Curated OER
"Jazz is About Freedom": Billie Holiday's Anti-lynching Song Strange Fruit
Working in small teams, learners analyze a variety of primary source materials related to lynching (news articles, letters written to or written by prominent Americans, pamphlets, broadsides, etc.) in order to assess the effectiveness of...
Curated OER
Jazz Talk
Students analyze the origins of jazz music by examining work songs, spirituals, blues, and gospel songs as well as works of poetry from African American artists. They create their own poems from either the narrative, dramatic, or lyric...
Curated OER
Interactive Timeline
Students examine the development of ragtime music and its relation to jazz. They participate in an online Interactive timeline and read about the history of ragtime music, listen to examples of music, and in small groups create short...
Curated OER
Ella Fitzgerald: Something to Live For
Students examine the basic characteristics of jazz, and its relationship to African-American culture and history. They listen to examples of jazz, conduct research, and create a 20th century timeline of music and historical events.
National Endowment for the Arts
Reader Resources: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A handy guide offers high schoolers support as they read the American novel, The Great Gatsby. Complete with a biography of F. Scott Fitzgerald, a timeline of the Roaring Twenties, discussion questions about the novel, and more, this...
Curated OER
Draw Me the Music
Learners explore and investigate the foundation and history of jazz music. They listen to various pieces of music while creating drawings, develop a timeline of jazz history, and read and discuss biographies of famous jazz musicians.
Curated OER
Dance: Personal Soundtracks
Students create a musical autobiography. For this fine arts lesson, students explore the emotions that music can express by listening to and discussing a variety of music. Students construct a personal timeline and a collection of music...
Curated OER
Eckstine, Stayhorn, and the Dorseys: Masters of Swing
Students explore the history of swing music. In this music history lesson plan, students research the Dorsey Brothers, Billy Eckstine, and William Strayhorn to learn about swing music. Students define swing, develop a timeline of events...
Curated OER
Lesson 12- Quincy Jones:What Makes an American Master?
Students study the life of Quincy Jones and research black music for selected decades of the 20th Century. They discuss the qualities that help one create and sustain a successful career. They design a timeline of what their future...
Curated OER
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Duke Ellington
Students read Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis Pinkney. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the life of the 20th century composer. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and...
Curated OER
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance inspired a group of writers, musicians, and artists whose influence is still seen today.
Curated OER
And You Don't Stop-30 Years of Hip-hop
Students identify the musical genre of Hip-Hop and make a connection with other styles of music. A time line of musical styles is developed and discussed.
Curated OER
The Sound and Feel of the 1920s
Eleventh graders comprehend the 1920's. They analyze examples of art from 1920's to build an comprehension of the times. They are asked if art reflect or transcend the time in which it was created? Students discuss the common element...
Other
A Passion for Jazz
This resource is dedicated to all topics related to jazz music, such as jazz history and jazz theory.
Other
The Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz: Jazz in America
Locate many lesson plans for grades 5, 8 and 11 concerning jazz education. This site provides student handouts, printable tests and answer keys.
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,...
Washington State University
Washington State University: Brief Timeline of American Literature and Events: 1920s
A side-by-side timeline of political and social history alongside literature of the time period. A very interesting look at the literature that reflected the times.
Other
Oculus Magazine: Free Jazz
A short description of the free jazz movement, and a timeline of important movements in jazz.
Other
Duluth Lynchings Online Resource
A comprehensive resource that provides a variety of primary source documents that relate to the lynching of three black men in Duluth. There is a timeline, short profiles on all the people involved, information on the trial, and the...
PBS
Pbs: American Masters: Quincy Jones
PBS highlights American Masters in music and provides a thorough biography, feature essay, and career timeline on Jones.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Louis Armstrong
Offers interesting biographical details on jazz musician, Louis Armstrong, a 1990 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events and essential songs list.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Miles Davis
Biographical details on jazz musician Miles Davis, a 2006 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline and key songs.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Billie Holiday
Biographical details on jazz singer Billie Holiday, a 2000 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key life events, essential songs list, and recommended reading.
PBS
American Masters: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Companion site for a PBS film version of Fitzgerald's short story "Winter Dreams." Contains a great interactive timeline of Fitzgerald's life as well as video clips of people discussing aspects of his works.