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Lesson Plan
PBS

Pbs: Identity, Oppression, and Protest

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson plan supplements a study of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. The instructional activity is designed to help students understand the impact of Jim Crow Laws and their impact of oppression on African Americans. Blues music...
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Handout
PBS

Pbs American Masters: Muddy Waters

For Students 9th - 10th
Take a look into the life of blues artist Muddy Waters (1913-1983 CE). With an informative biography and an interactive career timeline, you will enjoy learning about this music legend.
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Website
Other

The Lost Sessions Musical Museum

For Students 9th - 10th
A personal site providing little-known information and tidbits about famous soul music artists.
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Website
Other

Uc Press: Workin' Man Blues

For Students 9th - 10th
This site, from the University of California Press, offers a description of Gerald Haslam's book about country music in California called "Workin' Man Blues." The site also offers a bit of information about Haslam's life and other works.
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Website
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame: Ma Rainey

For Students 9th - 10th
Offers interesting biographical details on "Mother of the Blues", Ma Rainey, a 1990 inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Includes a timeline of key events and essential songs list.
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Website
Other

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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Website
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.
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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...
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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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Website
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.
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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.
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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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Website
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...
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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...
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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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Website
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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Website
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.
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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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Website
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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Website
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.
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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.
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Handout
Encyclopedia Britannica

Encyclopedia Britannica: B. B. King

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