I am so glad you have joined me for another day in the new series here at Mama’s Learning Corner: On This Day in American History!
On this day in American History, January 18, 1944, the Metropolitan Opera House hosted a jazz concert for the first time.
If you would like more details on how to use these On This Day in American History posts, please see this page: On This Day in American History in Your Homeschool
You can click here to see all of the posts in this series: On This Day in American History Series
January 18 – Metropolitan Opera House Hosts Its First Jazz Concert
The Metropolitan Opera House in New York City hosted a jazz concert for the first time on January 18, 1944. Performers included Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton, Mildred Bailey, Red Norvo, Roy Eldridge, Jack Teagarden, and Benny Goodman.
To do:
1.) Louis Armstrong was one of the most prominent musicians at the concert. Few can match his talent on the trumpet! He is also known for his unmistakable gravelly voice. Listen to Mr. Armstrong sing and play “When the Saints Go Marching In” on the Ed Sullivan Show in September 1959.
2.) In a paragraph, answer the following: Did you like the style of “When the Saints Go Marching In?” Why or why not? What instruments were your favorite? What words would you use to describe jazz?
3.) Read about the history of The Metropolitan Opera House, commonly known as The Met. Answer the following question in your notebook: When was The Met founded and where was its first building?
4.) Read through the list of names and the operas performed at The Met in the opening paragraphs of the linked article above. Do you recognize any of those names? If so, write down the names that are familiar to you.
If you are new to On This Day in American History
If you are new to On This Day in American History, Welcome!
Each day, I share an interesting event that occurred in our nation’s past. You will learn about famous Americans, interesting inventions and their patents, American art and music, and more.
You will also find suggested activities – labeled “To do” – if you would like to research this during your homeschool’s group time in the morning, or you can assign the activities for your children to work on independently.
If you think you will do more than one day of On This Day in American History, I would encourage you to have your child keep what I call a Notebook of Knowledge. A spiral notebook or sheets of paper stapled together is more than adequate!
Have your child write the day’s event and the date at the top of his paper. If there are writing activities, have him use his best composition, grammar, and penmanship as he completes the answers. After just a few weeks or even a month, he will have an excellent resource to read through!
If you would like to use this resource throughout the month, you might be interested in purchasing the full January Calendar. It contains:
- Access to the webpage with all of the January events listed, including all suggested activities for each daily event.
- A .pdf of the January Calendar, listed in chronological order with all suggested activities
- All necessary downloads to complete the assigned activities. These same downloads are linked on the webpage, however, they are also included here for easy access.
- The answers to any questions asked in the daily activities.
You can purchase that here:
On This Day in American History: January 17 – Birth of Benjamin Franklin
Leave a Reply