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.

This lesson plan introduces students to the blues. The origin and development of the blues is explored as well as its distinctive structure.

This comprehensive site covers many aspects of bluegrass banjo music. It includes bluegrass news, information, history, trivia, and multimedia. Also includes lesson plans for banjo, sample tablatures, bibliographies, workshops, and...

Source of information about the acoustic flat-top guitar and the playing styles used in bluegrass music. Recommendations for instructional materials to learn to play; history of Doc Watson, discussion areas, links.

This site, which explores the influence of musical folk traditions in the poetry of Langston Hughes and Nicolas Guillen, provides lesson plans, a biography, examples of Hughes' poetry, and details about his meeting with Nicolas Guillen.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the impact of women blues performers.

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...

This scenario shows the spread of the weevil and a few of the songs that singers such as Charley Patton, Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and others created in the wake of its devastation. Click on the events to see the details of the...

Read a brief history of rock and roll and its roots. See why this form of music shook the establishment and shattered the idea of conformity.

This resource focuses on the works of famous African-American author, Langston Hughes.

Contains resources on black culture and music from the early 1900s to the present.

An extraordinary curriculum unit to teach blues and all its cultural implications.

Explore relationship between music and poetry in this African-American history lesson on Langston Hughes, the Harlem Renaissance, and other artists such as Bessie Smith, John Hammond, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones.

Information on the life and discography of blues artist Lucille Bogan, also known as Bessie Jackson. Includes audio samples.

The Library of Congress site profiles 26 American patriotic songs with commentary, supporting visual material, and recordings of "America the Beautiful," "Fanfare for the Common Man" and the like.

In Summer 2003, NPR broadcast a special series on the history of American music. This site focus is on the unique traditions in American music including country music, blues, and gospel.

In Summer 2003, NPR broadcast a special series on the history of American music. This site focus is on the unique traditions in American music including country music, blues, and gospel.

In Summer 2003, NPR broadcast a special series on the history of American music. This site focus is on the unique traditions in American music including country music, blues, and gospel.

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...