A Fresh Way to Teach American Music Genres!

Let’s face it—getting middle schoolers excited about music history can be… a challenge.

You know the value of teaching your students where music came from—how blues laid the groundwork for rock, or how hip-hop grew from spoken word poetry and street beats. But explaining that in a way that sticks? That’s where things get tricky.

That’s why we created our series of American Music Genre Escape Rooms, geared to grades 5th-8th. They can be used with younger students as a class activity and with older students as a small group or independent work activity. These activities are designed to get students actively engaged in content by solving puzzles, making connections, and uncovering clues.

They are based on the popular “breakout rooms” and keep the students engaged in a team activity with a goal as they learn. Instead of passively listening or taking notes, students solve puzzles, hunt for clues, and make connections —all while learning about blues, jazz, country, rock, and rap. It’s like tricking them into doing research… and liking it. Each escape room challenges students to research, think critically, and collaborate, making them the detectives in their own learning journey.

These kinds of resources aren’t just fun—they’re great for:

Days when you’re out and need an easy sub plan
Independent or group work time
Test week schedules when everything feels chaotic
Giving students a sense of ownership over their learning

These escape rooms are all housed completely within Google Forms which means you can easily assign with a single link. There are also optional PDFs of the “challenges” to allow students to use pencil/paper for the hardest puzzles. Printing the hard copies are optional, but I recommend it to help keep students making progress.

7 puzzles cover the topics of The Origin of the Blues, Characteristics of the Blues, Blue Notes, Ma Rainey, W.C. Handy, Blues Bass Guitar, Muddy Waters
3 challenges cover the topics of Review of Origin & Characteristics of Blues, Mamie Smith, Artist Match
Other musicians or blues music facts mentioned include work songs & field hollers, emotion of sadness, bent pitch, guitar, harmonica, vocal form, Mother of Blues, Blues Hall of Fame, St. Louis Blues, Queen of Blues, Perry Bradford, Jazz Hounds, walking bass line, 12 bar blues, Father of Modern Chicago blues, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Etta James, Ray Charles, Buddy Guy, Albert King, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, BB King.

7 puzzles cover the topics of Jazz originating in the 1920s African American communities, Ragtime being a predecessor to Jazz, Dixieland. Swing, Bebop (Charlie Parker), Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday
3 challenges cover the topics of Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Contemporary Jazz

5 escape room puzzles cover the topics of The Origin of the Country Music, The Father of Country (Jimmie Rodgers), Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, King of Country (George Strait)
2 challenges cover the topics of The Carter Family, Country Singers
Other country musicians or country music facts mentioned include Eck Robertson, Arkansas Traveler Gene Autry, America’s Favorite Singing Cowboy, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Singing Brakeman, Blue Yodeler, I’m a Honky tonk Girl, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Wildwood Flower, Keep on the Sunny Side, Johnny Cash, Jackson, Billboard country chart, Crazy, Grand Ole Opry, I Cross My Heart, Amarillo By Morning, The Chair, Alan Jackson, Shania Twain, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, The Juds, Reba McEntire, Merle Haggard, Carrie Underwood, Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville.

7 escape room puzzles cover the topics of The Origin of the Rock, The First Hit (Rock Around the Clock), Sister Rosetta Thorpe, Famous Band (Rolling Stones), Led Zeppelin, Queen of Rock & Roll (Janis Joplin), The Beatles
3 challenges cover the topics of Elvis Presley, Artist Match Up, Jimi Hendrix
Other rock musicians or rock music facts mentioned include Bill Haley & the Comets, electric guitar, Graceland, King of Rock & Roll, Mick Jagger, (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Tina Turner, Freddie Mercury, Bruce Springsteen, Joni Mitchell, The Doors, Patti Smith, Deep Purple, Eagles, Everly Brothers, Little Richards, Horses, Smoke on the Water, Hotel California, Tutti Frutti, Queen, Wake Up Little Susie, What’s Love Got to Do With It?, Jim Morrison, Born to Run, Tina Turner, John/Paul/George&Ringo, A Hard Day’s Night, Purple Haze, The Wind Cries Mary, Monterey Pop Festival, Woodstock.

5 puzzles cover the topics of Origins of Hip-hop & Rap, Toasts, Run-D.M.C., MC Lyte, King of Hip-hop (Eminem)
2 challenges cover the topics of: Grandmaster Flash, Artist Match
Other Hip Hop & Rock musicians or facts mentioned include MCing, DJing, graffiti, breakdancing, poetry, Sugarhill Gang, Top 40, US Billboard Chart, Rapper’s Delight, It’s Like That/Sucker MCs, bowler hats, loose clothing, Rock Box, MTV, Furious Five, backspin, scratching, Lyte as a Rock, Ruffneck, I am Hip Hop, Eminem, Sha-Rock, Lil Wayne, Salt N Pepa, The Norotious BIG, MC Hammer, Jay-Z, Lizzo, Remy Ma, Terror Squad, Hammer pants, Mother of the Mic, Bust a Move, Young MC.

Save by purchasing the American Music Genre Escape Room BUNDLE.