Lesson Listings: Blues Songs
Overview | Part One + Two | Demonstration Example | Reflection Write | Students' Publication

Knowledge
  • Research
  • Analyzing music for theme
  • Drafting poetry
  • Discussing Blues history and workshopping poetry
 Process Skills
  1. Creating contrast and ironic twist in poetry.
  2. Evaluating images as symbols in poetry
  3. Analyzing own poetry for theme">

    Lesson Listings: Blues Songs
    Overview | Part One + Two | Demonstration Example | Reflection Write | Students' Publication

    Knowledge
    • Research
    • Analyzing music for theme
    • Drafting poetry
    • Discussing Blues history and workshopping poetry
    		 Process Skills
    1. Creating contrast and ironic twist in poetry.
    2. Evaluating images as symbols in poetry
    3. Analyzing own poetry for theme, irony, and symbolism in terms of how an audience can feel identification.
    Research
    • Finding and sharing new information from Blues Songs websites
    • Analyzing music for theme, contrast, and ironic twist
    		 Products
    1. Mini-report on Blues research
    2. Original Blues Song
    3. PowerPoint Blues presentation of self-created song
    4. Reflective essay about the Blues song

    Purpose
    This activity reinforces critical thinking skills of synthesis, analysis, and evaluation while studying elements of theme, contrast, and ironic twist.  Interaction is encouraged through periods of small group discussion and workshopping their songs.   The setting is student-centered, encouraging self-exploration into blues topics of personal interest and creating original songs and presentations.

    Notes about doing this activity
    Part one and two of the project can be done separately or together.  Part one takes an hour to an hour and a half to complete, depending on if all steps are followed.  Part Two requires two to six hours to accomplish depending on if the PowerPoint files are incorporated.  Lastly, the Reflection Write can be done in class or as homework.  I have my students outline and write the first draft in class, then revise for homework.  In Michigan, the reflection is excellent practice for the HSPT in terms of writing a cognitave piece through outlining, drafting, and revising.   Students felt pushed with creating the songs and learned much from the experience.   They particularly enjoyed the visual interpretations created using PowerPoint.