Rock & Roll History: Sights & Sounds from 1950-2000 (COMPLETE UNIT)

"Born in the 1950’s, Rock and Roll music quickly became the social, cultural, and political soundtrack for generations of young people around the world. From the early blues sounds of artists like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters, to the development of Doo-Wop, the first Teen Idols, Rhythm and Blues, Folk and Protest Music, Guitar Heroes, Punk, Metal, New Wave, Hip-Hop, Techno, and beyond, this course will examine the evolution of popular music between 1950 and 2000 with an emphasis on and Roll. Through a careful examination of concert video footage, interview footage, reading, discussion, research, and critical listening sessions, students will have the opportunity to see and hear a variety of musical performers and styles. Additionally, students will gain a better understanding of the historical context of music from different eras and see how the times influence the music and the music influences the times. By examining popular music as a historian and music appreciator at once, students will also develop a sense of musical continuity and recognize how the music and innovations of one decade fuel the music and innovations of the next..."

This booklet contains teaching instructions and a student workbook that can be utilized for a few classes or an entire semester. Students investigate popular music history with over 40 reproducible workbook pages that prompt them to become historians and music critics as they listen and learn. Expertly selected video and audio clips have been sequenced for students to examine Rock and Roll History chronologically, decade by decade. Organized into four distinct Units of Study (1950's, 1960's, 1970's, and 1980-2000), students will encounter over 200 performances by legends in popular music. In addition to over 40 pages of guided viewing/listening activities for students, lists of suggested enrichment activities are also included. These modules are engaging and educational, making excellent lessons for Social Studies teachers (U.S. History, racial segregation, Civil Rights, Vietnam, political and economic challenges as seen in music, and changes in business and technology), English teachers (literary analysis, criticism, poetry), and Music teachers (appreciation and performance), and all secondary and adult learners who wish to study Rock and Roll in a more academic, guided fashion. This curriculum is packed full of content and contains dozens of suggested activities for deeper learning outside of class. Best of all, this curriculum is classroom tested and has been implemented successfully as a 4-week summer school enrichment program, a 10-week elective course, a 15-week academic course, or as a one or two class lesson intended to highlight specific musical genres or celebrate Black History Month. Written by author and award-winning teacher, Jeffrey Schwartz, this Rock and Roll History course is an educational delight for teenage and adult music fans of all backgrounds and abilities.

This unit has been designed as an accompaniment to a Time-Life video documentary series ($28 on Amazon), but can be readily taught as a standalone unit with supporting video and audio clips that can be found online for free. Suggested viewing/listening has been chronologically assembled in a student booklet (listing artist and song title) alongside additional background information and questions for further investigation. More than a music appreciation course, this unit truly explores Rock and Roll History.