Bring the sounds of the deep South vocal blues to the classroom with a Smithsonian Folkways lesson. In preparation, scholars listen to and count the 12 bar blues patterns in several works and identify the I, II, IV, and V chords as well...

Students investigate the African American culture in the 1920's and the Harlem Renaissance. They read and analyze poems written by poets of the Harlem Renaissance, listen to jazz music and identify the characteristics of the music, and...

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....

Students research the Gullah people and their impact on South Carolina. In this South Carolina history lesson plan, students study, locate, and color the region of Africa the Gullah people came from. Students listen to Gullah music and...

How do nineteenth-century texts by African American and Native American writers contribute to the country's ideals of freedom and individuality? Learners explore the topic by watching and discussing a video, reading biographies, writing...

Slaves laboring in the cotton fields of the old South singing joyously may have convinced overseers that their workforce was happy and content, but in truth, these spirituals contained secret codes. After viewing a short video about...

Enable students to use the blues to explore urbanization, technology, and their effects on everyday life in the 20th century. Musicians were among the large number of people who, between 1914 and 1945, participated in the Great Migration...

Young scholars identify many genres of music and connect styles of music with various cultures. They watch "The Greatest TV Moments: Sesame Street Music A to Z" and list music styles: folk, jazz, rock, etc.

American life before the Civil War was very different from American life today. To show this difference in a full spectrum, learners compare two communities that illustrate the differences between Northern and Southern life. Throughout...

Pupils explore living and working environment of both slave and free African Americans from places throughout the United States.

Learners learn where Jazz came from and why it is an important part of America's history.

Students examine the Caribbean in terms of its music, art, and folklore. As a class, they listen to a folktale and discuss the difference between telling a story and reading a story. In groups, they write their own folktale and share...

Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included. 

Students analyze images and music of common rituals in America with those of other countries. They use worksheets to compare and contrast the events.

Middle schoolers examine the life of John Lawson and his many roles he took on during his life. Using their text, they discover the area in which he traveled and lived. They write an essay about his movements and identifying his contacts...

Students make connections with events of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's with songs made popular by Aretha Franklin.

In this English worksheet, learners read "Campaign Against Poverty Begins," and then respond to 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.

In this English worksheet, students read "Campaign Against Poverty Begins," and then respond to 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.

Explore aspects of African music as reflected in the songs and music of slaves who lived in coastal South Carolina.