History Explorer Results (11)
Related Books (15)
Resource Type(s):
Interactives & Media, Worksheets
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 Orche
Resource Type(s):
Interactives & Media, Lessons & Activities
This kit of guided listening activities and streaming music offers an engaging way of introducing students to jazz. It traces Louis Armstrong's career as a musician, from influences in African rhythms and New Orleans marches through performances in the 1960's and 70's. It could also be used as an
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials, Lessons & Activities
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 t
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities
Use two online music tools to try your hand at picking instruments to change the mood of a song. Part of an OurStory module entitled Duke Ellington and Jazz, this activity includes instructions, discussion prompts, links, and background information. OurStory is designed to help children
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities
Follow simple directions to make a musical instrument, then try out some "call and response" jazz rhythms. Part of an OurStory module entitled Duke Ellington and Jazz, this activity includes links to instructions to make a drum or “sound-sandwich,” discussion prompts, and bac
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities
A field trip to a jazz concern can give you a look at how Duke Ellington and jazz music are still alive today. In this activity, students will use discussion prompts to make the most of their visit. This activity is part of an OurStory module entitled Duke Ellington and Jazz. OurStory is
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities
Use this guide to actively read Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra, a picture book biography of the Washington, DC native and jazz pioneer. Part of an OurStory module entitled Duke Ellington and Jazz, this activity includes discussion prompts, a glossary, and bac
Resource Type(s):
Interactives & Media, Lessons & Activities
In this activity, children will watch a short silent film recorded in 1930 and get a sense of a Harlem club during the Jazz Age. Part of an OurStory module entitled Duke Ellington and Jazz, this activity includes a link to a newsreel video from the Smithsonian Archives Center, discussion
Resource Type(s):
Artifacts, Primary Sources
Born in New Orleans in 1901, jazz musician Louis Armstrong (d. 1971)was known for his distinctive trumpet-playing and vocal style. He often improvised jazz riffs using his voice rather than his instrument, “scatting” notes and melodies rather than singing actual words. Armstrong transformed t
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials, Primary Sources, Interactives & Media
Through brief biographies of the composers, primary source documents, and media clips, students will learn about the collaboration of these two great jazz composers and the process involved in writing and recording two of the most celebrated jazz pieces. This website examines two jazz standa
Reading Level:
Pre-School,Early Elementary School
Three little bears receive musical instruments for their birthday and learn to play them.
Reading Level:
Late Elementary School
A personal account of the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, the Savoy Ballroom, and Whitey's Lindy Hoppers, through the eyes of Norman Miller.
Reading Level:
High School
Traces the history of the blues from its African roots through the 90s, with a focus on key artists ranging from Louis Armstrong to Muddy Waters and B.B. King.
Reading Level:
Early Elementary School
A fly, who speaks jazz, seeks directions to town from animals and insects who respond to him with their sounds. The fly uses these sounds to jazz up his band’s music.
Author:
Carole Boston Weatherford
Reading Level:
Early Elementary School,Late Elementary School
An overview of the evolution of jazz and jazz styles told in poetry. Each page includes a four-line poem and full-page illustration.
