North American Social Studies Music & Poetry
Classroom Background
First grade class with 17 students, half of which are boys. Four students are hispanic, thirteen are caucasian. Four students are ELL, one student is ADHD and medicated, one student has mild autism. Two of the girls in the class are above average (gifted).Key Idea - Learning about California Native Americans and their values: family, respect for the environment and all living things, ceremonies/music, and folklore/storytelling.
Lesson Goal
- Through the listening of Native American music, the students will write a poem and create a watercolor painting based on the sounds and feelings conjured by the music.
Expected Student Prior Knowledge - Students know what nature sounds are (animals, wind, water, leaves moving, etc.). Students know about poetry.
Prerequisite Skills and Concepts Needed
Listening skills, ability to write a poem, based on things they hear and things they feel (emotions), ability to paint with watercolors.Social Studies Standards to be Addressed
1.5.2 Understand the ways in which American Indians and immigrants have helped define Californian and American culture.1.5.3 Compare the beliefs, customs, ceremonies, traditions, and social practices of the varied cultures, drawing from folklore.
Special Needs Accommodations
I will give extra assistance to the child with ADHD and the child with autism during the writing and painting activity. I will allow the more advanced students to look at or read a Native American book on the rug, if they have finished the assignment early. They may also choose to work on Native American themed coloring page.Ex ploratory Introduction Phase (Into) Have you ever gone on a walk in nature and just listened? What did you hear?
Did you hear birds? Heard leaves rustling in the trees? The sound of twigs or dried leaves crunching under your step? Heard a lizard scurry away from you when you walked too close? Discuss and list sounds of nature. Read Seven Brothers.
Lesson Development Phase
(Through) Have kids listen to Native American music – "Sounds of Nature" song.While listening to the music, have kids write down what they hear in the song (I'll also keep a list).
Based on what the students heard, they will write a poem from the list of words they write down.
Imagery
How the music made them feel
What about the drum beat?
Model for the students what I want the poem to contain. Show them an example of a poem I created. Do the same for the painting portion of the lesson.
After poem written, illustrate with watercolors.
Share poems and artwork with each other (if time allows).
Expansion Phase
Encourage the students to take a nature walk with a family member and to really LISTEN to the sounds of nature. Are the sounds they hear like what they listened to on the CD, or are they different? Ask students to walk with a journal and write down the sounds they hear. We will share our nature walk discoveries in class later in the week.Summative Evaluation
By writing poetry, children have demonstrated that they are active listeners (during the playing of the CD). Also, the children will have demonstrated that they can write a poem using descriptive words from nature. The students also will have demonstrated that they can translate their words and emotions into a watercolor painting.Additional Standards to be Addressed
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...Use descriptive words when writing |
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...Listen attentively. |
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Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Visual Arts: Students apply artistic processes and skills, using a variety of media to communicate meaning and intent in original works of art. |
