School Program Registration is NOW OPEN for onsite programs running through May 2025, and includes the following programs:
- Play It Loud: Meet the Instruments of Rock & Roll
- Grade K-4
- Fight the Power: Music as a Social Force
- Grades 9-12
- The Roots of Rock and Roll: An Exploration American Culture
- Grades K-4 and 5-8
- Hello Cleveland!: Why Cleveland is the home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
- Grades 5-8 and 9-12
- The Evolution of Hip Hop: From the Bronx to the Hall
- Grades 5-8 and 9-12
We will also being piloting our Science of Sound program this Spring with a few schools. If you are interested in being a apart of this pilot program, please reach-out directly to Kathryn Clusman, Director of Education and Community Engagement via email, [email protected].
- The Science of Sound: A Closer Look at The Building Blocks of Music
- Grades 5-8
Due to construction in relation to our building expansion and to ensure the safety of our guests, we will be unable to provide a lunch space to school groups. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding as we grow our building.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame K-12 Education programs have been teaching students for over 20 years. Our incredible team of instructors use the history and stories of rock and roll to engage your students in a variety of subjects from music and language arts to history and science – all through the lens of rock and roll.
Each of our educational programs begins with an interactive multi-media lesson in our Foster Theater. Based on the specific program topic you choose, our education team creates an exciting and fun experience using music from yesterday and today to help your students make connections between the knowledge they already have, and the educational learning objectives listed for the class.
Following the Foster Theater program, we have created self-guided activities that tie directly into the topics covered. This will help you guide your students through the museum and as they learn from our world class exhibits, connecting the museum exploration with the content of the class, deepening their comprehension and understanding.
We also have pre-visit and post-visit materials, via an online resource’s platform Rock Hall EDU, that are designed for easy use in your classroom. While our onsite programs are excellent as standalone educational experiences, these additional materials build on the onsite program and exhibit experience so they can truly master the subject matter and material.
Why Cleveland is the home of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Grades 5-8 and 9-12
Cleveland Rocks! This program helps to answer the question, “why is the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio?” Students will learn about how Cleveland became a mecca for the rise of rock & roll in the 1950s and see how it connected to the birth of teenage culture. The program also describes the development of the Hall of Fame and the decision to make Cleveland the museum’s home. Grades 5-8 will dive into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame’s history and discover how Cleveland played its part in the revolution of rock & roll music. Grades 9-12 will look closely at the social and cultural impact rock & roll had in overcoming racial boundaries.
After participating in this program, students should be able to:
- Summarize how rock & roll began and how Cleveland played a part in its genesis.
- Consider how local and international artists found success in Cleveland via radio play and live performances.
- Discuss how the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame began and its current impact on Cleveland.
Grades 5-8 and 9-12
Now what you hear is not a test! This program is designed to explore the revolutionary birth of hip-hop. Students will discover where hip-hop began, how it served as a voice for social justice, and how it continues to push boundaries to this day. Through discussion of hip-hop’s sound, technology, and lyrical content, students will get a glimpse of why hip-hop has been one of rock & roll’s most successful styles for over fifty years. Grades 5-8 will think critically about hip-hop’s cultural origins and the unique sound it created using turntables, drum machines, and rapping. Grades 9-12 will examine the technology and sound innovation of the early years and compare how technological innovation have allowed artists to create new sounds.
After participating in this program, students should be able to:
- Express how the social and cultural climate of The Bronx in the 1970s contributed to the birth of hip-hop.
- Examine music technology, such as turntables and drum machines, that fostered innovation in the hip-hop sound.
- Discuss how lyrics became a part of hip-hop and would develop into a vessel for getting a message across to listeners.
K-4 and 5-8
Let there be Rock! This program takes a close look at some of the diverse roots music that would become the building blocks of Rock & Roll. Students will analyze Blues, Country, and rhythm & blues, and discuss how they play a part in America’s regional history and culture. Through listening, live performance, and lyrical analysis, students will discover influential early artists and how each of their styles established America’s musical roots. Grades K-4 will listen to musical examples and read U.S. maps highlighting the country’s regions. Grades 5-8 will compare each musical style and how regional culture affected their sound.
After participating in this program, students should be able to:
- Recognize musical styles and cultures that contributed to the birth of Rock & Roll.
- Identify some of the most important and influential performers of these early musical styles.
- Locate the regions of the United States where these early musical styles originate.
K-4
How are our favorite songs made? This program showcases three of the instrument families most associated with rock & roll: strings, keyboards, and percussion. Students will discover how each instrument creates sound and discuss its importance in rock & roll music. Instructors will highlight some popular Inductees on each instrument and showcase their sound through live performance. Through video and live performances, instructors will demonstrate each instrument’s role in a band and how they work together to create music.
After participating in this program, students should be able to:
- Identify instrument families that are often found in a rock & roll band.
- Describe how each instrument creates sound.
- Explain each instrument’s role in an ensemble and how they can make music together.
9-12
From years past to the present, music has often been a force for change. In this program, students will look back at historical movements where music became a key player in getting a message to listeners. Through listening and video examples, students will discover how different performers and musical styles conveyed social change. Using a modern example of a protest song, students will compare this example to the previous styles that are covered and assess how some of the same messages continue to persist through time.
After participating in this program, students should be able to:
- Examine how music is influenced by social and political movements throughout history.
- Analyze musicians of different styles and how they use music to convey their messages to the world.
- Consider different examples of protest and how music plays an important role.