This video clip provides a short biography of famous banjo player Charlie Poole and his impact on banjo music. In the supporting lesson plan, students connect the lyrics and music of the musicians of times to the challenges in their daily lives. From the early late 1800s through the mid 1900s, working Americans in mill and farm towns across the United States faced tough conditions. Living in an era before radio and movies, many families and social groups used music to celebrate where they lived, remember notable local events (like natural disasters and crimes), entertain themselves and their neighbors and cope with their living conditions.