Using the family stories of a famous comedian and singer-songwriter, learners consider what life was like for African Americans who were enslaved and free before the Civil War. To complete a concluding activity, they write about the...

“Who’s This Guy Dylan Who’s Borrowing Lines From Henry Timrod?” The basic question in this lesson from the New York Time’s Learning Network is whether artists and authors who use the words of others are stealing from that artist or...

Students investigate climate change. They read and listen to an environmental song or a song about change or taking action. Students write, sing, and record their own song about climate change.

In this  famous person worksheet, students read a passage about Hikaru Utada and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze,...

In this famous person activity, students read a passage about Shakira and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym matches, and...

In this famous person worksheet, students read a passage about Justin Timberlake and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym...

Students watch selected film clips about Cole Porter and discover his uniqueness. In groups, they research associates of the Porter's and present reports on them. Then, they write position papers on prominent people of the Jazz Age. ...

In this famous person worksheet, students read a passage about Mary J. Blige and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym...

Students watch a videotape on the musical career of Aretha Franklin and explore the different careers in the music industry.

Students read about Woody Guthrie and how folk music often tells of events of the time and can be effective protest music.

In this famous person worksheet, students read a passage about Bob Marley and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym matches, and...

In this famous person learning exercise, students read a passage about Carla Bruni and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym...

In this famous person learning exercise, students read a passage about Paulo Coelho  and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze,...

Students become familiar with the characteristic form and sound of the blues, then learn about the history and evolution of the blues in relationship to the African-American experience. Students examine the structure and language of...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica's Guide to Black History features Beyonce, an American singer-songwriter and actress who achieved fame in the late 1990s as the lead singer of the R&B group Destiny's Child and then launched a...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features R. Kelly, an American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist who became one of the best-selling rhythm-and-blues (R&B) artists of the 1990s and early 21st century....

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Alicia Keys, an American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actress, who achieved enormous success in the early 2000s with her blend of R&B and soul music.

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Lloyd Price, an American singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. Price made his mark in rock music history with his exuberant tenor and his flair for recasting rhythm and blues as...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Big Mama Thornton, an American singer and songwriter who performed in the tradition of classic blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Memphis Minnie. Her work inspired imitation by Elvis...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Blind Lemon Jefferson, an American country blues singer, guitarist, and songwriter, one of the earliest black folk-blues singers to achieve popular success.

This entry from Encyclopedia Brittanica's Guide to Black History features Taj Mahal, an American singer, guitarist, songwriter, and one of the pioneers of what came to be called world music. He combined blues and other African-American...

This entry from Encyclopedia Britannica features Allen Toussaint, a songwriter, pianist, and producer, Toussaint was responsible for national hits by Ernie K-Doe, Chris Kenner, Jessie Hill, Aaron Neville, Irma Thomas, and the Showmen,...