Journal for Learning through the Arts

This article looks at the woeful lack of geographic understanding exhibited by young people in the United States and proposes a solution. A series of workshops designed to supplement the eighth grade American history curriculum are described. Focusing on historical and ethnic music—the “soundtrack” of American history—the curriculum focuses on expanding student awareness of physical and cultural geography.

The workshops build on the Mapping the Beat curriculum, originally developed for the fifth grade and funded by National Geographic. The migration of musical forms is used as a metaphor for human migration and cultural interaction. Nine workshops, on topics ranging from Native American music to the songs of the Civil War, are described. Analysis of conversations with student focus groups suggested that recreating the musical “soundtrack” of American history helped students to meaningfully connect with (and make connections within) the United States history curriculum.