Where Blues and Jazz Started

Bring the sounds of the deep South vocal blues to the classroom with a Smithsonian Folkways instructional activity. In preparation, scholars listen to and count the 12 bar blues patterns in several works and identify the I, II, IV, and V...

A 67-page packet provides instructors with a complete course in the history of Jazz. Lessons look at the roots of jazz in early 20th century African American communities in the southern United States and continues to the New Orleans...

Music is beneficial for all learners. Help your learners with special needs learn about different styles of music, as well as the ways that music is represented on paper, with 30 different worksheets. 

Oh I love the blues! Here is a wonderful four page reading passage that focuses on the Delta Blues. It covers topics such as, the music's cultural influences, origin, form, terminology, and significance. A great way to integrate...

Explore music through the decades with an engaging video brought to you by the 5-part harmony acapella group, Pentatonix. Genuine musical talents sing through a variety of popular music from the 11th century to the 2010's. Artists...

Jazz, Blue Grass, Hip Hop, Swing. Gospel, R&B, Ragtime, Disco. So many music genres born in the USA. After reading an article about the fate of New Orlean's Jazz after Hurricane Katrina, class members investigate the life cycles of...

High schoolers will learn to appreciate the civil rights movement with a focus on Little Rock, Arkansas. They will also acknowledge Louis Armstrong's unparalleled contributions to American music.

Students examine the impact of WWII on the development of jazz music and consider how jazz music helped to boost morale of both soldiers and those left at home. They identify the function of jazz as a cultural export and discuss its...

Your class can build strong, well-represented opinions about the music they hear. They listen to, and share thoughts about, a piece of classical music. Then they write a piece of music or a poem, and analyze their peers' work and their...

B.B. King and Muddy Waters are two of the most famous blues performers of all time. For this music lesson, middle schoolers study the early careers and lasting musical contributions of both artists, each of whom carried the blues on to...