Jazz Music Lesson Plans

Students study the work of David Grisman and American blue grass music. In this blue grass music lesson plan, students research the origins of this music genre, and then participate in activities including researching oral traditions, play tunes, and writing their own music.

Learners gain an appreciation for various types of music. Using the music of the past, they compare it with the music of today. In groups, they research periods in which blues and jazz were most popular and write their own piece of music to perform for the class.

Students identify literature, music and movies that have had an impact on their generation. After viewing online paintings, students discuss the color scheme as they compare and contrast paintings. They listen to selected music and read short literature excerpts. Students create a PowerPoint presentation related to art, literature or music from the 1920s and 1930s.

Students discover how storytelling can shape a person's tradition.Students examine different methods of storytelling such as music, biographies, and African folktales. They then demonstrate their knowledge of storytelling by writing their own verses of lyrics to a blues song.

Students explore syncopation and rhythm. In this music patterns lesson, students compare the syncopation of the rhythms of classical and rap music.

Students examine the development of ragtime music and its relation to jazz. They participate in an online Interactive timeline and read about the history of ragtime music, listen to examples of music, and in small groups create short syncopated rhythm examples of music in various meters.

Students research the history and contributions of Jazz in their local environments. They then design and create a wide variety of presentations to share with the class using as many mediums as possible.

Seventh graders explore  several different cultures and their influence on one another. In this culture clash lesson, 7th graders choose a culture and create a handbook showing the history, the areas where they settled and recipes from that culture. Students analyze music from each culture, create a word wall and do internet research on the cultures.

Students become familiar with each member of the tenor trio: Cook, Dixon and Young. They conduct research and then create a television segment based on their findings. Students identify a variety of musical genres and explore the contributions of each type of music.

Students listen to, analyze, and describe music. They gain an understanding of music in relation to history and culture.