Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "Groovin' to Jazz 12-15"

Duke Ellington and Jazz Homepage

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 18:34:25 GMT

Children and adults can enjoy exploring the story behind one of America’s pioneers of jazz music, Duke Ellington, through children's literature, museum collections, and hands-on activities. Focused around Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra, a picture book biography of the Washington, DC native, the module includes links to hands-on activities and a list of recommended readings for further exploration.

Groovin' to Jazz 8-13

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 15:50:39 GMT

In this music activity, students will learn how to listen to and appreciate authentic jazz recordings by listening to sixteen recordings by jazz greats and reading brief introductions that discuss the relevance of the songs as well as how to listen to them.

History Explorer Podcast: Mary Lou Williams, Jazz Master

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:00:27 GMT

In this episode of the History Explorer podcast series, Ken Kimery, Executive Producer of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, discusses the career of jazz musician Mary Lou Williams and the value of studying jazz in American history. The teacher guide includes discussion questions and links to related resources.

Oral History Activity with Jazz Great John Levy

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:01:39 GMT

In this lesson, students will learn about the Jim Crow era in American history through an oral history interview with jazz legend John Levy. The resource set includes photographs and newspaper clippings in addition to the oral history excerpts, a teacher guide, and a student worksheet. This interview was collected as part of the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.

Jazz Oral Histories as Primary Sources

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:24:36 GMT

Introduce students to using oral histories as primary sources with these interviews with jazz musicians recorded by the Smithsonian Jazz Oral History Program in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities. The resource includes a guide for teachers and links to oral histories, and a student worksheet accompanies these materials.

History Explorer Podcast: Remembering John Levy

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:04:35 GMT

Though not as well-known as figures such as Duke Ellington or Ella Fitzgerald, John Levy made significant contributions to jazz music, both as a bassist and as the first black personal manager in jazz. In this episode of History Explorer, Sarah Coffee interviews Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Director Ken Kimery about Levy's story and legacy. Ken discusses how he uses John's oral history, available at smithsonianjazz.org, to teach about topics ranging from segregation to prohibition, to finding one's musical "voice." This resource set includes a teachers guide and student worksheet.