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Stax Museum of American Soul Music

For Students 9th - 10th
The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is all about Stax Records, and features a timeline and lists of hit singles.
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Ducksters

Ducksters: Music for Kids: Famous Pianists

For Students 9th - 10th
A site showing some of the worlds greatest piano players ever. Learn about famous pianist from all genres of music.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs American Masters: Scientific American: Following Muddy's Trail

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This site has a lesson plan on Muddy Waters focused on the American Masters documentary about him. Parallels the Great Migration with the growth of the blues music movement in America. Click on Muddy's name to access a detailed biography...
Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs: Continental Harmony

For Students 3rd - 8th
PBS presents several activities and lesson plans that cover the concepts of identifying different forms of music, learning about musical imagery, writing in response to music, and creating lyrics. The Sound Lounge has many interactive...
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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Little Walter

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides biographical details on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 2008 inductee "Little Walter". Known for his sound of blues harmonica, he was a key contributor to the music of Muddy Waters. Includes timeline and song list.
Handout
Other

Bo Diddley: The Originator

For Students 9th - 10th
Biographical information on Bo Diddley, popular musician of rhythm 'n' blues and rock 'n' roll. Provides highlights of his 50 years in the music industry.
Website
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: John Lee Hooker

For Students 9th - 10th
Offers comprehensive biographical details on the father of boogie music John Lee Hooker, a 1991 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes an essential songs list.
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Cengage Learning

Gale: Hispanic Heritage Biographies: Carlos Santana

For Students 9th - 10th
In the late 1960s, when the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Jefferson Airplane and other rock genres were raging, Carlos Santana and his band Santana introduced the music scene to a new Latin-based rock sound featuring an Afro-Cuban beat. This...
Lesson Plan
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Sti Lesson 27: The Faust Theme

For Teachers 9th - 10th
The Faust theme, that of risking eternal damnation by selling one's soul to the devil in exchange for magical powers, can be found in virtually every genre of music as well as in literature and the visual arts. Examples utilizing this...
Lesson Plan
Varsity Tutors

Varsity Tutors: Web English Teacher: Langston Hughes

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This resource focuses on the works of famous African-American author, Langston Hughes.
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Other

Banjo Tablatures

For Students 9th - 10th
This comprehensive site covers many aspects of bluegrass banjo music. It includes bluegrass news, information, history, trivia, and multimedia. Also includes lesson plans for banjo, sample tablatures, bibliographies, workshops, and...
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Other

The Bluegrass Guitar Homepage

For Students 9th - 10th
Source of information about the acoustic flat-top guitar and the playing styles used in bluegrass music. Recommendations for instructional materials to learn to play; history of Doc Watson, discussion areas, links.
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Scholastic: Teachers: Classroom Activities: Mardi Gras

For Teachers Pre-K - 1st
With these fun classroom activities, teachers can help their students to learn about Mardi Gras traditions. Make Mardi Gras masks and gumbo while enjoying blues, jazz and other traditional Mardi Gras music. Includes book recommendations.
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American Academy of Achievement

Academy of Achievement: b.b. King

For Students 9th - 10th
Blues artist B.B. King biography provides an overivew of King's life and musical career. Site contains two videos of King performing.
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Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Janis Joplin

For Students 9th - 10th
Explores comprehensive biographical details on superstar blues and soul musician, Janis Joplin, a 1995 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events, recommended reading list, and essential songs.
eBook
The Washington Post

The Washington Post: "The History of Jazz," Chapter 1

For Students 9th - 10th
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.
Handout
Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: B. B. King

For Students 9th - 10th
A biographical sketch of the King of the Blues, B.B. King.
Unit Plan
Open Curriculum

Open Curriculum: Scales That Are Not Major or Minor

For Teachers 9th - 10th
To explain the various musical scales that cannot be classified as major or minor such as chromatic, whole-tone, pentatonic, blues, and scales from non-Western music
Lesson Plan
Yale University

Yale New Haven Teachers Institute: Influence of Folk

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This site, which explores the influence of musical folk traditions in the poetry of Langston Hughes and Nicolas Guillen, provides lesson plans, a biography, examples of Hughes' poetry, and details about his meeting with Nicolas Guillen.
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Other

Lead Belly Foundation

For Students 9th - 10th
The Lead Belly Foundation seeks to preserve the musical heritage of Huddie "Lead Belly" Ledbetter. Listen to tracks of his music while you read his biography and learn about his contributions to the worlds of blues and folk music.
Handout
Black Past

Black Past: Cooke, Sam (1931 1964)

For Students 9th - 10th
Sam Cooke's influence on music, as the pioneer in cross-over from gospel to rhythm and blues, is described in this encyclopedia entry. His music was important to the African-American identity in the Civil Rights movement.
Website
Other

Ray Charles Online

For Students 9th - 10th
This personal website of Ray Charles contains a very interesting autobiography, including discussions with the artist on how he writes and arranges music in his head, how soul music and rock and roll originated, and much more.
Article
Scott Alexander

V Irginia Liston

For Students 9th - 10th
Information on the life and discography of blues singer/songwriter, Virginia Liston.
Article
Scott Alexander

Lucille Bogan ( Bessie Jackson)

For Students 9th - 10th
Information on the life and discography of blues artist Lucille Bogan, also known as Bessie Jackson. Includes audio samples.

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