All about Scott Joplin

Scott Joplin was a famous musician and composer born in 1868 in Texas. He loved music from a young age and learned to play the piano. Scott Joplin became very good at it and created a special kind of music called "ragtime." Ragtime music is lively and makes you want to tap your feet and dance!

Scott Joplin wrote many popular ragtime songs, and his most famous one is called "The Maple Leaf Rag." People loved his music so much that he became known as the "King of Ragtime." Scott Joplin wanted everyone to enjoy his music, so he worked very hard to write and play new songs.

Even though life was sometimes hard for Scott Joplin, he never gave up on his dream of making music. He traveled to different places to play his piano and share his joyful ragtime tunes with everyone. Scott Joplin passed away in 1917, but his music still makes people happy today. His songs are still played and loved by many, showing how important and wonderful his music is. Scott Joplin’s work helped shape American music, and he is remembered as one of the greatest musicians of all time.

1. Where was Scott Joplin born?
2. What kind of music did Scott Joplin create?
3. What is the name of Scott Joplin's most famous song?
4. Why do you think Scott Joplin was called the "King of Ragtime"?
5. How do you think Scott Joplin's music has influenced people today?

Symbols and Traditions

Hi there! My name is Grace, and I'm 8 years old. I want to tell you about my trip to Sedalia, Missouri. It was so much fun! Sedalia is famous because Scott Joplin, the King of Ragtime music, lived here. Ragtime music is very bouncy and makes you want to dance.

We visited the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival. There were so many people playing pianos and everyone was happy. My favorite part was going to the historic Katy Depot. It's a big, old train station that is now a museum. They had an exhibit all about Scott Joplin and his music. I got to see old pianos and even tried to play one! It was harder than it looks.

After that, we walked around the town and listened to more ragtime music. I learned that Scott Joplin wrote a famous song called "The Entertainer." Now, I can't stop humming it. I had a great time and I hope we can visit again soon!

1. Who is Scott Joplin and why is he famous?
2. What was your favorite part of the trip to Sedalia?
3. Can you describe what ragtime music sounds like?
4. Why do you think the historic Katy Depot was turned into a museum?
5. How did visiting Sedalia make you feel, and why?

Profile of Scott Joplin

A Timeline of Scott Joplin to another Festival

After learning all about Scott Joplin, 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 - Scott Joplin
A full set of teaching plans for Scott Joplinteaching.