Louis Armstrong Lesson Plan

Name:
Subject: Music History

Title of Lesson: Louis Armstrong
Grade/Age Level: 3
rd
5
th

Date: 3/13/14

I. Lesson Objective

The student will know various facts about Armstrong.

II. Ohio Music Standard (2012)

2CE Listen to, identify, and respond to music of different composers,
historical periods and world cultures.

III. Lesson Support Materials

Satchmos Blues book
A computer (or another means to listen to music)
PowerPoint
Louis Armstrong coloring page
YouTube clips (What a Wonderful World) (Hello Dolly)
Paper squares
Crayons, markers, colored pencils, etc.

IV. Introduction/Anticipatory Set

Ask the kids: Who here has ever heard of Louis Armstrong? (Give them time to
answer)
If having a difficult time answering, ask: What about jazz music?

V. Transition

Today, we are going to learn all about Louis Armstrong, and how he was an
American jazz trumpeter and singer from New Orleans, Louisiana.

VI. Body of the Lesson
Read Satchmos Blues
DISCUSSION:
How did Louis show his passion for music?
What was his dream and how did he make it come true?

LESSON: Teach them.
I am going to tell you a few things about Armstrong and his life. But, you need
to listen carefully, because I am going to ask you some questions afterwards.

- Share a brief synopsis of Beethovens life, while clicking through
PowerPoint:

Louis Armstrong was born in a poor section of New Orleans known as the Battlefield
on August 4, 1901. When Louis was 17 years old, he bought his first cornet for $10.00
from a pawn shop. He moved from New Orleans to Chicago in 1922 as a member of King
Oliver's Creole Jazz Band. He recorded the first jazz version of "When the Saints Go
Marching In" in 1938. Armstrong was the first black performer with his own network
radio series. Louis's role as "The Ambassador of Goodwill" was solidified in 1956 when
he was greeted by more than 100,000 fans in West Africa. On December 1, 1963, he
spontaneously played "God Bless America" at Smith College in memorium for President
Kennedy. In 1964, Louis Armstrong's "Hello Dolly" knocked the Beatles from the top of
the charts. The kids on Louis's block would talk with him on his stoop or watch westerns
on television with him. Louis Armstrong died on July 6, 1971 at his home in Corona,
Queens, New York; more than 25,000 people paid their respects at a National Guard
armory in Manhattan. Armstrong's home was declared a national Historic Landmark in
1977 and will open as a public museum in 1997. The US Postal Service issued a Louis
Armstrong stamp in 1995, part of the Legends of American Music series.

DISCUSSION
- Where was Louis born? (New Orleans, Louisiana)
- How old was he when he bought his first cornet? (17 years old)
- Remember how in the earlier story he was called Satchmo? Why do you
think that is?
The most common tale that biographers tell is the story of Armstrong as a
young boy dancing for pennies in the streets of New Orleans, who would
scoop up the coins off of the streets and stick them into his mouth to avoid
having the bigger children steal them from him. Someone dubbed him
"satchel mouth" for his mouth acting as a satchel. Another tale is that
because of his large mouth, he was nicknamed "satchel mouth" which
became shortened to Satchmo.

MUSIC:
Play these for the students

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2VCwBzGdPM (What a Wonderful World)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmfeKUNDDYs (Hello Dolly)

ACTIVITY:
1. Worksheet Louis Armstrong coloring page

CRAFT:
- Make a paper quilt of What a Wonderful World.
a. Make a paper quilt using words from Louis Armstrong's song "What a
Wonderful World." Play the song and turned off the lights. Have the
kids listen to the song. Talk about imagery and painting pictures in
your head. Then, pass out the paper squares. Have the lyrics typed on
each page and the kids illustrate.

VII. Conclusion
1. Bring the class to a close by going over the basic facts of Armstrong and quizzing
them a little.

VIII. Assessment
1. How well did the children do when asking the different facts of Armstrong?
2. Were they able to tell you the basic facts?
3. How well did they do on the paper quilt and illustrating the lyrics?

What the Paper Quilt would look like:

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Subject: Music History

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