Online Learning Activities
History of Jazz: A Black History in America Activity
Through text and audio, students learn about the history of jazz, from its birth in New Orleans to the modern jazz we hear today.
- Grades:Grades 3–5, Grades 6–8, Grades 9–12
As part of the Culture & Change: Black History in America online learning activity, students can learn about the History of Jazz (grades 3 and up), which was adapted from the Jazz for Young People Curriculum by Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Each of the subjects covered includes text, audio, and links for students to read more:
- Students learn about the evolution of the blues, another African American-derived form of music.
- Famous trumpet player Wynton Marsalis explains how various types of music combined to become New Orleans jazz.
- Students meet Louis Armstrong, legendary jazz trumpet player, and learn how he shaped a new form of jazz called Improvisation.
- Swing, a high-energy form of jazz beloved by the big bands of the 1930s, is described.
- Students meet Duke Ellington, a pianist, composer, and bandleader, who helped create the big band sound, which fueled the "swing" era.
- Behop, a new style of jazz in the 1940s, is defined.
- Students are introduced to trumpeter, bandleader, and composer John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie.
- Latin and Afro-Cuban Jazz are explained.
Learning Objective
While participating in The History of Jazz, students will study the history of jazz music to gain awareness of the cultural contributions made by different groups in America
- Everything You Need:
- Subjects:Reading Comprehension, Language Arts, 20th and 21st Century American History, African American History, Civil Rights Movement, African American, Actors, Artists and Performers, Composers and Musicians, Musical Instruments
- Skills:Reading Comprehension, Biographies, Online Sources, Social Studies, Language Arts
