Music History Teacher Resources

Long before the songs of the 1960's Peace Movement, long before the songs of the Civil Rights Movement, and even before the songs of the Abolition Movement, were the songs of the Suffrage Movement. To understand the power of protest...

The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s marched to its own beat—literally. Using songs from the era, as well as other primary sources such as King's "I Have a Dream" speech, class members analyze lyrics to discover how music and protest...

Much of Latin American music owes its origins to the slave trade. Peoples from the Yoruban and Dahomean cultures brought with them the distinctive rhythms, time signatures, and eighth note patterns that now characterize Caribbean music....

Two lessons focus on making a beat. Using popular African American music of its time, scholars listen and analyze the rhythm then recreate it with hands drums, and cups. 

Young musicians experience song, dance, and play of the Jamaican culture. Scholars listen for and recreate beats, they play tunes, make up original dances, and play a game that challenges pupils to pass stones to a specific beat.

American music is the result of the influence of many cultures, including the traditions brought by the African slaves. Young scholars study the polyrhythms, the call-and-response format, and the vocal improvisations of the Gullah...

Bring jazz music and the Harlem Renaissance to light with a lesson that challenges scholars to research and create. Pupils delve deep into information materials to identify jazz terminology, compare types of jazz and jazz musicians,...

Scholars listen to several pieces of music in preparation for a discussion about how instruments and lyrics convey emotions. With Harriet Tubman as the focus, small groups create an original song or dance. A reflection piece concludes...

A 67-page packet provides instructors with a complete course in the history of Jazz. Lessons look at the roots of jazz in early 20th century African American communities in the southern United States and continues to the New Orleans...

When considering the possible hot spots of jazz in the United States, Oklahoma isn't the state that first comes to mind. However, it is the birthplace of several jazz musicians that influenced the evolution of the genre and Oklahoma City...

Students research the geographical histories of various musical genres and make maps that note important places in music history. They Write geographical biographies about one of their favorite musical artists.

In this music history worksheet, students will read five paragraphs about the history of blues and jazz music and respond to 10 short answer questions.

In this music history worksheet, students will read 4 paragraphs about the history of Blues. Then students will answer six questions using complete sentences.

Students chose one topic about the music of the Romantic Period to write an essay about. They research this era, take notes on the important facts, and write an essay about the topic.

Pupils define the community of Harlem. They explain the growth of music in this area and identify important people who spearheaded this movement. They identify places where music grew in Harlem and establish a visual as well as an...

Fifth graders experience performing arts by participating in a music performance. In this music history lesson, 5th graders practice playing notes on an instrument in class and discuss the challenges associated with making music....

Ray Charles used the pain and adversity from his life to influence an entire genre of American music. Learn about the musician's daily life, struggles and success, and powerful musical style with a thorough resource.

Sixth graders are introduced to the classical period in music history. After listening to examples, they identify and describe the characteristics of music during this time period and research the main composers. Using the internet,...

In this music history worksheet, 1st graders learn about the concerto as a form of instrumental composition by reading an informative paragraph. Students then read a biography of composer Alban Berg and answer 10 questions. Note: There...

For this music history worksheet, learners will read a 6 paragraph essay about the opera, Carmen. Then students will answer 7 short answer questions on another sheet of paper.

In this music history worksheet, students discover the musical "West Side Story" by first reading a summary of the plot. Students answer 5 questions about the story line. Students then read and analyze the lyrics to "America" and discuss...

In this Louisiana music history activity, students select two online readings from the "Louisiana Living Traditions" website to read. Upon completion of the readings, students explore what they learned in the articles and from personal...

Students research songs from the past to learn about historical events. In this music history lesson, students conduct a survey on the Star-Spangled Banner, research the song and history on various websites, and research songs in the...

Students analyze song lyrics and discuss Faust theme in musical history. In this thematic lesson, students view a film clip and create a song lyric, poem or short story developed around the Faust theme. Students perform or present their...