Ella Fitzgerald Record

Grade Range: K-12
Resource Type(s): Artifacts, Primary Sources
Date Posted: 1/29/2009

Over the course of her 60-year career, Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) became known to fans and colleagues as "The First Lady of Song." Her rise to international fame as a jazz and popular singer coincided with the rise of an American entertainment industry that brought music to millions through concerts, sound recordings, film, radio, and television. In 1938, Fitzgerald came up with the idea for song called "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," basing her lyric on a 19th-century nursery rhyme. Her 1938 Decca recording of the song in time became a million-seller.

Use this Investigation Sheet to guide students through describing the object and analyzing its meaning.


Instructional Strategies