Launched by Stevie Van Zandt and a Founding Board of Bono, Jackson Browne, Bruce Springsteen, and Martin Scorsese, TeachRock integrates the arts into K-12 curricula of all subject areas, bringing classrooms to life and improving student outcomes.
TeachRock is a nonprofit open educational resource. All TeachRock materials are free to use and are created thanks to your donations.
TeachRock curricula has been online and free since 2013 and was an essential resource for educators during pandemic school closures.
The first TeachRock Partner School launched in Fall 2019. There are now more than 100 Partner Schools in 5 states, providing arts integration curriculum, teacher training, and curriculum mapping services.
TeachRock:
- Is used in over 7,500 school districts & Over 22,000 schools across the country
- Has nearly 60,000 registered users at TeachRock.org
- Offers nearly 300 free lesson and unit plans (Elementary-AP/High School) in over 10 subject areas
Your donation helps educators use music to engage students in math, science, social studies, and more--you're making that "cool class" that gets kids excited, and involved, a reality.
Videos
Stevie Van Zandt on Why TeachRock Matters
A message from our Founder.
Orangethorpe
Watch Spectrum News coverage of TeachRock in action at Orangethorpe Elementary in Fullerton, CA, a TeachRock Partner School.
Engaging Students
Watch Ben Wides and his East Side Community High students use a TeachRock CNN Soundtracks lesson plan to trace the music of Kendrick Lamar back through several generations of Black music that engages issues of social justice.
Denver
See TeachRock founder Stevie Van Zandt explain Teachrock.org's history and mission to an audience of 350 teachers at Denver's Gothic Theater, on November 2018
Featured Lessons
Student Edition:
The Roots of Hip Hop
lesson:
The Roots of Hip Hop
What are the roots of Hip Hop?
lesson:
Colombian Cumbia: African, Indigenous, and Spanish Roots of Rhythm
What is Cumbia, and how do you play its traditional rhythms?
lesson:
Joropo: Music Inspired by Nature from the High Plains of Venezuela
What is Joropo, and how is it inspired by nature?
lesson:
ChocQuibTown: Embracing Cultural Identity through Colombian Rap
How can the music of ChocQuibTown, from the Pacific Coast of Colombia, help students express and celebrate their cultural identity through Rap?
lesson:
Quitiplás: Deep Listening and Rhythm Building with Afro-Venezuelan Bamboo Drums From Barlovento
What is Quitiplás, how does it incorporate the natural world, and how is it an example of polyrhythm?
lesson:
Ciranda: The Brazilian Music and Dance that Creates Community
What is Ciranda, and how can group singing and dancing help us feel like a part of a community?
Student Edition:
Learn Cumbia with LADAMA
Student Edition:
Learn Joropo with LADAMA
Student Edition:
Rap Like ChocQuibTown with LADAMA
Student Edition:
Learn Quitiplás with LADAMA
Student Edition:
Learn Ciranda with LADAMA
New Releases
lesson:
The Water Walker: Indigenous Wisdom and Water Contamination
In what ways do indigenous views of water align with scientific views, and how do indigenous activists use artistic expression to advocate for water protection?
lesson:
Bystander Intervention: Making Spaces Safer for Everyone
What is Bystander Intervention and how does it make music spaces and other public gathering places more safe, accessible, and fun for everyone?
lesson:
Life Songs Scaffolded Resources
What other projects can students develop to showcase their Life Songs Interview?
lesson:
Black Radio and the Civil Rights Movement
How did Black radio empower Black Americans, aid the Civil Rights Movement, and influence U.S. society?
lesson:
What is a Mӧbius Strip?
What is a Mӧbius strip, how do you create one, and what can it represent?
lesson:
Mi Gente: Fania Records & New York Salsa Music
What is Fania Records, and how does it reflect the history of Spanish-speaking Caribbean communities in New York City?
lesson:
Brazilian Music and Culture in the United States
What is the influence of Brazilian music and culture in the United States?
lesson:
Chicana Punk and the Chicano Movement
What is Chicana Punk, how does it relate to the Chicano Movement, and how did it transform the Punk music scene?
lesson:
1950s American Society and Conformity
How did the presence of Latin American artists challenge the image of 1950s American society seen in popular media?
lesson:
Intersectionality and Punk Music in the 2020s
What is intersectionality, and how do musicians in the Punk music scene navigate life at different intersections?
lesson:
Lydia Mendoza: Tejano Life and Music on the Mexico/Texas Border
How does Lydia Mendoza’s Tejano music connect to the history of Texas and the influence Mexico has had on that state?
lesson:
Contemporary Latin Artists and Activism
How are contemporary Latin artists pursuing activism and promoting positive change in their communities?