investigate how costumes and properties (props) function as tools for character development and storytelling. The sequence guides students through the process of distinguishing between prop types, exploring costume psychology, fabricating safe props, and mastering backstage organization.
A 5-lesson sequence for 5th-grade students focusing on the iterative process of playwriting, from the first table read to a final, polished performance-ready script. Students develop skills in auditory analysis, dialogue refinement, conciseness, and collaboration.
Students learn to translate narrative fiction into dramatic scripts by analyzing storytelling modes, converting internal thoughts to external actions, and drafting their own theatrical adaptations of fables.
A technical foundation for playwriting, moving from critical analysis of dramatic structure and subtext to the mastery of professional industry formatting standards and scene composition.
A 5-lesson series on playwriting for 7th graders, focusing on building deep characters, creating high-stakes conflict, and the iterative process of drafting and revision through table reads.
This project-based sequence guides students through the structural engineering of a narrative, moving from a raw premise to a developed one-act play. Students analyze the dramatic arc and apply these concepts to their own original scripts, focusing on pacing, high-stakes storytelling, and professional formatting.
A comprehensive introduction to playwriting for 7th graders, focusing on the transition from narrative prose to technical script formatting, dialogue subtext, stage directions, and scene structure.
A comprehensive 5-lesson unit for 8th-grade students on the mechanics of playwriting. Students transition from narrative writing to dramatic writing, focusing on industry-standard formatting, distinct character voices, subtext, and the integration of physical action with dialogue.