Funded by a grant from the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources program, through the Lewis-Houghton Initiative. Content created and featured in partnership with the TPS program does not indicate an endorsement by the Library of Congress.
See the first unit of the curriculum here.
TeachRock’s First U.S. History Course, Aligned to U.S. History II Classrooms
A People’s Playlist: U.S. History with Music as a Primary Source is a High School U.S. History course that features American music as a source of historical inquiry. The course comprises over 60 lessons covering a period of history from the Reconstruction Era to the present, and aligns to C3, NCSS, and a variety of State standards for U.S. History.
Created in partnership with the Library of Congress, the course is based upon the Library’s Observe-Reflect-Question methodological framework to develop students’ historical thinking skills. By investigating primary sources including recordings, photographs, and other musical artifacts, students discover important eras and moments in United States history through the diverse perspectives of its citizens.
While analyzing music as a primary source, students come to understand how the diverse voices of “everyday” citizens were able to alter the trajectory of American history. By doing so, students leave the classroom empowered to contribute in meaningful ways to U.S. society.
New Course, New Approach
The course is based on a brand new pedagogical approach developed by TeachRock: The 5 “M’s” of Music as a Primary Source. We have partnered with Maryland Public Television to develop an online module that prepares teachers to use the course, or helps teachers incorporate music into their history class. You can check out the learning module here.