Title:    The Arts and the Underground Railroad

Description 

Students from two schools will share what they have learned about how art, music, drama, and poetry  are expressed in the history of the Underground Railroad

Project time frame

Four weeks (4 class periods) for visual and performance art research and preparations

 Two weeks (2 class periods) to finalize presentation and questions

How to sign up

• If interested e-mail me at jvandyke@yahoo.com or jvandyke@BCISD.mi.us .  This activity would be best during early spring, February or March

Ip or ISDN

• IP

Learner outcomes

• The learners will accomplish the following:

An understanding of how the visual and performing arts were used in the       Underground Railroad

• Knowledge of involvement and impact of the Underground Railroad in the local community

• Practice oral presentation skills

• Work in collaboration with others to create a presentation of artwork and a small group performance

• Evaluate their group’s performance/presentation for effective communication

Standards and benchmarks:

Achievement Standard:

• Students describe distinguishing characteristics of representative music genres and styles from a variety of cultures

• Students classify by genre and style (and, if applicable, by historical period, composer, and title) a varied body of exemplary (that is, high-quality and characteristic) musical works and explain the characteristics that cause each work to be considered exemplary

• Students compare, in several cultures of the world, functions music serves, roles of musicians (e.g., lead guitarist in a rock band, composer of jingles for commercials, singer in Peking opera), and conditions under which music is typically performed

    Students synthesize the creative and analytical principles and techniques of the visual arts and selected other arts disciplines, the humanities, or the sciences

Achievement Standard:

• Students develop criteria for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of music performances and compositions and apply the criteria in their personal listening and performing

• Students evaluate the quality and effectiveness of their own and others' performances, compositions, arrangements, and improvisations by applying specific criteria appropriate for the style of the music and offer constructive suggestions for improvement

Materials

• Access to Underground Railroad research materials, music, Follow the Drinking Gourd, etc.

•  Prepared questions for the other class.  Examples:  What local landmarks were related to the Underground Railroad?  What methods did you use to create art examples?

• Poster size quilt patterns with secret Underground Railroad messages will be prepared in a variety of media.

• Some costuming, modest type background and folk rhythm instruments can be used in the performance

•  

Time

• Six class periods (4 art/music 2 presentation preparation

• 50 min for video conference

Responsibilities

     Before the program

·        Before the 6 week period teachers will decide which classes will be responsible for research, preparation and presentation of  different elements of the theme: examples.:

     Poetry: Choral reading of Langston Hughes’, Hold Fast toYour Dreams

     Art: Constellations, quilt patterns

     Music: Follow the Drinking Gourd

     Skit: Portion of Dreams by J. Van Dyke

    During the program

·        Introductions: teachers Program: students Questions and Closing: Student facilitator

    After the program

·        Informal group evaluation of the video conference experience: From our presentation: What was successful?   What could have been better? What did we learn?  From their presentation:  What did we learn?  Which parts came over well in this video conference format?  What could we change or add next time?

Agenda

·        5 minutes: introductions

·        Group A present/perform then introduce members of their presentation team.  Group B observes and writes down any new questions.

·        Group B present/perform then introduce members of their presentation team.   Group A observes and writes down any new questions.

·        Groups take turns with Q&A’s

·        Closing: Group A

Credit

• This project was written by John Van Dyke for the class Planning Interactive Curriculum Connections.