Before John was a Jazz Giant by Carole Boston Weatherford

Weatherford, Carole Boston, and Sean Qualls. Before John was a jazz giant: a song of John Coltrane. New York: Henry Holt, 2008. Print.

Coretta Scott King Honor Award 2009, Diversity 

AGES: AD1090L

SUMMARY:
Before John was a Jazz Giant is a great novel to introduce the history of music specifically Jazz music into your classroom. This novel combines a great narrative with vibrant illustrations to create a story that could get anyone in the mood to study Jazz. This novel focuses on young John Coltrane who is a legendary jazz saxophonist who grew up in the 30s. Great novel to really get students to think about a time period that they have never really 
learned about.

VOCABULARY: 
Jazz, saxophone, ukulele, phonograph, scoutmaster, sermon, solo, soulful, warbling

TEACHING STRATEGIES: (read-a-loud)
Before: Ask them what they know about Jazz music/ Do they know anyone that plays Jazz music?

During: Have them pay attention to the pictures and how life was before John found Jazz music

After: Discuss how music changed John's life/ Research John Coltrane and focus on how the book ties to his life, have students write about the connections they find/ This novel can be used as an initiation to a lesson that focuses on the history of Jazz music or life in the 1930s or the history of a significant figure, John Coltrane

ONLINE RESOURCES:
http://www.johncoltrane.com/- All about the life of John Coltrane
http://www.last.fm/music/John+Coltrane- John Coltrane free radio, listen to songs about 
him
http://media.us.macmillan.com/activityguides/9780805079944AG.pdf- lesson on creating own Jazz music in your classroom