Summary
What's the toe-tapping sound from Motor City that took the music charts by storm in the 1960s? It's Motown, baby! At a time of deep racial segregation in America, Detroit songwriter Berry Gordy had a vision of bringing African-American musicians into the mainstream. So, he founded Motown Records! Inspired by the success of his hometown's auto industry, Gordy applied the principle of the assembly line to music production. Soon, his music "factory" was churning out the hottest records of the time. The Marvelettes, The Supremes, The Temptations, and other Motown bands sold millions of singles and dominated television and radio airwaves. But Motown's influence wasn't just in producing hits. At the height of the struggle for civil rights, Motown played a critical role in the racial integration of popular entertainment. Want to know more? Press "play" to learn all about the legendary label that helped break down racial barriers and that transformed popular music forever!
Viewer safety
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Motown:
- What is one new thing you learned about motown?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining motown.
- Draw or give one example of your own.