Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Museum of American History: Smithsonian Jazz

For Students 9th - 10th
Smithsonian Jazz is home to several online exhibits, an interactive "Duke Ellington class," recordings, publications, oral histories, and similar resources.
Website
PBS

Pbs: Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns

For Students 9th - 10th
The companion website for a documentary film about jazz is home to a storehouse of resources and unique features about the historical, cultural, and artistic significance of jazz. With a timeline of key events in the history of jazz,...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: A Brief History of Jazz!

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lesson plan that helps learners explore the roots of jazz music and some of the important jazz musicians in history.
Article
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: Jazz and the African American Literary Tradition

For Students 9th - 10th
Article explores the influence of jazz on African American literature from the early history of jazz, noted jazz artists, the black-white tensions within jazz, to its literary influence after World War II.
Website
Other

A Passion for Jazz

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource is dedicated to all topics related to jazz music, such as jazz history and jazz theory.
Website
Other

Jazz at Lincoln Center: Jazz for Young People Curriculum

For Students 9th - 10th
This jazz resource provides many lessons which include audio, video, slideshows and quizzes.
Unit Plan
Other

Jazz Improvisation Primer

For Students 9th - 10th
An info-packed lesson on jazz improvisation and jazz history. Very useful for musicians aspiring to play in the jazz idiom.
Handout
Other

Jazz Dance History: Jack Cole

For Students 9th - 10th
The influence and importance of Jack Cole in the development of jazz dance in the theater, includes shows he choreographed.
Article
Scott Alexander

Red Hot Jazz: Louis Armstrong Orchestra

For Students 9th - 10th
Includes brief history of Louis Armstrong and his orchestra, a photo, and a complete discography list.
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...
Website
Stanford University

Sulair: The Monterey Jazz Festival Collection

For Students 9th - 10th
This fabulous site describes the repository of the digitized collection of music from the Monterey Jazz Festival from 1958 which is housed on the Stanford University campus. On this site you can read about the performances, watch and...
Activity
PBS

Pbs: History Detectives: Investigations: Black Star Line [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
PBS had a series called "History Detectives." The video is no longer available for this episode, but this transcript of the video is. Read about the Black Star Line, envisioned by Marcus Garvey as a shipping company in which African...
Article
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Us History: 1890 1945: American Culture in the 1920s

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about jazz, flappers, and the Lost Generation.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: Time for Jazz

For Students 8th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] A literary text about a girl named Lina who wanted to learn more about jazz music and its history. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.
Graphic
Curated OER

The Red Hot Jazz Archive: A History of Jazz Before 1930

For Students 9th - 10th
A short essay that discusses the history of jazz before 1930. Includes links to a full archive of information and recordings related to jazz.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: The Roaring Twenties [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Read this comprehensive look at the Roaring Twenties, or Jazz Age. Read about Prohibition and its ramifications, women's gains, entertainment, and literature. Also find out about the resurgence of racial unrest and violence. A very good...
Website
Other

Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago

For Students 9th - 10th
Information about the Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Company, includes company history.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Books and Movies

For Students 5th - 8th
A look at the literature and movies written and produced in the Jazz Age. See how the writers of the age reflected the consumer society and the emptiness of middle class. Movies appealed to mass culture and millions went to the movies...
Article
Scott Alexander

The Red Hot Jazz Archive: Origins of Big Band Jazz

For Students 9th - 10th
Examines the progression from Ragtime and New Orleans jazz to Big Band.
Website
Independence Hall Association

U.s. History: Old Values vs. New Values

For Students 9th - 10th
An overview of the clash between the old way of life of the Victorian Age and the new, the Jazz Age.
Handout
Other

Down Beat: John Coltrane

For Students 9th - 10th
Biographical information, photos, and a discography of jazz great John Coltrane, whose work in the 1960s included excursions into free jazz.
Website
Other

All About Jazz

For Students 9th - 10th
Has reviews, interviews, and articles. Of special interest is the jazz time-line.
Article
Scott Alexander

History of Jazz Before 1930: Bessie Smith, 1895 1937

For Students 9th - 10th
This page offers information about Bessie Smith's life and work, including several audio recordings.
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Neh: Edsit Ement: Learning the Blues

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson plan introduces students to the blues. The origin and development of the blues is explored as well as its distinctive structure.

Other popular searches