VH1 Legends Sam Cooke Lesson 3

Help your class identify figures in post-war gospel music. They will compare and contrast different styles of the musicians. They also will discuss how music can have different meanings in different situations.

Learn more about the "soulful" life of gospel-pop singer Sam Cooke (1931-1965), one of the first inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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.

This NPR Morning Edition profile features text and sound to celebrate the life and work of soul singer Sam Cooke whose string of hits includes "Cupid," "Wonderful World," "Chain Gang," and "Twistin' the Night Away."

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.

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 describe some of the distinguishing characteristics of rock, folk, blues, and country music. They identify two main musical roots of today's American popular music.

Appeal to your music lovers with this lesson. Middle and high schoolers listen to and describe music from contrasting styles. They identify the common elements between gospel and bluegrass music and have a class discussion regarding the...

Learn the history of soul music from its origins in gospel music, through Motown and Memphis Soul, to contemporary rhythm and blues. The site includes three videos: Sam Cooke singing "A Change is Gonna Come," from 1964, with images from...

How much do you know about Latin American music? A crossword puzzle challenges learners to answer 24 questions about the history, genres, performers, and instruments of Latin American music.