Ethel Waters

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ethel-waters

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Ethel Waters born?October 31, 1896
2. Where was Ethel Waters born?Chester, Pennsylvania, USA
3. When did Ethel Waters die?September 1, 1977
4. What is the career span?Primarily active from the 1920s through the 1960s
5. What is the key artistic genres?Blues, Jazz, Swing, Pop, Gospel, Acting
6. Who was Ethel Waters?Ethel Waters was a famous singer and actress who sang blues, jazz, and acted on stage and television.

Vaudeville: A theatrical genre of variety entertainment popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, featuring a series of unrelated acts.
Jim Crow Laws: State and local laws enacted in the Southern United States from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries that enforced racial segregation.
Racial Segregation: The enforced separation of different racial groups in a country, community, or institution.
Cultural Icon: A person or thing that is widely recognized and admired for their influence on culture.