Greg Adler

Lesson Plan for Jazz to Rock Class

1950s Early 1960s

National Standards Addressed

6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Behavioral Objective
Students will receive information and will listen to recordings from Rock & Roll groups from the
1950s-Early 1960s and be able to describe why these groups sounds the way they do and what
caused them to get to this point. Students will also be able to identify the different performers
based on the music played.

Materials
1. Computer (with powerpoint and YouTube)
2. Projector (with sound)
3. Note packets for students

Procedure
1. Introduce topic and explain the overall introduction to the unit
2. Talk about how music has switched into dancing style and explain how the music revolves
around getting up and moving
-Play the Do You Love Me video

-Ask students for their thoughts and opinions on why the music has switched to a
primarily dancing style
3. Discuss the record producer and the importance they had in the music scene
4. Discuss the girl-group era and why exactly it came around
-Students will name girl groups they are familiar with
-Students will discuss the sound of the girl groups and why they might have been popular
-Play Be My Baby video
5. Introduce Phil Spector and show his influence
-Innovation
-Girl-Groups
-Wall of Sound
-Show students the picture of the wall of sound and ask them why this might
have been used and why it became popular.

Assessment
Throughout the lesson, students will be involved in discussions about the different topics that
allow them the opportunity to express how they feel. Students will be guided to recognizing why
the music we are talking about is important and why what we are learning has significance in the
grand scheme of Rock & Roll.