The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame + Museum


Great Moments in Rock and Roll: Popular Music Through Decades

Suggested Grade Level: 2-6 / 7-12

Take a journey through the second half of the twentieth century by exploring some of the great moments in rock and roll history. Students will actively participate in discussions about shifting cultural values, conceptions of equality, and political activism. Students in grades 2-6 will enjoy historical moments such as Elvis Presley’s first national television appearance in 1956, the Beatles first American performance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, and the birth of MTV in 1981. Students in grades 7-12 enjoy Jimi Hendrix at the 1969 Woodstock music and arts festival, a Blondie performance at the legendary Studio 54 in New York City, and the fusion of rock and hip-hop in the 1986 video “Walk This Way.” This class is offered in English or Spanish.

Interested?  Click here to book this program!

........................................................................................................................................................................

Video Resources

Videos are offered as supplemental content to classes.

Director of Curatorial Affairs Howard Kramer talks about the marketing strategy of rock and roll pioneer, Elvis Presley.

See below for additional video resources related to this class.

........................................................................................................................................................................

Selected Song List

%s1 / %s2

Class Resources

Students will enjoy classic performances from our rock and roll jukebox!

Registering for this Class

To sign up for this class, click on the REGISTER NOW button below and follow the instructions for program registration. An education department representative will contact you within 2-3 days of the program request submission. If a representative does not contact you within 5 business days, please call the Education Department at 216.515.1202.

register now

Additional Resources




Students loved participating with the Rock Hall educator and felt their opinions were valued. Everyone involved - teachers, students, and other staff who observed the conference - agreed on one thing…that was one of the coolest things they had ever seen.
- A middle school gifted and talented teacher in Rockledge, FL
This program let the students look back before their music today and see what influenced the music throughout the years. The students were still comparing music from the past to the present time. The who, what, where, when and all with smiles on their faces. There was some information I did not know. You always learn something new everyday and I did just that.
- An elementary school teacher in Marvell, AR
The presenter of this program was knowledgeable and able to answer all the students' questions. The relation between the history of these decades and the music that was presented made this a cross-curricular experience that our students will remember.
- An elementary school music teacher in Greeneville, TN
This was the first time our school has done videoconferencing…and who better to do it with than the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I am impressed with the level of professionalism and the knowledge of your staff. The Rock Hall legitimizes the significance of music in learning about culture and social change.
- A social studies teacher in Montclair, NJ
The most effective aspects of this conference were the interest level of the content covered, the range of learning strategies used by the presenter, the enthusiasm of the presenter, and the interactivity between the presenter and the students. This is a very exciting way to get students into learning about history.
- A teacher in Sacramento, CA