TeachRock.org

New York, New York, 10011

Last updated on April 9, 2025
Grant awarded by
Library of Congress
Region
East
Organization Type
Non-profit Organization
Congressional District(s)
Fiscal Year Of First Grant
FY 2006 [10/01/05 - 09/30/06]
Contributing Organization(s)
Organization description

Launched by Stevie Van Zandt with the Founders Board of Bono, Jackson Browne, Martin Scorsese, and Bruce Springsteen, Teachrock.org has provided free, standards-aligned resources to help teachers, students, and families succeed for more than a decade.

TeachRock improves students’ lives by bringing the sound, stories, and science of music to all classrooms. From The Beatles to Beyoncé, from kindergarten to AP History, in the classroom or remotely, TeachRock offers meaningful lesson plans all at no cost to teachers, students, and families, inspiring deeper learning and understanding through the power of music.

TeachRock.org is an open educational resource of hundreds of unit and lesson plans, Student Editions, and musician bios. TeachRock’s “Rock and Soul of America” high school history course is taught throughout California, Colorado, New Mexico, Ohio, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere.

More than 60,000 educators representing over 30,000 schools in all 50 U.S. states, England, Spain, Norway and elsewhere are registered with Teachrock.org.

Project description

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 will comprises over 60 lessons covering a period of history from the Reconstruction Era to 2001, 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.
TPS project focus
  • Academic Courses
  • Curriculum
  • Teaching Materials
  • Webinars
  • Workshops
Content focus
  • Cultural Studies
  • History
  • Music
Audience
  • Classroom teachers
  • Curriculum coordinators
  • Homeschoolers
  • Students
  • Teacher candidates/Student teachers
Level(s)
  • 9 - 12
Population focus
Organization Contact
Ben Dumbauld
[email protected]
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