triumph over adversity: a musical journey through african american

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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry

The Cleveland Institute of Music

Class Materials

© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013

Dear Educator,

Thank you for choosing the Cleveland Institute of Music. Inside this packet, you will find all of the

materials your class will need for your upcoming Triumph Over Adversity video conference. There are

two lessons that need to be completed prior to the video conference. Please allow at least two

class periods to prepare your class.

Please fax or email your students’ blues lyrics from p. 6 to us ([email protected] or 216-791-3063)

AT LEAST THREE DAYS BEFORE the video conference.

If at any time you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. We look forward to

“meeting” you!

Sincerely,

Heather Young Mandujano

Distance Learning Education Coordinator

Cleveland Institute of Music

Phone: 216-368-0874

Email: [email protected]

Fax: 216-791-3063

Table of Contents

Pre-Conference Lesson Plan: Day 1…………………………………………………………………….2

Lift Every Voice and Sing + Worksheet………………………………………………………3-4

Blues Lyrics Worksheet……………………………………………………..……………..…5-6

Pre-Conference Lesson Plan: Day 2…………………………………………………………………….7

Poem #1 (Sympathy by Dunbar)………………………………………………………...………8

Poem #2 (I Dream a World by Hughes)………………………………………...………..…….9 Poem #3 (Status Symbol by Evans)……………………………………………………………..10

Poem #4 (When Great Trees Fall by Angelou)…………………………………………….11-12

Poetry Analysis Worksheet…………………………………………………………………13-14

Early Poems (for video conference)……………………………………………………………………..15

During the Video Conference…………………………………………………………………………...16

Academic Content Standards……………………………………………………………………………17

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………………..28

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Class Materials


Pre-conference Lesson Plan: Day 1

Objective:

The students will explore how music can enhance poetry

The students will write their own blues lyrics. 2-5 will be selected to be performed live by CIM musicians during the video conference.

Materials:

Pencils

Poem: “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (p. 3)

DVD: “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (provided by CIM)

DVD Worksheet (p. 4)

Blues Lyrics Worksheet (p. 5-6)

Procedure:

1. Read the poem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James W. Johnson

a. Have students take turns reading stanzas aloud or have them read the poem silently

b. Time permitting, engage students in a discussion of the text

2. Explain that sometimes, composers will take a poem and use it for lyrics to a song. The music

can help to enhance the original message of the poem. Poet James W. Johnson’s brother, John

R. Johnson, wrote music to go with the poem we just read. The music made the poem so

powerful that today it is known as the African American national anthem.

3. Have students watch the “Lift Every Voice and Sing” DVD

4. Have students complete the corresponding worksheet

5. Pass out the “Blues Lyrics” worksheet.

a. Explain that song lyrics can be a form of poetry. An easy form to turn into a song is the

blues.

b. Have students follow the directions on the worksheet to write their own blues lyrics.

The lyrics MUST relate to a personal triumph over adversity in the students’ own lives.

6. Email or Fax the students’ lyrics to CIM AT LEAST 3 DAYS BEFORE the video conference

a. Email: [email protected]

b. Fax: 216-791-3063 (Heather Mandujano, Distance Learning)

mailto:[email protected]

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Class Materials


Lift Every Voice and Sing

by James W. Johnson, 1899

Lift every voice and sing,

till earth and heaven ring,

Ring with the harmonies of liberty;

Let our rejoicing rise

High as the listening skies,

Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,

Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;

facing the rising sun of our new day begun,

let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,

bitter the chastening rod,

felt in the days when hope unborn had died;

yet with a steady beat,

have not our weary feet

come to the place for which our fathers died?

We have come over a way that with tears have been watered,

We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,

out from the gloomy past,

till now we stand at last

where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,

God of our silent tears,

thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;

thou who hast by thy might

led us into the light,

keep us forever in the path, we pray.

Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;

lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee,

shadowed beneath thy hand,

may we forever stand,

true to our God, true to our native land.

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Class Materials


Lift Every Voice and Sing Worksheet

1. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?

(Write your answer on your copy of the poem)

2. Is the rhyme scheme the same in every stanza? Explain.

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3. How does the music help to bring out the changes in rhyme scheme within the poem?

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4. What is the overall message of the poem?

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5. Does the music add to or take away from the overall effectiveness of the poem? Explain your

answer.

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Class Materials


Blues Lyrics Worksheet

The Blues

Blues is a genre of African American folk music that was a predecessor to jazz. There are many elements of

blues which were incorporated into jazz such as improvisation (the creation of new music on the spot), and the

"blue" note (a note whose pitch is "bent" by slightly raising or lowering the pitch). The typical blues song is in

4/4 time, with lyrics cast in a three-line stanza consisting of an opening line, its repetition, and a new third line.

The third line will either rhyme or have an approximate rhyme with the last word of the previous lines. Blues

songs are often about sad topics.

Here is an example:

Backwater Blues

By Bessie Smith

When it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night

When it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night

There was trouble taking place in the lowlands at night

I woke up this morning, wouldn't even get out of my door

I woke up this morning, wouldn't even get out of my door

Enough trouble to make poor girl wonder where she gonna go

They rowed a little boat, about five miles 'cross the farm

They rowed a little boat, about five miles 'cross the farm

I packed up all my clothing, throwed it in and they rowed me along

It thundered and it lightened and the winds began to blow

It thundered and it lightened and the winds began to blow

There was a thousand women, didn't have no place to go

I went out to the lonesome, high old lonesome hill

I went out to the lonesome, high old lonesome hill

I looked down on the old house, where I used to live

Backwater blues have caused me to pack up my things and go

Backwater blues have caused me to pack up my things and go

'Cause my house fell down and I can't live there no more

Hmm, I can't live there no more

Hmm, I can't live there no more

And there ain't no place for a poor old girl to go

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Blues Lyrics Worksheet Continued

Bessie Smith, also known as the “Empress of the Blues,” was the most popular female blues singer in

the 1920’s and 1930’s. The above lyrics are from one of her most successful records, and the song

was recorded just before the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. You can read about the flood here:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/05/0501_river4.html .

Writing your own blues lyrics

1. In the above example, Bessie Smith chose to sing about a tragic event—adversity—that was

currently happening. For your topic, choose an adversity (large or small!) from your own life over

which you have triumphed, and write it on the title line.

2. For each stanza, write the first line. Copy that line into the second line—they should be identical.

3. Then, write something different for the third line—the last word of the 3rd line should rhyme with

the last word of your 1st and 2nd lines.

__________________________________________ BLUES Title: Your personal triumph over adversity

By _________________________________________ Name

Stanza 1

1. ____________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________

Stanza 2

1. ____________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________

Stanza 3

1. ____________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/05/0501_river4.html

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Class Materials


Pre-Conference Lesson Plan: Day 2

Objective:

The students will explore, analyze and prepare to perform the poems of various African American authors in preparation for their upcoming Triumph Over Adversity video conference.

Materials:

Pencils

Poems (pp. 8-12)

Poetry analysis worksheet (pp. 13-14)

Procedure:

1. Divide students into 4 groups. Assign each group ONE of the poems from pp. 8-12 (each

student should have his or her own copy of the poem).

2. Give each group a copy of the Poetry Analysis Worksheet from pp. 13-14. You may choose to

give one copy per group or individual copies to each student.

3. Instruct each group to complete the Poetry Analysis Worksheet for their assigned poem.

4. Have the students prepare to read their assigned poem during the video conference.

a. They should decide who will read which sections of the poem.

b. They should plan to portray the overall mood of the poem through their delivery.

c. They should analyze the poem for strong and weak beats, and express this when they

perform the poem.

5. Make sure that each group has their poem analysis and anything they need for the reading

during the video conference.

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Class Materials


Poem #1: Sympathy

(Published 1899)

By Paul Laurence Dunbar

I know what the caged bird feels, alas! When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;

When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,

And the river flows like a stream of glass;

When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,

And the faint perfume from its chalice steals —

I know what the caged bird feels!

I know why the caged bird beats his wing

Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;

For he must fly back to his perch and cling

When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;

And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars

And they pulse again with a keener sting —

I know why he beats his wing!

I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,

When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,—

When he beats his bars and he would be free;

It is not a carol of joy or glee,

But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,

But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings —

I know why the caged bird sings!

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Class Materials


Poem #2: I Dream a World

(1926)

By Langston Hughes

I dream a world where man

No other man will scorn

Where love will bless the earth

And peace its paths adorn

I dream a world where all

Will know sweet freedom’s way,

Where greed no longer saps the soul

Nor avarice blights our day.

A world I dream where black or white,

Whatever race you be,

Will share the bounties of the earth

And every man is free,

Where wretchedness will hang its head

And joy, like a pearl,

Attends the needs of all mankind-

Of such I dream, my world!

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Class Materials


Poem #3: Status Symbol

(1964)

By Mari Evans

i

Have Arrived

i

am the

New Negro

i

am the result of

President Lincoln

World War I

and Paris

the

Red Ball Express

white drinking fountains

sitdowns and

sit-ins

Federal Troops

Marches on Washington

And

prayer meetings

today

They hired me

it

is a status

job . . .

along

with my papers

They

gave me my

Status Symbol

the

key

to the

White . . . Locked . . .

John

Note: This poem references ideas presented in a letter that Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote from the Birmingham City jail in 1963. You can read the letter here: http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html

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Poem #4: When Great Trees Fall

( Published 1991)

By Maya Angelou

When great trees fall, rocks on distant hills shudder,

lions hunker down

in tall grasses,

and even elephants

lumber after safety.

When great trees fall

in forests,

small things recoil into silence,

their senses

eroded beyond fear.

When great souls die,

the air around us becomes

light, rare, sterile.

We breathe, briefly.

Our eyes, briefly,

see with

a hurtful clarity.

Our memory, suddenly sharpened,

examines,

gnaws on kind words

unsaid,

promised walks

never taken.

(Continued on next page)

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(Poem #4: When Great Trees Fall by Maya Angelou, Continued)

Great souls die and our reality, bound to

them, takes leave of us.

Our souls,

dependent upon their

nurture,

now shrink, wizened.

Our minds, formed

and informed by their

radiance,

fall away.

We are not so much maddened

as reduced to the unutterable ignorance

of dark, cold

caves.

And when great souls die,

after a period peace blooms,

slowly and always

irregularly. Spaces fill

with a kind of

soothing electric vibration.

Our senses, restored, never

to be the same, whisper to us.

They existed. They existed.

We can be. Be and be

better. For they existed.

Note: Maya Angelou wrote this poem for writer James Arthur Baldwin, who died in 1987. You can read more

about him here: http://www.bookrags.com/biography/james-arthur-baldwin/

http://www.bookrags.com/biography/james-arthur-baldwin/

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Class Materials


Poetry Analysis Worksheet p. 1

Names:____________________________________________________________________________

Poem:_____________________________________________________________________________

Directions: Read the poem silently to yourself. Then read it again aloud with your group (you can

either have one person read the poem, or take turns). Use your poem to answer the following

questions.

1. Are there any unfamiliar words in the poem? List them below and use context clues within the

poem to decipher the meaning. Use a dictionary to verify your answers.

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

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____________________________________________________________________________

2. Who is the speaker in the poem?

____________________________________________________________________________

3. Describe the tone (attitude or mood) of the poem.

____________________________________________________________________________

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4. Describe the poet’s word choice (formal, conversational, specific dialect, etc.)

____________________________________________________________________________

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5. When was the poem written? _______________

6. What issues were African Americans facing at this point in history?

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

7. Can you find any of the following types of figurative language in your poem? Cite specific examples

where applicable.

a. Simile_______________________________________________________________

b. Metaphor____________________________________________________________

c. Personification ________________________________________________________

d. Onomatopoeia________________________________________________________ e. Alliteration____________________________________________________________

f. Hyperbole____________________________________________________________

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Poetry Analysis Worksheet p. 2

8. Does the poem have a specific rhythm, or are there a specific number of syllables per line? What

syllables are stressed and unstressed? Describe below.

____________________________________________________________________________

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9. Does the poem have a regular rhyme scheme? Describe.

____________________________________________________________________________

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10. Describe how the lines of the poem are broken— at the end of a sentence or grammatical pause

(end-stopped) or before a logical or grammatical completion of a thought (enjambment)?

____________________________________________________________________________

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11. What type of sentence structure does the poet use? Is there a pattern? Is it consistent?

____________________________________________________________________________

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12. How does this poem relate to the theme of “Triumph Over Adversity”? Does it focus more on

one than the other? What do you think inspired the poet to write it?

____________________________________________________________________________

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13. Your group will be responsible for reading your poem aloud during

the video conference. Decide who will be reading each section (for a

shorter poem, you may choose to have fewer speakers). Mark any

necessary inflection—stressed words, pauses, etc. Then PRACTICE with

your group!

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Please have copies of the following poems available for students to reference during the video

conference:

Bars Fight (Written 1746)

By Lucy Terry

August 'twas the twenty-fifth,

Seventeen hundred forty-six;

The Indians did in ambush lay,

Some very valiant men to slay,

The names of whom I'll not leave out.

Samuel Allen like a hero fout

And though he was so brave and bold

His face no more shall we behold.

Eleazer Hawks was killed outright

Before he had time to fight

Before he did the Indians see

Was shot and killed immediately.

Oliver Amsden he was slain

Which caused his friends much grief and pain

Samuel Amsden they found dead

Not many rods off from his head.

Adonijah Gillet we do hear

Did lose his life which was so dear.

John Saddler fled across the water

And so escaped the dreadful slaughter.

Eunice Allen see the Indians coming

And hoped to save herself by running

And had not her petticoats stopt her

The awful creatures had not cotched her

And tommyhawked her on the head

And left her on the ground for dead.

Young Samuel Allen, Oh! lack a-day

Was taken and carried to Canada.

On Being Brought from Africa to America (Published 1773)

By Phillis Wheatley

‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,

Taught my benighted soul to understand

That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too:

Once I redemption neither sought nor knew

Some view our sable race with scornful eye,

“Their colour is a diabolic die.”

Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,

May be refin’d and join th’angelic train.

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Class Materials


During the Video Conference

Classroom Set Up:

Students should be seated in their groups from the poetry analysis pre-conference lesson. o Each group needs their completed poetry analysis worksheet and copies of their

assigned poem.

Each student needs a copy of the two poems on p. 15 for reference.

Please assist us by calling on students to ask or answer questions.

Video conference activities will be selected from the following:

Review: “Lift Every Voice and Sing” from pre-conference lesson

Activity: Students give oral interpretations of assigned poemss

Discussion: The background, context and analysis of each poem is discussed.

Performance: Live and/or pre-recorded musical interpretations of each poem

Discussion: How music affects the impact and interpretation of poetic text

Live Performance: CIM Blues Combo performs students’ blues lyrics.

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Class Materials


National Standards for Music Education

4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.

6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.

7. Evaluating music and music performances.

8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Common Core Standards: ELA

Reading Standards for Literature

Key Ideas and Details

Grades 9-10

RL.9-10.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the

text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

RL.9-10.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its

development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and

refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.

Grades 11-12

RL.11-12.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the

text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining

where the text leaves matters uncertain.

RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their

development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one

another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

Craft and Structure

Grades 9-10

RL.9-10.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,

including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific

word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and

place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).

Grades 11-12

RL.11-12.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,

including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is

particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

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RL.11-12.6. Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what

is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or

understatement).

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

Grades 9-10

RL.9-10.7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different

artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g.,

Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus).

Grades 11-12

RL.11-12.7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded

or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version

interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an

American dramatist.)

RL.11-12.9. Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-

century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts

from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Grades 9-10

RL.9-10.10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories,

dramas, and poems, in the grades 9–10 text complexity band proficiently, with

scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Grades 11-12

RL.11-12.10. By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories,

dramas, and poems, in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with

scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

Writing Standards

Text types and purposes

Grades 9-10

W.9-10.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using

effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole.

Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a

vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

Grades 11-12

W.11-12.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using

effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

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Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one

another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and

outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).

Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a

vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced,

observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

Production and Distribution of Writing

Grades 9-10

W.9-10.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,

and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations

for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

W.9-10.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,

rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a

specific purpose and audience.

W.9-10.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update

individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to

other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.

Grades 11-12

W.11-12.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,

and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations

for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)

W.11-12.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a

specific purpose and audience.

W.11-12.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update

individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new

arguments or information.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

Grades 9-10

W.9-10.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,

reflection, and research.

Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how an author

draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how

Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later

author draws on a play by Shakespeare]”).

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Grades 11-12

W.11-12.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,

reflection, and research.

Apply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Demonstrate

knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational

works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same

period treat similar themes or topics”).

Range of Writing

Grades 9-10

W.9-10.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection,

and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of

tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Grades 11-12

W.11-12.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection,

and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of

tasks, purposes

Speaking and Listening Standards

Comprehension and Collaboration

Grades 9-10

SL.9-10.1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-

on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts,

and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study;

explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other

research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange

of ideas.

Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g.,

informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views),

clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.

Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the

current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others

into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.

Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement

and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and

understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning

presented.

Grades 11-12

SL.11-12.1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions

(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics,

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texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and

persuasively.

Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study;

explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other

research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange

of ideas.

Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making,

set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.

Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe

reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic

or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote

divergent and creative perspectives.

Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and

evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and

determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the

investigation or complete the task.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

Grades 9-10

SL.9-10.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and

logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization,

development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

Grades 11-12

SL.11-12.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and

distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or

opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and

style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.

Language Standards

Conventions of Standard English

Grades 9-10

L.9-10.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and

usage when writing or speaking.

Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial,

prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative,

adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or

presentations.

L.9-10.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,

punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Spell correctly.

Grades 11-12

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L.11-12.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,

punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Spell correctly.

Knowledge of Language

Grades 9-10

L.9-10.3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different

contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully

when reading or listening.

Grades 11-12

L.11-12.3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in

different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend

more fully when reading or listening.

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

Grades 9-10

L.9-10.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and

phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of

strategies.

Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s

position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different

meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).

Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries,

thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or

determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.

Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by

checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

L.9-10.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and

nuances in word meanings.

Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze

their role in the text.

Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

L.9-10.6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and

phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career

readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when

considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Grades 11-12

L.11-12.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of

strategies.

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Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s

position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different

meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).

Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries,

thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or

determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its

standard usage.

Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by

checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

L.11-12.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and

nuances in word meanings.

Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their

role in the text.

Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.

L.11-12.6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and

phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career

readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when

considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Ohio Academic Content Standards: Music

Perceiving/Knowing/Creating

HS I - Beginning

3CE Recognize and describe the elements of music.

4CE Listen to and compare various musical styles from the United States, other cultures and

historical periods.

5CE Identify musical forms used in vocal and instrumental genres from various historical

periods.

6CE Identify the social contexts from which music of various cultures evolved.

8CE Explain the role of technology in researching, creating, performing and listening to

music.

HS II- Developing

3CE Listen to, analyze and describe various music works on the basis of their stylistic

qualities and the historical and cultural contexts in which they were created.

4CE Describe the elements of music and their functions.

7CE Identify musical forms used in vocal and instrumental genres from world cultures.

8CE Describe how music reflects the social and political events of history and the role of the musician in history and culture.

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HS III- Intermediate

2CE Using appropriate musical terminology, critique various music styles from the United

States other cultures and historical periods.

5CE Compare and contrast musical forms used in vocal and instrumental genres.

HS IV- Mastery

3CE Analyze various music works from a variety of world cultures, identifying the unique

features of expressive content (e.g. role of dynamics, movement, sounds of language-

pronunciation and tone colors, style, instruments and accompaniment and

ornamentation) and determine how these characteristics contribute to performance

style while minimizing stylistic bias.

7CE Recognize aesthetic characteristics common to all art forms.

Responding/Reflecting

HS I - Beginning

2RE Respond to aesthetic qualities of a performance using music terminology.

3RE Examine how people from different backgrounds and cultures use and respond to music.

4RE Evaluate the use of the elements of music as relative to expression in a varied repertoire

of music.

HS II- Developing

2RE Describe how the use of elements of music affects the aesthetic impact of a music

selection.

3RE Discuss how the purpose, meaning and value of music changes because of the impact of

life experiences.

5RE Describe the use of elements of music as they relate to expression in a varied

repertoire of music.

6RE Incorporate technology when possible in assessing music performances.

HS III- Intermediate

2RE Discuss how people differ in their responses to the aesthetic qualities of performance

including their personal responses.

3RE Assess how elements of music are used in a work to create images or evoke emotions.

4RE Explain how the creative process is used in similar and different ways in the arts.

5RE Evaluate how musical forms are influenced by history.

6RE Compare and contrast a musical work with another work of art (e.g., dance, drama or

visual art) from the same culture on the basis of cultural influences.

7RE Evaluate how musical forms and performance practices are influenced by culture and

history.

HS IV- Mastery

2RE Describe how compositional devices and techniques (e.g., motives, imitation, suspension and retrograde) are used to provide unity, variety, tension and release in a music work.

3RE Discuss how people differ in their response to musical experiences based upon culture,

environment, values and personal experiences.

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Bibliography

Johnson, James Weldon. “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Poets.org. 1997-2012. Academy of American

Poets. 6 January 2012. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15588>

Dunbar, Paul Laurence. “Sympathy.” Poets.org. 1997-2012. Academy of American Poets. 6 January

2012. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16071>

Hughes, Langston. “I Dream a World.” Learning From Lyrics. Chase, Jonathan. 1996-2012. Musicians

United for Songs in the Classroom, Inc. 6 January 2012.

<http://www.learningfromlyrics.org/Langston.html>

Evans, Mari. “Status Symbol.” LoisLeveen.com. Leveen, Lois. 2012. 6 January 2012.

<http://loisleveen.com/digitalportfolio/neeraj_midterm/status_symbol.htm>

Angelou, Maya. “When Great Trees Fall.” The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou. New York:

Random House, 1994. 266-267. Google Book Search. Web. 6 January 2012.

Terry, Lucy. “Bars Fight.” Africans in America. 1998. PBS. 6 January 2012.

<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2h1592t.html>

Wheatly, Phillis. “On Being Brought from Africa to America.” Ann Woodlief’s Web Study Texts.

Woodlief, Ann. 1996-2010. Virginia Commonwealth University. 6 January 2012.

<http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Wheatley/brought.html >

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15588

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16071

http://www.learningfromlyrics.org/Langston.html

http://loisleveen.com/digitalportfolio/neeraj_midterm/status_symbol.htm

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2h1592t.html

http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Wheatley/brought.html

triumph over adversity: a musical journey through african american

Documents