Speaking in Chicago, home to jazz clubs that are nearly 100 years old, Robert Horowitz observed that, in the United States, "desegregation started in jazz bands before it moved into the military and professional sports" and social institutions. Horowitz, along with Sara Cunningham, debuted a new Web site that uses jazz to teach about a wide range of subjects during a session entitled "Jazz: An American Story."
The site, developed by the National Endowment for the Arts, features lesson plans that include
- short films created for the site
- essays with embedded audio samples
- profiles of major artists
- photo galleries
- supplemental audio samples
- assessments
These interactive tools illustrate subjects in ways that engage all students and educate the whole child by showing how the progression of jazz styles reflects social movements. One lesson explains, for example, that while Harlem was the "indisputable capital of bebop," most of the musicians who developed that style there were African Americans who had moved to New York City from the South and Southwest, drawn by the burgeoning Harlem Renaissance.
To allow teachers to align the lessons with their curriculum, the teacher version of each lesson lists objectives and relevant standards, as well as an assessment to ensure that students meet their learning goals.
In addition, every lesson includes student activities ranging from discussion questions to independent research. For example, by comparing, trumpet solos across the history of jazz, students can hear how music reflects the tenor of the times in which it was created. They can also read literature written at the time, allowing them to use their literacy and critical reasoning skills. These activities engage the whole child in constructing relationships and creating deeper understanding.
Horowitz explained that understanding the evolution of jazz and seeing how it affects and is related to society can help students better understand social and political movements and events, such John F. Kennedy's "New Frontier" address:
But I tell you the New Frontier is here, whether we seek it or not. Beyond that frontier are the uncharted areas of science and space, unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered pockets of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus.
By making it possible for students to comprehend the themes of Kennedy's address, as well as learn about and develop deeper understandings across the curriculum, jazz continues to open doors to new frontiers for students.
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