Handout
Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press.

New Georgia Encyclopedia: Blues Music: Overview

For Students 9th - 10th
Overview and definition of blues music that developed in the southern United States in the early nineteenth century. Performers from Georgia include Ray Charles, Ma Rainey, Little Richard, and the Allman Brothers.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs American Masters: Scientific American: Following Muddy's Trail

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This site has a lesson plan on Muddy Waters focused on the American Masters documentary about him. Parallels the Great Migration with the growth of the blues music movement in America. Click on Muddy's name to access a detailed biography...
Unit Plan
John F. Kennedy Center

The Kennedy Center: Blues Journey

For Students 9th - 10th
Trace the history of the blues in America through the play, Blues Journey, based on the book by Walter Dean Myers. You can see video clips of the stage play, listen to blues radio shows, and learn about different types of blues music.
Handout
Black Past

Black Past: Rap/hip Hop

For Students 9th - 10th
This encyclopedia entry gives a brief history of rap and hip hop and the influences of the music on modern culture.
Handout
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission

Explore Pa History: Billy Eckstine

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn of the historical contributions of jazz musician, band leader, and Pennsylvania native, Billy Eckstine in this succinct biography.
Website
PBS

Pbs: The Story of Jazz

For Students 9th - 10th
A supplement to a ten-part film series on jazz, this resource describes the growth and development of jazz music from the gritty streets of New Orleans to the Lincoln Gardens on Chicago's south side, where Louis Armstrong first won fame,...
Lesson Plan
Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors: Web English Teacher: Langston Hughes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This resource focuses on the works of famous African-American author, Langston Hughes.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: Slave Culture

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out about the contributions African slaves and African American slaves made to not only their culture, but American culture in general. See what words have African roots, how African culture influenced food and music, and how there...
Website
Digital History

Digital History:the Great Migration

For Students 9th - 10th
The Great Migration for African Americans began during World War I as blacks left the segregated south to find jobs in the north. Read about how segregation followed them into their northern neighborhoods. See also how the Harlem...
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: American Culture in the 1920s

For Students 9th - 10th
The First World War had a crippling effect on any notions of positivity in the artists, writers, and intellectuals of that time and they became known as the Lost Generation. This page discusses this group of people, the emergence of jazz...
Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of American History: Documents Gallery: Ellington and Strayhorn

For Students 9th - 10th
Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, two of the greatest jazz composers, collaborated on hundreds of works. As you explore this exhibition, you will have an opportunity to view original music scores, listen to audio clips, and view videos...
Lesson Plan
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Understanding Poetry of Maya Angelou Through Rap Lyric

For Teachers 9th - 10th
By examining the lives and lyrics of popular, positive black female rappers such as Queen Latifah and Lauryn Hill, students can trace a direct line back to the inspirational writer and poet, Maya Angelou. Rap lyrics will help explicate...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs: The Blues Classroom

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Access the educational resources developed by a Seattle-based museum to supplement the PBS documentary series "The Blues." Includes background essays on the blues; biographies, video clips, and sound clips from the series; a blues...
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of American History: Smithsonian Jazz: Duke Ellington

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
This site provides audio clips, photos, and biographical information of this legendary composer and performer. A match game teaches and tests your knowledge of Ellington.
Article
A&E Television

History.com: Why the Watershed 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival Was Overshadowed for 50 Years

For Students 9th - 10th
The 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival brought over 300,000 people to Harlem's 20-acre Mount Morris Park from June 29 to August 24, 1969 against a backdrop of enormous political, cultural and social change in the United States. The summer...
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Multicultural America: Sierra Leonean Americans

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of Sierra Leonean Americans. (Note: Content is not the most current.)
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Freedom Riders and Popular Music of the Civil Rights Movement

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this lesson plan, students will consider "The Freedom Riders and the Popular Music of the Civil Rights Movement." The plan includes worksheets and other student materials that can be found under the resource tab.
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Multicultural America: Eritrean Americans

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of Eritrean Americans. (Note: Content is not the most current.)
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Multicultural America: Liberian Americans

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of Liberian Americans. (Note: Content is not the most current.)
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Multicultural America: Cape Verdean Americans

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of Cape Verdean Americans. (Note: Content is not the most current.)
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Multicultural America: Ethiopian Americans

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of Ethiopian Americans. (Note: Content is not the most current.)
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Multicultural America: Ghanaian Americans

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of Ghanaian Americans. (Note: Content is not the most current.)
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Multicultural America: Jamaican Americans

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of Jamaican Americans. (Note: Content is not the most current.)
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Multicultural America: Kenyan Americans

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an overview of the traditional culture and lifestyle of Kenyan Americans. (Note: Content is not the most current.)