All about Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong was a famous musician who played the trumpet and sang. He was born on August 4, 1901, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Louis grew up in a poor neighborhood, but he loved music. When he was just a little boy, he started working to help his family. He even played music on the streets to earn money.

One day, Louis got into some trouble and was sent to a special school for boys. There, he learned to play the trumpet and discovered his amazing talent. When he grew up, Louis played in many bands and became famous for his wonderful trumpet playing and unique singing voice.

Louis Armstrong did not just play music; he also made people happy with his big smile and joyful personality. He traveled all around the world, performing for people everywhere. Some of his most famous songs include "What a Wonderful World" and "Hello, Dolly!"

Louis Armstrong's music was very important because it helped spread jazz, a new and exciting type of music. He showed that no matter where you come from, you can achieve great things with hard work and passion. Louis Armstrong passed away on July 6, 1971, but his music still makes people smile today!

1. Where was Louis Armstrong born?
2. What instrument did Louis Armstrong learn to play at the special school for boys?
3. Name two of Louis Armstrong's most famous songs.
4. How did Louis Armstrong's music help people?
5. What lesson can we learn from Louis Armstrong's life?

Symbols and Traditions

Hi! My name is Ethan and I am 8 years old. I want to tell you about my visit to New Orleans. It was so much fun! We went there because it's where a famous musician named Louis Armstrong was from. I love music, so I was very excited.

We visited a place called the Louis Armstrong Park. It's a big park with lots of trees and a pond. There is a statue of Louis Armstrong playing his trumpet. My mom said he was one of the best jazz musicians ever. I even heard his music playing in the park. It made me want to dance!

We also went to a museum called the New Orleans Jazz Museum. They had lots of cool things like old trumpets and pictures of Louis Armstrong. I learned that he was really good at making up music on the spot. That’s called improvising. I think that's super cool and I want to try it with my piano.

New Orleans was awesome and I had such a great time learning about Louis Armstrong. I can't wait to tell my friends all about it!

1. Who is the famous musician mentioned in Ethan's blog post?
2. What is the name of the park Ethan visited in New Orleans?
3. Why does Ethan think improvising is cool?
4. How did visiting the park and museum help Ethan learn about Louis Armstrong?
5. Can you think of another place you would like to visit to learn about a famous person? Why would you choose that place?

Profile of Louis Armstrong

A Timeline of Louis Armstrong to another Festival

After learning all about Louis Armstrong, your job is to create a timeline of their life. You should add all the important events in their life but you can be inventive and add some interesting things that people might like to read about. You can make it as simply as you like with pen and paper or you can be very inventive and create a 3D diorama or hanging banner. The sky's the limit - go for it!

Slideshow - Louis Armstrong
A full set of teaching plans for Louis Armstrongteaching.