African Genesis: Black Gospel Music

Africans transported to the Caribbean as part of the transatlantic slave trade brought with them a rich tradition of music and dance. Four lessons teach young musicians the rumba clave rhythm, cascara rhythm, and the 6/8 bell patterns...

Here is a fantastic activity through which class members discover how music has the ability to influence others in a meaningful way. After reviewing selected pieces and modern-day protest songs, learners will research other songs that...

An extensive article on black gospel music and its origins. Discusses the evolution of the music and it's cultural impact.

This site explores the history of Gospel music, including how gospel music began and some of the various incarnations it has gone through.

This site contains a brief look at the Black gospel soloist Rosetta Tharpe. This site also includes several other articles on early black gospel soloists and groups.

The third lesson deals with the emergence of gospel as a form of popular music among a general public. Gospel is a musical genre with roots in the African American church, particularly in the South. Between the 1940s and the 1960s,...

Students examine gospel music including the lyrics and instrumentation. They explain the meaning of the lyrics and how they are related to the cultural values associated with the music. They differentiate between gospel and spiritual music.

If teaching a unit about the history of popular music in America, this PBS web site supporting their four-part TV broadcast of a few years ago would make a great resource. Includes lesson plans and oral histories too.

In this gospel music worksheet, students read a brief introduction to gospel music and respond to 10 short answer questions regarding it.

An explanation of the origins and spread of gospel music from the producers of "This Far by Faith," a series on African-American spiritual journeys, which premiered on PBS stations in June 2003.