Crossroads - Where Economics, History and Music Meet
This collaborative collection between the Georgia Council on Economic Education and TeachRock provides an interdisciplinary, media-rich curriculum that uses diverse American musical genres and Library of Congress primary sources to teach high school students about key economic concepts and U.S. historical events.
A collaboration between the Georgia Council on Economic Education and TeachRock
Crossroads is a groundbreaking interdisciplinary initiative that helps high school students make powerful connections between economics, U.S. history, and American music. Through lessons built on compelling Library of Congress primary sources—including historic photographs, recordings, and lyrics—students explore topics like unemployment, property rights, urban growth, and economic inequality with fresh eyes and ears.
Developed by the Georgia Council on Economic Education (GCEE) in collaboration with TeachRock, this collection offers classroom-ready materials that turn protest anthems, folk ballads, labor songs, and hip-hop verses into rich opportunities for critical thinking and inquiry. The project also includes in-person and virtual workshops for teachers across the country, with featured TeachRock presenters at select locations modeling engaging, arts-based strategies to bring these lessons to life.
Whether you're teaching the Great Depression, the Civil Rights Movement, or the rise of consumer culture, Crossroads equips educators to help students see—and hear—the economic forces that have shaped the American experience.