History of American Popular Music

History of American Popular music- History of Rock and Roll: An American Story

Rock and Roll: An American Story is rooted in a teaching philosophy that believes students learn best when they truly connect with the material to which they're introduced. Obviously, popular music is one such point of connection. This course is devoted to bringing music into the classroom as a gateway to substantive and meaningful exploration of a wide range of topics in Social Studies, English Language Arts, Humanities, Music and other subject areas.

This curriculum is not simply about allowing students to listen to and enjoy music in school, but about empowering them to become more critical listeners and thinkers. One of the most effective ways to do this is by regularly using material in the classroom for which students have a natural and deep affection, by making the classroom place students look forward to entering, and by teaching in a way that makes the classroom an engaging, enjoyable and exciting place for students to be.

Elements of the teaching philosophy include:

·       It's student-centered. The lesson plans  put students at the center of their own learning. They incorporate a wide range of learning activities that enable students to construct their own meaning of the topics and issues covered, rather than be passive recipients of knowledge. There are no lectures or slide shows, only limited "teacher talk." Students gather information and address issues presented through videos, still images and primary and secondary source readings. Hands-on learning activities include everything from classroom discussion to group investigation, "Structured Academic Controversy" and a range of performance-based activities, such as creating an album cover or issuing a press release.

·       It's media-based. The Rock and Roll: An American Story curriculum is built around media that are sure to excite and engage even the most reluctant students. In addition to text and print resources, every lesson includes videos and a range of still images, including maps, photographs, graphs and paintings. Students will not merely to listen to songs, but will also view live musical performances, interviews with artists and historical figures and historical footage that will help them better understand the social and political context from which different songs emerged.

·       It's interdisciplinaryRock and Roll: An American Story deals directly with the history of Rock and Roll, and most of its lessons will fit easily into Social Studies and History classrooms. The exploration of themes such as identity and self-expression, and the analysis of song lyrics as a form of poetry, enable numerous tie-ins for English/Language Arts and Humanities classrooms.

·       It incorporates authentic assessmentEvery lesson has some form of assessment built into its learning activities. These range from informal assessments, such as "exit tickets" or summary discussions, to longer projects and performance-based activities, such as participating in a "Structured Academic Controversy" or writing a script for a radio broadcast. In addition, every lesson has a writing prompt. The material in this curriculum does not lend itself to traditional tests and quizzes.

·       It's standards-based. Lessons aim to engage students in high-level discussions on a wide range of issues and topics. They are designed not simply to increase student knowledge, but to promote critical thinking and substantive analysis. Lessons heavily emphasize the development of analytic skills and encourage students to think more substantively about both visual and printed media. The curriculum also heavily promotes the development of basic literacy skills, and includes writing activities for every lesson.