National Humanities Center
Teaching The Great Gatsby: A Common Core Close Reading Seminar
The 41 slides in a professional development seminar model how to use close reading techniques to examine the many layers of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. In addition to passages from the novel, slides provide biographical...
PBS
Pbs: The Story of Jazz
A supplement to a ten-part film series on jazz, this resource describes the growth and development of jazz music from the gritty streets of New Orleans to the Lincoln Gardens on Chicago's south side, where Louis Armstrong first won fame,...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alex: A Brief History of Jazz!
A lesson plan that helps students explore the roots of jazz music and some of the important jazz musicians in history.
Other
Joy2 Learn: Jazz With Wynton Marsalis
Take a tour about jazz with jazz musician Wynton Marsalis. Through video segments, you'll learn about the trumpet, the history of jazz and key famous jazz legends.
The Washington Post
The Washington Post: "The History of Jazz," Chapter 1
This site offers the first chapter of Ted Gioia's book, "The History of Jazz." This chapter focuses on the prehistory of jazz, including the Africanization of American music, country blues and classic blues, and Scott Joplin and Ragtime.
Central Home
Central Home: History of Jazz Dance
Ths site describes the growth and basic elements of jazz music and dance.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Smithsonian Jazz
Smithsonian Jazz is home to several online exhibits, an interactive "Duke Ellington class," recordings, publications, oral histories, and similar resources.
PBS
Pbs: Jazz: A Film by Ken Burns
The companion website for a documentary film about jazz is home to a storehouse of resources and unique features about the historical, cultural, and artistic significance of jazz. With a timeline of key events in the history of jazz,...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Jazz and Ww Ii: A Rally to Resistance, a Catalyst for Victory
Lesson plan that teaches the roles that jazz music and jazz musicians played in the war effort and that demonstrates the effect that the war had on jazz in America.
Other
Southern Music
Read a simple history of southern music from the 1900s to 1990, complete with in-text links to information on popular musicians and events related to country music. Included are dates for upcoming country music events, as well as a small...
Library of Congress
Loc: Photographs From the Age of Jazz
This William P. Gottlieb Collection from the Library of Congress contains over 1600 photographs of celebrated jazz artists and documents the jazz scene from 1938 to 1948.
Curated OER
National Park Service: Jazz Origins in New Orleans Pre 1895
Read about the origins of jazz music as it began in New Orleans before 1895. With its unique history and culture, New Orleans provided many opportunities for the development of jazz to thrive and grow.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Neh: Edsit Ement: Learning the Blues
This lesson plan introduces young scholars to the blues. The origin and development of the blues is explored as well as its distinctive structure.
National Humanities Center
National Humanities Center: Teacher Serve: Jazz and the African American Literary Tradition
Article explores the influence of jazz on African American literature from the early history of jazz, noted jazz artists, the black-white tensions within jazz, to its literary influence after World War II.
Other
Oculus Magazine: Early Jazz
Written for an audience accustomed to rock, this is a good history of Jazz, from the late 1800's, when the form supposedly took shape, to recommended recordings and books.
Other
David Holt: The Roots of Mountain Music
This is a short history of the major influences that have combined to create mountain music, one of which is minstrel music. Provides a good decription of minstrel music in general. Includes names and descriptions of specific songs,...
Other
Down Beat: John Coltrane
Biographical information, photos, and a discography of jazz great John Coltrane, whose work in the 1960s included excursions into free jazz.
York University
York University: African Canadian Online: Music
African-Canadian music encompasses the West Indies, Africa, the United States, South American and the Maritimes. This excellent reference resource provides information about the many kinds of music and the talented individuals who make it.
PBS
Pbs: Jazz Is About Freedom
One of the objectives in this lesson plan focus on how jazz contributed to the political awareness of the American public concerning lynching. Using Billie Holiday's anti-lynching song Strange Fruit, students will learn about lynching...
PBS
Pbs: Biography of Dizzy Gillespie
This PBS biography about trumpeter and jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie includes photos, multiple audio features, and links within the text to other famous musicians.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of American History: Smithsonian Jazz: Duke's Music Class
Learn about jazz from the master, Duke Ellington. Three activities explore his role as jazz composer, orchestra leader, and pianist.
Other
Federal Focus Jazz Band: Traditional Jazz Style Guide
A stylistic breakdown and analysis of traditional jazz. Distinguishes between the different types of this unique genre.
Scott Alexander
Red Hot Jazz: Louis Armstrong Orchestra
Includes brief history of Louis Armstrong and his orchestra, a photo, and a complete discography list.
Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Comission
Explore Pa History: Billy Eckstine
Learn of the historical contributions of jazz musician, band leader, and Pennsylvania native, Billy Eckstine in this succinct biography.