Sam and Dave were known as "the greatest of all soul duos". Read about the history behind this famous duo and learn about their music and songs. They were 1992 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Chronicles the career of one of most popular rock and roll vocal groups in history, The Bee Gees, 1997 inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events, recommended reading list, and essential songs.

Known for his "twang", Duane Eddy has been called "the first rock and roll guitar god". Read about the history of his music and view a list of his most popular songs.

Music students rarely see the value or have any interest in music other than their favorite popular artist or group. By showing connections and similarities between current music and 'classical' music, the teacher begins to break down...

Young music students rarely see or, better still, hear a connection between the different types of scales, modes, intervals and other compositional techniques such as meter, tonality, and form used in both traditional 'Art' music and...

I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die-Rag' by Country Joe McDonald has been played with great success in classrooms for over twenty years. While it conveys literary elements such as theme, point of view, and irony, it also functions as an...

Rap music and hip-hop were the pop music of the nineties. Students of all ages liked to mimic the rappers they listened to on CD's, tapes, and the radio. This lesson builds on students' interest in rap music as well as their enjoyment of...

Using an artistically integrated approach in teaching literary themes helps students to explore more fully the universality of those themes. Rock music is a form of cultural expression which, because of its mass appeal, can become a...

From Robert Frost's 'Mending Wall' to Pink Floyd's 'The Wall,' humankind erects and maintains real and symbolic barriers to protect and defend opposing stances, beliefs and territories. Examples of real walls in history have been the...

Students are aware of most their personal rights and freedoms. However, many have not critically evaluated the significance of the Bill of Rights and are unaware that the Bill of Rights only applied to the federal government from 1791...

Read background information and the history of the music of the popular Grammy award winning band of the 1970s, Earth, Wind, & Fire.

The Grateful Dead kept their music alive for decades by building a fan base known as "Deadheads". The band had a 30-year history of music and was known for their marathon concerts that could last for hours on end. They were 1994...

Read about the life history of the "Queen of Soul", Aretha Franklin. In 1987, she was the first woman inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Featured is a song list, historical timeline of the group, and biographical background information on "The Band" who once played as the backup group for Bob Dylan. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

The Temptations typified what Motown was all about in the 1960s. Read the history behind this Grammy winning group that at one time ruled the Top Forty and were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989.

Provided is background information and a more detailed timeline on the history of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992.

Rock music can serve as a way to increase student interest in the curriculum, and a way to help students make sense of who they are and what their place is in the world, so asking students to bring in their own music to teach each other...

Jimi Hendrix's 'The Wind Cries Mary' is an ideal song, not just to illustrate personification, but also to demonstrate how poetic devices enhance the meaning of the poem. As soon as the learners recognize that the speaker is mourning the...

Using the lyrics, music and video of a selected song (example used here is 'One' by the Irish group U2), students will explore the ways in which words, music and visual images interact to create meaning. Students will analyze the...

One of the more difficult literary concepts to teach is irony, especially ironic point of view. Not only do students often miss the subtle linguistic clues, they become distracted by the issue of author's intent. Whether it's the classic...

As the Cold War evolved over four decades, the end of the world seemed imminent as the nuclear arms race continued to escalate. Popular music, especially in the 1980s, reflected this growing pessimism. By 1989 and 1990, as the Berlin...

Students are often hesitant to speak out with their own explications of literature, but usually have no qualms when asked to offer interpretations of popular musical lyrics. In fact, they seem quite eager to defend a lyrical explanation...

This activity with a song of my choice, 'People Everyday' by Arrested Development, will be an introduction to literary analysis and media/popular music literacy. Students will learn to examine critically what they view and hear. They...

From being viewed as a fad, hip-hop's commercial success has allowed it to permeate virtually all aspects of popular culture. By critically analyzing hip-hop music and comparing it with established music forms, the cultural relevance,...