This teacher guide provides instructions for a 1st grade visual art lesson on jazz. Students will watch a video of dancers from the Harlem Renaissance, discuss the video, and listen to jazz music. They will then learn about jazz dance moves and create their own collage artwork depicting jazz babies dancing to music. The guide outlines how students will draw jazz figure templates, add backgrounds and details to create their collages, and reflect on their artwork.

1. Teacher Guide
1st GradeAlike Visual Art: “Jazz Babies”
Stanislaus County Office of Education
Amy Zschaber azschaber@stancoe.org

2. Watch Harlem Renaissance Cotton Club
Party from 1933
https://youtu.be/wZabpO4-nJ0 (dancing begins at 1:26)
Dancers: Bessie Dudley & Florence Hill
Band Leader: Duke Ellington

3. Ask Students. . .
1. What did you see?
2. Who are these people?
3. What was making the sounds?
4. Why are these people dancing?
5. How were the dancers moving?
6. Did you see any dance moves we use today?

4. Let’s Dance Jazz Babies!
• Provide students with
classroom-appropriate
procedures
• Ask students to do their own
“jazz” dance to “Ain’t
Misbehavin” by Louis
Armstrong
https://goo.gl/iXzq5O
• When finished, discuss how
students felt while dancing and
how the different sounds
corresponded to different
movements

5. “Read” at this Artwork
• Who is in the picture?
• What are they doing
• When do you think this is
happening?
• Why do you think the
artist made this?
• Do you think this artist
liked jazz? Why or Why
not?
• How do you think this art
work was made? Why
• How does this artwork
make you feel? Why?
Romare Bearden
“Out Chorus”
1979-80
Etching & Aquatint

7. “Read” at this Artwork
• Who is in the picture?
• What are they doing
• When do you think this is
happening?
• Why do you think the
artist made this?
• Do you think this artist
liked jazz? Why or Why
not?
• How do you think this art
work was made? Why
• How does this artwork
make you feel? Why?
Romare Bearden
“Out Chorus”
1979-80
Etching & Aquatint

8. Read The Jazz Man by Karen Ehrhardt
• Ask Students
– What is the book about?
– Who is telling the story?
– What words help us know
this story is about sound?
– Is this story happy or sad?
How do you know?
– How do you think the
artwork was made? Why?
– Is the artwork like the
sounds? How?

9. Listen to The Jazz Man song
https://youtu.be/cnzywl8FXXQ
see if students can sing along!

10. Same / Different?
Romare Bearden
“Out Chorus”
1979-80
Etching & Aquatint
T.G. Roth
Illustrator of The Jazz Man

11. Let’s Make Art!
1. Show students project
exemplar
2. Define “collage” (a
piece of art made by
sticking various
different materials
such as photographs
and pieces of paper or
fabric onto a backing)
3. Ease worries by
reminding students
that everyone will
draw together!

12. How-To Draw Elementary Jazz
Babies

13. You Will Need
ART MATERIALS
• Black sharpies (black crayons, pencils,
or oil pastel substitute)
• White 9in x 12in paper
• Copies of jazz music 8.5in x 11in
(“Ain’t Misbehavin’”)
• Blue 9in x 12in paper
• Multi-colored or painted
7in x 10in paper
• Yellow 5in x 8 in paper
• Multicultural colored crayons
• Crayons
• Scissors
• Glue

14. How to Draw a Jazz
Baby in a Dress
(9 in x 12 in paper)
draw with permanent marker

46. How to Draw a Jazz
Baby in a Suit
(9 in x 12 in paper)
Draw with permanent marker

83. Color & Cut Out Jazz Baby
(it’s okay to leave a border)

84. Prepare Your Background Pt. 1
1. Take sheet music 2. Cut into strips 3. Glue to make a
“frame” on your blue
paper

85. Prepare Your Background Pt. 2
4. Glue multi-colored
paper to blue paper
5. Glue yellow paper
to multi-colored
paper

86. Glue Your Jazz
Baby Down

87. Add Movement Lines and Music Notes

88. More 1st Grade Exemplars

89. More 1st Grade Exemplars

90. More 1st Grade Exemplars

91. More 1st Grade Exemplars

92. More 1st Grade Exemplars

93. Reflect on What You Made
• How do you feel
about your art?
• What do you like
best?
• What would you
change?
• What do you like
best about a friend’s
artwork?