Each April, my students and I explore a Jazz appreciation unit. We listen to different jazz recordings, study the history of jazz, play jazz chord progressions, and even improvise some solos. I always enjoy the unit and my students seem to as well!
Today I will share some online jazz resources. Stay tuned for more lesson plans and other resources for teaching jazz appreciation!
- PBS Kids Jazz Site – excellent site for student exploration. We use it at the computer center and I encourage my students to “click around” (today’s student loves to self-direct their learning through exploration and this website is perfect for that)
- Smithsonian Jazz – a great resource for the history of jazz (oral histories, recordings, archives, photographs) as well as JAM events around the country.
- MENC Jazz Lesson Plans – free and also member-only lesson plans and other resources
- Ken Burns’ Jazz PBS site – the well-known mini-series documentary by Ken Burns. The in-depth look at the history of jazz, broken down by era, is extremely helpful and interesting.
I hope that you will take some time to explore the truly American art form that is Jazz and its rich history. There are so many opportunities for cross-curricular instruction, for meaningful listening opportunities, and for unlimited creativity!
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