In a world where we have calculators and search engines, why is math still a necessary skill to have in many career paths? From fashion design to astrobiology, math is the backbone of those jobs, and this collection will show you exactly why. Being able to do math means being able to win a fencing match or saving someone's life!

Explore the Harlem Writers Guild, the oldest African American writers association in the world, in this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise. Teaching tips suggest asking students to research the Harlem Writers Guild and to think about writing as part of a community.

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.

In this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise, students analyze an excerpt of the poem Caged Bird. Through discussion questions and a short activity, students analyze the poem by doing a close read of the text and examine the literary techniques used.

Learn about the connection between Maya Angelou and Malcolm X, and their work in Ghana, in this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise.

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.

Explore how growing up in the South during the Jim Crow Era influenced Maya Angelou’s writing in this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise. The power of memory and the importance of setting inform both the video and discussion questions as students are asked to consider why Maya Angelou chose to write about her own life in her famous autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

Examine Maya Angelou’s impact on those who knew her personally in this video from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise. Utilizing video, discussion questions and teaching tips, students analyze and reflect on Angelou’s mentors in I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

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.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton asked Maya Angelou to write a poem for his inauguration. After Clinton’s inaugural address, Maya Angelou recited her original poem “On the Pulse of Morning.” As the second poet in history to read a poem at a presidential inauguration—Robert Frost was the first when he recited a poem at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration in 1961—Angelou captured the attention of the nation. President Clinton called her poem “an eternal gift to America.” This clip from American Masters | Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise features part of her performance at the inauguration and provides background about Clinton’s reasons for asking her, her response, and how the poem was received by the public.

In this resource, students explore the role of poetry in American politics, compare Angelou and Frost, and consider how Angelou’s poem reflects the challenges and concerns of the time. Discussion questions, teaching tips, and a student handout push students to engage with Angelou’s words and to think critically about her famous work.

Learn about artist Meta Warrick Fuller--forerunner to the Harlem Renaissance--in this digital short from Unladylike2020. Using teaching tips, discussion questions and vocabulary, students examine the life, impact and historical era in which Warrick Fuller lived.

Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin were among the first bands to perform the metal scream, but the origin of screaming in music actually goes back to the Nordic Vikings.

San Francisco artist Jenny Odell uses various secondhand imagery to render our built environment otherworldly and strange. In this episode of Art School, we hang out with Odell in her apartment in San Francisco’s Mission District and get a glimpse of her process of gathering images and crafting them into grids and other forms.

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).

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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.

Since the beginning of time Phi—also known as the golden ratio—has inspired the world around us. Have you ever noticed how some pieces of music just seem to make sense? From the notes and chords to the phrasing and dynamics, they can all feel like they were meant to go together. Many people believe this is not a coincidence but the golden ratio in action.

Albuquerque’s thriving hip-hop and freestyle dance scene is influenced by Indigenous dancers from many tribes, Pueblos and other communities. A strong sense of solidarity holds it all together, say dancers Anne Pesata (Jicarilla Apache) and Raven Bright (Diné). The couple describes the scene as “Indigenous futurism.” Meet Randy L. Barton, or Randy Boogie, a dancer, DJ and artist (Navajo) who created The Sacred Cypher, an event that highlights how Indigenous art forms connect with hip-hop.

Do you like to paint? Watch this step by step video as artist Kristin Farr demonstrates how to paint your very own "Magic Hecksagon," which is a colorful, geometric design inspired by folk art. She uses a plethora of different colors to bring a sense of motion to her work. Watch and learn more in the interview with Kristin Farr: http://youtu.be/OX1r-3-VK-0

No Turning Back immerses young people in daily life under segregation and voter intimidation in the South during the 1960s. Playing as Verna Baker, a fictional teen from the Mississippi Delta, the player experiences and responds to racial restrictions and inequalities known as "Jim Crow," including limited access to education, health care, and voting rights. The TEACH page includes a wealth of materials to support the learning goals of the mission, including comprehension questions, writing prompts, vocabulary activities, and primary source analysis.

Indigenous people have been forming governments and building nations for hundreds of years. The formal treaties that were made between the first colonists and the First Peoples of America was nothing new to the native communities as they had already had treaties in place between other tribes.

Jane Kim has painted hundreds of species of animals as a scientific illustrator who creates large scale installations and murals, “inspiring people to love and protect the earth one work of art at a time.” Take a trip to the California Academy of Sciences with Jane Kim as she draws inspiration from their collection and talks about an early obsession with teddy bears that led her to a life of using art to give the natural world a stronger voice.

Mix painting and poetry with this colorful, rhyming preschool module that lets children express themselves with the power of words.

Watch as portrait artist, Jeremy Sutton reveals his inspirations, from historical art masters to the passionate subjects of his portraits. Portraits were historically commissioned by either members of the Church or the absurdly wealthy, but Sutton chooses to focus his portraits on the complete opposite -- everyday scenes from everyday members of society, almost as an act of rebellion.

Philadelphia has a rich history of producing world-class dance talent, from virtuoso tap dancers LaVaughn Robinson and the Nicholas Brothers to the contemporary house and street dancers from Rennie Harris Puremovement, the longest running street dance theater company in the world. And, like the signature Philly sound, the city has moves with soul.