MISSION
We empower teachers and engage students by using popular music to create interdisciplinary, culturally responsive education materials for all 21st century classrooms.
Launched by Little Steven Van Zandt and the Founders Board of Bono, Jackson Browne, Martin Scorsese, and Bruce Springsteen, the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation’s TeachRock curriculum helps more than 40,000 teachers of all subjects keep the arts in the DNA of every school system while engaging students and improving academic outcomes.
TeachRock is providing essential support to educators, students, and families during Covid–a record number of new and returning users have downloaded nearly 500,000 TeachRock resources in 2020.
“Music connects us, even when we must be apart. TeachRock curriculum has always used music to foster connections between students and teachers, and we’re going to use that power now to help keep them engaged, emotionally healthy, and learning.”
– TeachRock Founder, Little Stevie Van Zandt
Lesson Plan Collections
Use the search tools at the Lesson Collection page to quickly find material that is perfect for your classroom!
Featured Lessons
Almost Emancipated: Reconstruction
Featured Artists: Boyd Rivers & Ruth May RiversWhat is the significance of Reconstruction and what does it reveal about the freedom that the post-Civil War constitutional amendments secured for African Americans?How does “the beat” of popular music reflect the histories of multiethnic populations and places?
New Releases
The United Farm Workers Movement through Music and Poetry
Featured Artists: Alice BagWho is Dolores Huerta, what role did she play in the United Farm Workers movement, and how is she recognized today?A Veteran’s Soundtrack to the Vietnam War
Featured Artists: Sgt. Barry Sadler,Nancy Sinatra,Frank Sinatra,The Animals,Eric Burdon,Bruce SpringsteenHow did popular music amplify the voices and experiences of Americans serving in the United States Armed Forces during the Vietnam War?Toby Keith & The Chicks: Songs and Words During the War on Terror
Featured Artists: Toby Keith,The ChicksWhat were the different reactions to songs and comments by Country musicians about the September 11th terrorist attacks versus the Iraq War?Business with the Grateful Dead
Featured Artists: Grateful DeadHow did the Grateful Dead’s business practices create a dedicated fan culture and ensure the financial success of the group?The Birth of Hippie Culture in the 1960s
Featured Artists: Grateful DeadHow did the Grateful Dead reflect new ideas about life and society in the 1960’s?Supporting Sobriety in a Musical Community
Featured Artists: Grateful DeadWho are the Wharf Rats, and how do they exemplify the practices of sobriety, peer support, and community building within a musical fan culture?Math With The Grateful Dead
Featured Artists: Grateful DeadHow can math be used to better understand the Grateful Dead’s success?- How has the image and history of the American cowboy been reclaimed in the 21st Century?
Math with The Beatles
Featured Artists: The BeatlesHow can the Beatles’ growth in popularity be demonstrated with math?How did female Country and Tejano artists approach the issues of feminism and Women’s Rights in the late 20th century?How does the “Surf Sound” in Rock and Roll reflect early surf culture, and what are the roots of this genre of music?









