Legendary Blues & R&B Legend
Fine Arts Activity - Students will research the life of an African American actor, artist, dancer, or musician and present their research in a class presentation.
History, Mathematics, Music, and Language Arts - Have students examine the contributions of African Americans in music (focusing on blues and jazz). After reading or listening to one of Mac Arnold’s songs, they should write a poem about their feelings and reflections. Address the following questions:
- What is it about blues music that helps listeners feel connected to the music?
- What are some of the social and economic realities that blues musicians sing about?
Extension:
- Have students compose their own blues song.
- Journal entry: Ask students what is their favorite type of music and why?
- Chart and Graph: Have students ask 10 family members or friends what is their favorite music, songs (write down the titles), words from the songs, and the artists’ names in a chart. Then create a graph to display the results from the chart.
