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05/28/2015

Follow The Drinking Gourd – Lesson Plan – Marc Frucht

Filed under: Academic,Music and Stuff — admin @ 6:50 am

Follow The Drinking Gourd – An Integrated Inquiry Based Social Studies Lesson by Marc Frucht

Content Standards:
INQ 3–5.4 Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration the different opinions people have about how to answer the questions.
INQ 3–5.5 Gather relevant information from multiple sources while using the origin, structure, and context to guide the selection.
INQ 3–5.7 Identify evidence that draws information from multiple sources in response to compelling questions.
CT Core Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.5.1, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.5.7, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1

Also covers the concept of Place-Based Media Arts as developed by Rachel Tso at STAR school, Flagstaff, AZ.
http://www.starschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/PBMASTARbrochure8_14RFS.pdf

Learner Background:

Students have been comparing and contrasting primary and secondary sources. Earlier this year they went on a field trip to a museum where the director taught them a bit about Oral Tradition’s role in Colonial America. Next week they will visit New London, CT’s Joshua Hempstead House where some slaves rested a while along their way toward Niagara where many found freedom.

Student Learning Objective(s):

Students will show understanding of the Underground Railroad through the secondary source of Folk Hero Peg Leg Joe’s song, “Follow the Drinking Gourd,” and a primary source such as Lee Hays’ letter to Pete Seeger with the lyrics to the song. Students will evaluate the folksong to determine whether it is a primary or secondary source; additionally whether it is history or oral tradition. Each student will show proficiency and participation in a team completed research paper to better than 85% achievement.

Assessment:

Students will use the “chalktalk” method to brainstorm and create their own writing prompt. Some will do alternative related research and present a short TEDx styled talk to the class which can be used by each small group as an additional source for their one-page paper they will complete and sign off on.

Materials/Resources:

1. Birdhouse Gourd or Dipper Gourd
2. “Follow The Drinking Gourd” song.
3. Facsimile of original document, Letter from Lee Hays to Pete Seeger with song lyrics.
4. Underground Railroad episode of LeVar Burton’s “Reading Rainbow.”

Teacher Resources:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x18yfp0_follow-the-drinking-gourd_lifestyle
http://www.followthedrinkinggourd.org/images/Hays.SeegerMemo.jpg
http://www.reverbnation.com/marcofrucht/song/14108905-follow-the-drinking-gourd
http://followthedrinkinggourd.org

Learning Activities:

Standard classroom for most of the lesson, differentiating for one student who is twice exceptional and two slower learners then we will move to small groups and presentations.

Initiation:

Paper and pencils will be set out before students arrive They know they’ll have a writing prompt of some kind whenever they see that. They always set it to the side and keep it there knowing they’ll be told when to write. Students and teacher will share many methods to find North such as looking at the Sun, observing moss on trees and rocks, seeing shadows on the ground, as well as using compasses and modern day GPS. Students will compare a birdhouse gourd to a picture of the Big Dipper and discuss how the Big Dipper and Little Dipper got their nicknames.

Lesson Development:

Discussion: Finding Your Way Out If You’re Lost in the Woods.
Snippets of LeVar Burton’s “Reading Rainbow.” Pass around a dipper gourd while they watch.
Based on the song “Follow the Drinking Gourd”, this show explores an infamous chapter in America’s history centered around the song “Follow The Drinking Gourd.” Burton introduces the heroes, stories and music of the African-American culture which emerged from slavery.

Closure:

I will sing verse and two choruses of a parody of Tom Paxton’s “What Did You Learn in School Today,” with some takeaways from the day’s lessons; then before they’re even fully engaged I’ll put the guitar down and ask them to help me dream up an additional verse while I’m note-taker at the whiteboard.

Individuals Needing Differentiated Instruction:

Which students do you anticipate may struggle with the content/learning objectives of this lesson?
Student name Evidence that the student needs differentiated instruction How will you differentiate instruction in this lesson to support student learning?
Brendan
(Names Fictitious)
He does great work when not stressed out. Shuts down quickly with most written assignments. Brendan, Tyla and Dylan will form a cohort researching oral history, so will not be pressured to write any “finished copy” today.

Small group will search online for rumors and legends of Harriet Tubman having stopped in New London, CT staying with escaped slaves at the Joshua Hempstead house on their way to Niagara Falls while others are finishing writing prompt. They’ll relate their work orally to teacher having taken turns as a group.

After research is cleared, these students may either present to the whole class or join other small groups and share what they’ve learned from memory in case others want to use some of “their oral tradition” in their written work. They may add their name to the other groups’ work.

Tyla She loses focus often. I believe her biggest difficulties come when she finds a lesson boring. Same.
Which students will need opportunities for enrichment/higher level of challenge?
Student name Evidence that the student needs differentiated instruction How will you differentiate instruction in this lesson to support student learning?
Dylan G/T and LD.
Often refuses to write.
Same.

Reflection:

My students met 100% proficiency if I assess the three differentiated students’ work the same as those who did actual writing. If I’m not allowed to do that they still met the 85% mark because 24 of the 27 were able to show an ability to complete this as the primary composers of the written work. I will attempt to make a strong case for the helpful research shared orally being just as important as the written work, as per the prior field trip where the museum’s director showed how important Oral History was to Colonial America’s history, especially regarding longstanding Native American traditions.

All students met the spirit and letter of Inquiries 4, 5 and 7 from the 3-5 content standards as stated in today’s Lesson Plan.

Additionally each of these students can now share many different methods to finding their way out of the woods both day and night without modern technology such as a compass or GPS on their phones. So some life skills as well cross disciplinary skills have been acquired, gaining much self-efficacy. For example learning about moss on rocks can be everything from Geology to Health, not just Social Studies or American History. The work with primary and secondary sources will help them their whole lives whether they’re writing a scientific research paper or a memo to a coworker.

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