Handout
PBS

Pbs American Masters: Aretha Franklin

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn much about "The first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". PBS portrays the life of "Queen of Soul," Aretha Franklin.
Handout
Classical Bands

Classicbands: Al Green

For Students 9th - 10th
Great resource for information on the life of soul legend, Al Green, who later became an ordained pastor.
Handout
Black Past

Black Past: Cooke, Sam (1931 1964)

For Students 9th - 10th
Sam Cooke's influence on music, as the pioneer in cross-over from gospel to rhythm and blues, is described in this encyclopedia entry. His music was important to the African-American identity in the Civil Rights movement.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs: American Roots Music: Lesson Three: Gospel Music Meets a Wide Audience

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The third lesson deals with the emergence of gospel as a form of popular music among a general public. Gospel is a musical genre with roots in the African American church, particularly in the South. Between the 1940s and the 1960s,...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers: Gospel Music Meets a Wide Audience (Lesson Plan)

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lesson that identifies some of the leading figures in post-World War II gospel music. Young scholars compare the differences in style and approach of several gospel musicians and analyze how music has different meanings in different...
Website
PBS

Pbs: This Far by Faith: The Spread of Gospel Music

For Students 9th - 10th
An explanation of the origins and spread of gospel music from the producers of "This Far by Faith," a series on African-American spiritual journeys, which premiered on PBS stations in June 2003.
Website
Other

The Georgia Sea Island Singers

For Students 9th - 10th
The Georgia Sea Island Singers are carrying on the tradition of their ancestors by performing chants, work songs, and gospel songs all over the world.
Website
Other

Biographical Sketches of the Pioneers of Gospel Music

For Students 9th - 10th
Brief biographical sketches of a few of the artists of gospel music.
Handout
Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: The Soul Stirrers

For Students 9th - 10th
This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica's Guide to Black History features the Soul Stirrers, an American gospel group who were one of the first male quintets and one of the most enduring male groups. Several singers emerged from the...