History Through Music

Lesson Plan for 10th Grade Music Class

Focus: African American History in Music
Standards: National Core Arts Standards (Creating, Performing, Responding, Connecting)

• Anchor Standard 11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.
• Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.
  Duration: 30 minutes
  Class Size: 20 students

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Objectives

By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

1. Analyze how African American music reflects historical and social changes in the United States.
2. Understand the cultural roots of jazz, blues, and gospel music as part of African American history.
3. Engage in a creative exercise to modernize historical themes in music.

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Materials

• Whiteboard or smartboard for visuals
• Bluetooth speaker or classroom sound system
• Pre-selected audio clips (e.g., Negro spirituals, jazz, blues, early R&B)
• Handouts detailing key moments in African American history with their associated music styles
• Students’ notebooks and pens

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Lesson Outline

1. Introduction and Hook (5 Minutes)

• Greet students and ask, “What role do you think music has played during challenging times in history?”
• Briefly introduce the concept: How African American music has served as a reflection of struggles, resistance, and triumphs in the context of slavery, the Civil Rights Movement, and beyond.
• Play a 45-second clip of “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” (Negro spiritual) to set the tone. Ask the class, “How does this song make you feel? Why do you think it was created?”

2. Historical Context and Music Styles (10 Minutes)

A. 1860s-1900s: Negro Spirituals and the Underground Railroad

• Explain how enslaved African Americans used songs as codes or messages of hope.
• Play a 30-second clip of a spiritual and have students identify its mood and purpose (e.g., lament, hope, resilience).
• Share: “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot” was often thought to reference traveling to freedom.

B. Early 1900s: The Blues

• Discuss how the Emancipation Proclamation brought new struggles of poverty and segregation, which paved the way for blues as an emotional expression of hardship.
• Play a short segment of W.C. Handy’s “St. Louis Blues.”
• Ask: “What emotions come through in this song? How do you hear the struggle in the music?”

C. 1920s-1940s: Jazz and the Harlem Renaissance

• Share: “Jazz wasn’t just a music style—it was a celebration of a new cultural identity during the Harlem Renaissance.”
• Play a clip from Duke Ellington or Louis Armstrong.
• Prompt a discussion on how jazz evolved into a platform of social identity and pride.

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3. Application/Activity (10 Minutes)

Group Task: Remix Past and Present

• Split the class into five small groups of 4 students each.
• Assign each group a key historical period or music genre (Negro spirituals, blues, or jazz).
• Challenge: “If this musical style were created today, what modern issues would it address? How would it sound?”
  • Each group comes up with 1-2 modernized lyrics or themes based on their assigned genre.
  • Have them consider instrumentation, rhythm, and mood.
• Groups present their ideas briefly to the class.

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4. Reflection and Wrap-Up (5 Minutes)

• Play an excerpt of a contemporary song influenced by African American history (e.g., Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright” or Beyoncé’s “Freedom”).
• Ask: “How can we trace elements of historical African American music in today’s music? Why is it important to remember this history?”
• Assign reflection questions for homework:
  • What did you learn about the connection between music and history?
  • What role does music play in addressing modern social issues?

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Differentiation Strategies

• For Visual Learners: Utilize a timeline on the board connecting music genres with historical events.
• For Auditory Learners: Focus on engaging audio clips to immerse students in the sound of each genre.
• For Students with IEPs:
  • Provide written lyrics for songs played in class.
  • Pair students needing extra support with a peer to complete the group task.
  • Use specific prompts in simpler language for discussions (e.g., “What feeling does this song give you?”).
• For Advanced Learners: Challenge students to draw comparisons between historical African American music and specific modern artists in their activity or reflection.

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Assessment

• Formative: Monitor student engagement during class discussions and the group remix activity.
• Summative: Evaluate the depth of students’ homework reflections for understanding of key concepts.

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Teacher Notes

Make this discussion engaging by letting students share personal connections with music they know or enjoy that reflects social themes. Be sure to emphasize respect and sensitivity as these topics can touch deeply on race, identity, and struggles for equality.