Cultural Expression The Great Depression and The Harlem Renaissance By: Maria Alejandra Alegria

In order for students to be able to go beyond the facts, the approach to teaching needs to shift. Students need to be more engaged in the con-

tent being taught, but at the same time they need to be challenged to think about the past, the present, and the future in a manner that will

make meaningful self, local, and global connections (National Council for the Social Studies, 1988).

Sunal and Hass (2008) have stated that social studies is personal in which “students take information they get through their senses and from

interacting with others and interpret it in terms of their prior knowledge of the social world” (p. 6).

For this reason, the thematic unit is designed to have students be active thinkers and construct knowledge – “to turn it around, manipulate it,

make sense of it” – in order to make it their own (Levstik &Barton, 2011, p. 76).

The National Council for the Social Studies (1988) published an article addressing how to prepare for the 21st century in which it was stated

that, “the social studies program should provide a setting for children to acquire knowledge of history and the social sciences and to be ex-

posed to a broad variety of opinions, facilitating the formulation, reassessment, and affirmation of their beliefs” (p. 3).

In thinking how I wanted to assess my students, I focused on performance tasks because “teachers are able to directly observe and collect evi-

dence of student performance in ‘real-life’ (authentic) situations that demand thoughtful application of knowledge and skills” (Seif, 2016, p.

19). Students are expected to use higher thinking skills during the unit, therefore the assessment should continue to push students to demon-

strate and evaluate their learning.

Name: ______________________________________________

….and that makes me

Think…

Now I…

Wonder…

I See…

May 2016

MON TUE WED THU FRI

2

Letters from The Thirties Lesson

Mind map: students will individually cre-ate and fill a mind map for the Great De-pression. Discuss. Read letters from The Dirty Thirties: The United States from 1929-1941 by Mary C Turck. Ask students their interpretation of the letters from a child’s perspective in re-gards to the events and lifestyle of that time period. Rose’s Journal by Marissa Moss was as-signed this past Friday to students to begin reading. Prepare 5 letters.

3

Why Keep a Journal? Lesson

Students will be creating own journals and begin with their first journal entry based on the inter-pretation of a photograph from the book Chil-dren of the Great Depression by Russell Freedman.

4

Dust Bowl Experience Lesson As a class show the intro video on PBS: The Dust Bowl. Have students discuss in pairs what they saw and how that could have affected people’s lives. Read the short biography of Robert “Boots” McCoy and watch the short clip of him talking about dust storms. Read two other short biographies: Dorothy Stur-divan Kleffman, Irene Beck Hauer, and Sam Ar-guello. Do the Interactive Dust Bowl: What if you had lived in the Dust Bowl? On PBS website. Free-write exit ticket in journal on what the stu-dents learned.

5

Poetry Lesson Students will analyze and evaluate 2 poems from the book Told in the Seed by Sanora Babb as an introduction to her life. Analyze, evaluate, and discuss poem by Donald Justice “Pantoum of the Great Depression”. Students will create own poem about what they gathered from the poems studied in class. Poem will go in journal.

6

Rose’s Journal Lesson Discuss the book, Rose’s Journal. Use the book to compare it to the experienc-es from children based on the other sources. Students will write a journal entry answer-ing the prompt: Based on our location in Pennsylvania, what would you have experi-enced in the 1930’s? How would you have felt? Assign A Song for Harlem by Pat McKissack to students to begin reading.

9

NAACP Lesson

Students will individually create a mind map centered around the Harlem Renais-sance. Read Letter to The Crisis sent by A South-ern Colored Woman as introduction to the organization NAACP W.E.B. Dubois “An Appeal to the World: A Statement of Denial of Human Rights to Minorities in the Case of Citizens of Negro Descent in the United States of American and an Appeal to the United Nations for Redress” -> address denotation and con-notation of n-word.

10

Zora Neale Hurston Tall Tale Lesson

Looking at the following tale: “What’s the hurry fox?” Discuss possible meanings. Have students explore Hurston by filling out a worksheet with questions based on her im-portance in the movement.

11

Through the Eyes of Langston Hughes’

Poetry Lesson

Students will read “I, Too”, “As I Grew Older”, and “Let America Be America Again” – Analyze, evalu-ate, discuss poems. Journal entry: Pick one of the lessons studied. If you were to create a short film based on this po-em, what would the plot include? What would be your opening scene?

12

A Song for Harlem Lesson

Compare Lilly Belle’s life to that of the adult writers talked about during the week. Compare A Song for Harlem to Rose’s Journal

13

Field Trip

Schomburg Center, NY Filling out a worksheet throughout the visit.

Students are to hand in journals – mid unit check in. Announce poetry slam.

16

Woody Guthrie’s Dust Bowl Lesson

STW on photograph Play guitar: “So Long, It’s Been Good to Know Yuh” Analyze, evaluate, and discuss. Free-write exit ticket: What did you take away from analyzing the lyrics? Hand journals back to students. Bring guitar

17

Are You in the Mood to Swing? Lesson Intro Swing as a development of Jazz. Watch part of Jazz by Ken Burns – “Episode 5: Sing: Pure Pleasure” Compare this type of music (including lyrics) to that of Woody Guthrie.

18

Benny Goodman Lesson

Play audio only to song: “Sing, Sing, Sing” per-formed by Benny Goodman. Does expression impact society? Contributions Goodman made to the world of music and to the Journal entry: How have Benny Goodman and Fletcher Henderson influence society?

19

Paul Whiteman Lesson

Why is Paul Whiteman important? What do his songs tell us of what life was life in the 1930’s? Journal entry: What influence has Paul Whiteman left on the musical industry and with-in society?

20

Defining Cultural Expression Lesson

Having looked at various forms of expres-sion students will be defining cultural ex-pression. How do we or can we express our thoughts, emotions, views? Students will be exploring what cultural expression format they would use and for what topic/issue/event they would choice of which to talk.

23

The Harlem Style Lesson

Students are introduced to the styles of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band STW Activity Analyze and evaluate songs of Lil Hardin Armstrong. Exit ticket: 3-2-1

24

Bessie Smith Lesson

Students will be looking at songs Bessie Smith performed. Research her influence on the movement. Compare and Contrast Bessie Smith with Lil Hardin Armstrong – entry to be made in journal (can be paragraph format or Venn Diagram). Questions will be handed out to guide students with response. .

25

Duke Ellington Lesson

Use Duke Ellington’s songs to introduce students to one of the founding fathers of jazz music. Students will be researching Ellington through the links provided. One is from the Library of Congress,. Class will be held in the computer lab.

26

‘Architect of Swing’: Fletcher Henderson

Lesson

Research who he was, why he was influential during this time period, and why he was/is not very well known. Journal entry answering the prompt: What top-ics has cultural expression address in history and what have been the outcomes? Assign RAFT – have students begin brainstorming RAFT – To be due Friday 6/3

27

Guest Band

David DeJesus – bringing his some of his band members to play a short concert for the students and interactive learning ses-sion with the students. Students will write reflection in journal on what they thought about the guest. Homework: Write a thank you note includ-ing at least 1 thing found intriguing, at least 1 thing learned, at least 1 question not asked due to time.

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R.A.F.T. and Poetry Workshop

Class in the computer lab

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R.A.F.T. and Poetry Workshop

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R.A.F.T. and Poetry Workshop

Class in the computer lab

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R.A.F.T. and Poetry Workshop

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Poetry Slam

R.A.F.T. Due Journals are to be collected.

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Backwards Design Overview Sheet

Unit Theme: Cultural Expression

Specific Topics of Focus in this Unit -Look at the History of the Great Depression and the Harlem Renaissance through various forms of cultural expression such as music (folk music, blues and jazz), literature and poetry. * Artists and Writers for analysis: Russell Freedman, Sanora Babb, Donald Justice, Marissa Moss, W.E.B. Dubois, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Pat McKissack, Woody Guthrie, Benny Goodman, Paul Whitman Duke Ellington, Bessie Smith, Lil Hardin Armstrong, King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, Fletcher Henderson NCSS Strands Addressed in this Unit -Culture -Time, Continuity, and Change -Individual Development and Identity -Individuals, Groups, and Institutions -Production, Distribution, and Consumption -Science, Technology, and Society

OBJECTIVES Goals (From the PA State Standards) -8.1.4.B Distinguish between fact and opinion from multiple points of view and primary sources as related to historical events. -8.3.4.A Differentiate common characteristics of the social, political, cultural and economic groups in United States history. -8.3.4.C Explain how continuity and change in U.S. history have influenced personal development and identity. Enduring Understandings (Students will understand that…) -Expression is a part of our daily lives and it helps to change the world we live in, especially in times of scarcity. -Social, political, and economical concerns can be expressed through the arts in order to help individuals, groups, and socie-ty cope with the situations at hand. -Cultural expression derives from societal endeavors creating a direct relationship in which societal endeavors are over-come and changed through cultural expression. Essential Questions -How do we or can we express our thoughts, emotions, views? -Why is there a need to express ourselves? -Does expression impact society? -What topics has cultural expression address in history and what have been the outcomes? Knowledge (Students will know…) -The similarities and differences of folk music, blues, jazz, and swing. -The struggles from different perspectives of individuals in the United States during the Great Depression and the Harlem Renaissance. -The power found in the relationship between cultural expression and societal endeavors. -Experiences are influenced by social status and geographical location. Skills/Processes (Students will be able to…) -Analyze and evaluate the lyrics and music from the Great Depression and Harlem Renaissance. -Analyze and evaluate the literature and poetry from the Great Depression and Harlem Renaissance. -Synthesize information from various resources to become an individual who lived during the Great Depression. -Read a map -Compare and contrast two events happening parallel to one another.

ASSESSMENTS Summative Assessments -Performance Tasks: -R.A.F.T. Other Evidence: -Letter: The thank you note being written to the guest band presents a prompt similar to that of a 3-2-1 ticket recording what the students took from the presentation. -Journal: Students will record different prompted assignments in the journal throughout the unit. There will be a mid-unit check-in of journals and then they will be collected at the end of the unit. -Observations: Checking on students while doing group work or individual work to take notes on students’ process. -Poem: Students will be creating own poems throughout the unit based on what they have learned. -Worksheet: Students will fill out a worksheet with essential questions based on the experience as the Schomburg Center. -Compare and Contrast Chart: Students will be comparing and contrasting Bessie Smith’s and Lil Hardin Armstrong’s per-spective on the Harlem Renaissance based on the songs analyzed in class. Diagnostic Assessments -Mind Map: students will individually create and fill a mind map around the topic of the Great Depression. -Mind Map: students will individually create and fill a mind map around the topic of the Harlem Renaissance. Formative Assessments -Exit Ticket: Write 3 things you learned today, 2 questions you have about the topic covered today and 1 thing you would like to do more research on. -Free-write exit ticket: Students will reflect on what the lesson was about and what they gathered from the lesson on the Dust Bowl.

Role Audience Format Topic Songwriter The public that will be

listening to the singer at a jazz

café.

Song – lyrics and/or music and

a description (min. 2 pages)

The harsh times during the

Great Depression and the good

times that are too come after

the Great Depression.

Along with the song, write a

minimum two-page paper

describing the intention and

history behind the chosen

lyrics, and if incorporating

music, explain why that music

was chosen.

Reporter Citizens of Pennsylvania Newspaper Report (min. 2

page)

The impact of an artist first

heard at a café who is now

doing first large concert.

Writing a biography of the

artist and major works and

how the public is reacting to

the artist.

Writer Readers of Time Magazine Magazine Article (min. 2

pages)

A biography on a folk music or

jazz artist during the Great

Depression, answering the

question: Why is this artist

important?

Above: Photograph of King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band. Re-

trieved from http://www.ask.com/history/harlem-

renaissance-important-7d6c43067a02287b

Image is being used for the See, Think, Wonder activity.

Left: The worksheet students

will use as a template for

completing the See, Think,

activity individually, before

discussing as a class.

Above: Dust piled up around farmhouse, Oklahoma April 1936 Photographer: Rothstein, Arthur U.S. Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Black & White Photograph from Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Divi-sion Washington, Dc; www.loc.gov

Harlem on Saturday Night

Lil Hardin Armstrong Now, the thugs are a-thuggin', the mugs are a-muggin', There's never a cop in sight! You can see 'most any old thing, In Harlem on Saturday night! Now, the chicks are chickin', the pickpockets pickin' When they pick they pick you right, You can see 'most any old thing, In Harlem on Saturday night! Hot spots are never cold! Piccolos are thumpin'! No matter where you go, Every joint is jumpin'! Now, all the Sugar Hillers are a bunch of killer-dillers, I'm tryin' to set you right, You can see 'most any old thing, In Harlem on Saturday night! Hot spots are never cold! Piccolos are thumpin'! No matter where you go, Every joint is jumpin'! Now, all the Sugar Hillers are a bunch of killer-dillers, I'm tryin' to set you right, You can do 'most any old thing, On Monday! Tuesday! Wednesday! Thursday! Friday! But mostly on Saturday night!

Left: Lyrics sung by Lil Hardin Armstrong. Students will be

analyzing, evaluating, and discussing these lyrics among

others as a framework to research more on the impacts of

the Harlem Renaissance.

Above: Students will be reading Rose’s Journal, a book

about an 11-year old girl , named, Rose, and her family

during the Dust Bowl.