Jazz Up Your Black History Month Music Lessons!

Need February music lesson ideas? Black History Month in the music room is one of the most fun seasons. Jazz riffs, hip-hop beats, and even opera set the soundtrack for the days. And in the middle of winter, we need some extra FUN to keep us all going.

Here are some of our favorite music lessons for Black History month.

Book-Based Lessons

ELA teachers know winter is the hardest time to get kids reading, so we can incorporate literacy into the classroom in fun and engaging ways.

A favorite book is Acoustic Rooster (which tells a cute imagined story of a rooster who competes in a jazz competition alongside “Mules Davis” and “Ella Finchgerald.” It’s a fantastic way to teach some of the jazz greats and introduce popular jazz instruments. Here is a link to a read-aloud version of the text narrated by the author, Kwame Alexander!

Click to purchase our Acoustic Rooster lesson!

When Marian Sang is another awesome book that tells the story of Marian Anderson who overcame racial prejudice to become a world-renowned opera singer. This lovely book makes an easy read-aloud and is great paired with videos of Marian’s performances. Here is a link to her singing “Ave Maria.” To go along with this lesson, you can teach a brief overview of opera.

Jazz, Jazz, and more Jazz!

Students love jazz. They really do. The lively beats and soulful lyrics are contagious. Play jazz music as students walk into the room. Let the younger students dance to their seats/dots/groups.

To continue the jazz mood, we incorporate a jazz tournament into each class. It’s so easy and fun! You pick 16 jazz songs and let two “face off” during each class. After listening to or watching a live recording of each songs, students will vote for their favorite. The winner moves on to the next bracket. You can make your own with your favorite jazz songs! We also have a version here: click to purchase.

Another way to incorporate lots of jazz into your lessons is to focus on a feature composer/performer each day or week. Select 2-3 of their most famous works and play for students. Videos of performances are especially fun! Have students begin listening journals (on paper or digitally) to write down what they notice, what instruments they hear, and the similarities between songs.

Final Thoughts

Have fun during these jazzy days! There are so many wonderful songs and musicians to add into your lessons: from Louis Armstrong to Beyonce! We hope these ideas are helpful for you as you plan your lessons for Black History Month. We have bundled all of our resources: including a huge listening guide and composer posters for you. Check it out here!