Cal Poly Pomona



1. Title: I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS

|Grade level |Class size |Time/Duration |

|6-12, but can be modified for any grade |Any, as long as groups of four can be |Six 60-minute periods (modifications|

| |created |must be made depending on audience) |

2.

3. Subject: English, Social Studies, Music, Religious Studies

4. Goals:

• To have students understand the emotional and spiritual oppression of slavery in the African-American experience.

• To expose students to various texts by African-Americans and find common themes relating to bondage, freedom and the urge to express.

• To introduce students to the concepts of nonviolence, resistance, and compassion in relation to African-American slavery.

• To make students call upon their own creative and expressive talents to create a group experience similar to the singing of African-American spirituals.

Outcomes:

• Students will cross racial and cultural lines to engage an emotional and spiritual experience that is an important part of American history.

• Students will develop compassion and reverence for life upon engaging the various dimensions of the slavery experience in African-American history.

• Students will understand how creative expression such as song, poetry or writing is a form of nonviolent resistance, and how African-Americans modeled nonviolence and compassion in the wake of slavery.

5. Objectives:

• Students will be able to analyze texts for deeper meaning related to freedom and oppression- namely, the writings of Frederick Douglass, “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, the films Unchained Memories and Beloved, spirituals by various African-Americans, web resources from , and various images.

• Students will write extensively about slavery, oppression, compassion and nonviolence.

• Students will perform African-American spirituals after extensive collaboration with classmates.

• Students will write reflectively about their learning.

6. Standards from the English 11-12 Language Arts Framework:

Reading 2.4 Make warranted and reasonable assertions about the author’s arguments by using elements of the text to defend and clarify interpretations.

Reading 2.5 Analyze an author’s implicit and philosophical assumptions and beliefs about a subject.

Reading 3.2 Analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a view or comment on life, using textual evidence to support the claim.

Reading 3.3 Analyze the ways in which irony, tone, mood, the author’s style, and the “sound” of language achieve specific rhetorical or aesthetic purposes, or both.

Reading 3.4 Analyze ways in which poets use imagery, personification, figures of speech, and sounds to evoke readers’ emotions.

Speaking 2.5 Recite poems, selections from speeches… with attention to performance details to achieve clarity, force, and aesthetic effect; to demonstrate understanding of the meaning.

Writing Applications 2.3 Write reflective compositions.

6. Summary of lesson:

Slavery, as a topic in public education, is rarely studied in-depth, in spite of its enormous impact on American history, society and culture. The topic is multi-dimensional, with connections to human rights, civil rights, spirituality, ethics, economics, literature, art and music. Most students in American public schools rarely engage slavery beyond a cursory review of the legal and political aspects of slavery, with little attention paid to its role in African- American consciousness in the generations since it was abolished.

This mini-unit is intended to explore slavery through a variety of media and texts, and to allow students to probe the emotional and spiritual implications of that institution. The privilege most students enjoy is turned on its head as students come to see the horrible cruelty African-Americans endured and the numerous ways they “fought back” through nonviolent resistance, in the form of song, dance, and writing. In doing so they develop a reverence for life, and for freedom, which many take for granted.

The various activities here can and ought to be modified depending on the teachers’s audience: some may want to show more of the films; others may extend the one week unit into a six week exploration of the topic. The goal is to engage students through many media forms that all send the same message: the caged bird sings for freedom.

7. Questions to consider: Questions are embedded throughout this unit to guide students through their exploration of this dense and emotional topic.

8. Materials needed:

a. Print-outs of lyrics and background information from , “Follow the Drinking Gourd Teaching Guide”

b. Texts: “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings”- poem by Maya Angelou; Letter from Frederick Douglass to his former master (see references for web citations).

c. Films: Beloved, Unchained Memories

d. Image: from

9. Interdisciplinary approach:

History: the history of African-Americans in the U.S.

Sociology/ Psychology/ Ethics: the psychological impact of slavery; the sociological components that comprise the enterprise of slavery; the ethical/ legal ideas about slavery during the 19th century.

Science: focusing on the spiritual “Follow on the Drinking Gourd,” show how slaves developed their own sense of astronomy for the purposes of escape.

Music: Analyze the various forms of spirituals, focusing on specific elements like call and response, syncopation, and the connection to hymns/ religious music.

10. Assessments:

a. Performance Rubric for Spiritual

b. Reflective Essay on slavery

11. Instructional Agenda. The agenda for each of five lessons are described below.

DAY 1- Students should already be in groups of 4 and remain in this formation for the whole week.

Opening Activity (5 minutes): Students freewrite on the question: “What do you know about slavery? What have you learned about this topic in school?”

Discussion (5 minutes). Students discuss with each other what they have written.

Quaker Reading (10 minutes). Explain to students that Quakers, during their spiritual meetings, would sit in silence and speak whenever they felt the urge. In this activity, students will first generate a list of words, phrases or ideas they associate with slavery. That can take 2-3 minutes. Then tell students that once you start, anyone can speak at any time, reciting the words or ideas they listed. Students can speak more than once, repeat what others have said, and the activity will come to a close within 5-7 minutes. This will allow students to get out their initial ideas and generate a communal experience of sharing deep and emotional ideas.

Poem (10 minutes). Distribute copies of the poem “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou. Read the poem once out loud, and then have students read it again out loud, either in their groups, or once more for the whole class. Students should underline or circle main ideas or powerful lines as they read. Have students discuss as a whole class:

1. What is the overall theme of the poem?

2. How does this poem relate to slavery?

Historical Connection (20 minutes). Distribute copies of Frederick Douglass’ letter to his former master. It is a long text, so you can choose to have students read excerpts, jigsaw within their group, or read it as a whole class. As you read you want to focus on the following questions: Explain that Douglass was a former slave who ran away, became an educated free man, published his autobiography and worked his whole life to abolish slavery.

1. Describe the tone of Douglass’ letter. Are you surprised by his tone, or the language he uses?

2. Explain why Douglass is writing the letter. What are his goals, or purposes, in writing his master?

3. Summarize the arguments Douglass makes as to why he deserved to be free and why his former master should give up the practice of owning slaves.

4. Explain how, by writing this letter, and welcoming his former master to his own home, Douglass is practicing not only compassion, but also non-violence, in making a very important point about how human beings ought to treat one another.

Closing (5 minutes). For homework, explain that students should read the short analysis of slave spirituals at the website . If there is a concern about students’ ability to access the Internet, the teacher may go to the site and print out the main page that explains the history of the spirituals and distribute to the class. Have students copy down the following questions to answer for homework:

1. What is the connection between African culture and Negro spirituals?

2. How is religious language and imagery used in the songs to symbolize slavery?

3. What is the emotional tone of the spirituals? What makes them so powerful?

4. Describe how the songs have been used in the last 150 years as times have changed for African-Americans.

DAY 2

Opening Activity (10 minutes). Students discuss their homework questions in their group, or the teacher can lead a whole group discussion.

Media Clips (15 minutes). Have students view the following clips from the film Beloved:

1. When Baby Suggs is preaching in the forest and tells the children to laugh, the women to weep, and the men to dance.

2. When Baby Suggs tells the congregation to love their hands.

Discussion (10 minutes). Students should discuss the following questions:

1. Why would freed slaves need to be given permission to laugh, cry, or dance?

2. Why would Baby Suggs tell the congregation to love their own hands?

3. What is significant about how the slaves sing and dance?

4. How is song and dance connected to freedom in these clips?

Negro Spirituals (10 minutes). Distribute the page on “Follow the Drinking Gourd” from the website referenced at the end of this lesson. Walk students through the explanation of the song’s lyrics- how the song was really a subversive message telling slaves how to escape to free country.

Group Analysis (5 minutes). Distribute or post the lyrics for “This Little Light of Mine.” Have students sing the song as a class. Then ask the students to speculate how the song could have a different meaning for a slave. How would the meaning change?

Group Performances (5 minutes). Distribute or post the rubric for group performances of a Negro spiritual. Explain that students will have 2 days to prepare a performance for the whole class, and that they are welcome to bring in instruments, props, or any other objects that will contribute to their group’s performance. For homework, direct students once more to the website, and have them read the materials under the tab entitled SONGS. Students should summarize:

1. How songs have changed over the years

2. The different ways songs were arranged (e.g. call and response)

3. The religious meaning of the songs

DAY 3

Opening Activity (7 minutes). Have students write on the questions below. Students may pick one to start with or the teacher may number students off based on what will be most effective for the group.

1. Should slaves have resorted to violence to break free from slavery ?

2. How can music be used to resist oppression in a non-violent way?

3. What does it mean to be non-violent? Was Douglass non-violent in his letter to his former master?

4. Were slavemasters “evil”? Is it possible to have compassion for them? Why or why not?

Discussion (10-15 minutes). The whole class discusses the questions above and then moves on to discussing the homework from the night before. Great effort should be made to bring out what it means to resist using non-violent methods and how music/ expression is a method of resistance.

Visual Connection (20 minutes). Have students view the image of master whipping a slave (reference at end of lesson). Students should number off in their groups in this way : 1- Slave; 2- Master; 3- Fellow Slave(s); 4- Other White Man. As students view, they should consider the following questions:

1. What kinds of violence do you see here?

2. If you are the person or persons in this image, what is going through your mind as this violence takes place?

3. What is the spiritual or emotional impact of this event on your life if you are the slave, or master, etc?

Give students about 5-7 minutes to view and write. Then have students discuss in groups, comparing the various perspectives of the people in the image. A graphic organizer such as a table or chart would be helpful here, and can be used a large chart for a whole group discussion to collect the groups’ ideas.

|Person/ Persons |Internal Thoughts |Lasting Impact |

|Slave | | |

|Slave Master | | |

|Other Slaves | | |

|Other White Man | | |

Group Practice (remainder of period). Distribute to each group the lyrics of a different negro spiritual. Have them read it over and begin practicing in class. The teacher circulates to each group, helping them find a melody for the song. Although it would be best for the teacher to familiarize him or herself with the melodies of the songs (most can be listened to by accessing clips from websites like , where one can preview songs on CDs for purchase), students may select a new melody to make the performance their own.

Homework. Students should analyze their own songs and write a brief summary explaining how the song has some important message for the slaves who sang it.

DAY 4.

Opeing Activity. (10 minutes). Have students write about the quote: “All men are brothers. If you harm me, you harm yourself.” After students have had the chance to write on and discuss whether or not they agree with the message, reveal that Dr. Martin Luther King said it. How does this change students’ responses?

Media Connection (15 minutes). Play clips from the film Unchained Memories that show slaves singing spirituals or discussing the importance of them in slaves’ lives. Explain to students that the documentary was created using the actual slave narratives that journalists collected in the 1930s in an attempt to document the firsthand experience of slaves. If the teacher can extend the activity, this film would be very beneficial to show in its entirety (length: approximately 90 minutes).

Group Practice (30 minutes). Encourage students to take what they saw in the film clips to enhance their group’s performance. As the teacher circulates, s/he should help students brainstorm props, objects or instruments they can bring in for the performance. Also, ask students what messages can be found in the lyrics of their spirituals (per the homework assignment).

Closing. Students should write up what they believe is the underlying message of their assigned spiritual.

DAY 5

Media Connection. (10 minutes). Play the clip from Beloved where Sethe gives birth to her child on the Ohio border with the help of a white woman.

Vocabulary (15 minutes). On the board, write the words: NONVIOLENCE, COMPASSION, FORGIVENESS. Have students define these words and explain how they relate to slavery and its lasting impact on all people involved. Ask students to make specific connections to the letter by Douglass to his master, the clips from Beloved (especially the one they just watched), Angelou’s poem, Dr. King’s quote and the spirituals they have been studying.

Group Practice (25 minutes). Remind students to look at the rubric that will be used as students perform, and explain that the teacher will ask students to explain the song’s meaning after their performances.

DAY 6

Practice (10 minutes). Students will need time to practice their spirituals before performing.

Performances (30 minutes). Given the short length of the songs, this should be sufficient time to have students perform, be quizzed on meaning before the class, and be scored on the rubric.

Reflection. Guide students to reflect on what they learned/ experienced over the last week. This should be a whole-group discussion, capitalizing on the communal feeling generated by the performances. Give the prompt below as a writing assignment. The length of the composition, as well as the time allotted to write, should be decided at the teacher’s discretion.

WHY DOES THE CAGED BIRD SING?

In the last week you have learned about the experiences of African-American slaves. Using your notes and memories from each day’s lesson, write a reflective essay in which you: 1) summarize your prior/initial thoughts on slavery; 2) describe specific moments throughout the week that impacted you in some way, explaining how you grew through the process; 3) explain what you learned about nonviolent resistance. Your essay should specifically address not only why spirituals were an effective form of spiritual resistance for slaves, but continue to have political meaning for African- Americans after slavery was abolished.

Extension Activities

Choice Activity. Have students think about a time they were either victims of some violence, bystanders to violence, or tried to resist violence in a nonviolent way. Students can create a visual interpretation of the experience, write a poem or song about it, write it as a short scene to be performed, etc. The teacher can opt to have students submit these or share with the class.

Found Poems. Have students review their writing throughout this unit and create a “found poem” where they take bits and pieces of their own writing to construct a poem (or some other form of performance). The teacher may want to create a found poem from the students’ final essays.

References of all sources

Films

Beloved. Dir. Jonathan Demme. Perf. Oprah Winfrey, Thandie Newton, Kimberly Elise, Danny Glover. Touchstone Pictures, 1998.

Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives. Dir. Edward Bell. Perf. Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Oprah Winfrey. HBO Productions, 2003.

Internet Sources

Angelou, Maya. “I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings.” Mr. Africa Poetry Lounge. 2005. 01 March 2006.

Holt, Geoff. “Follow the Drinking Gourd Teacher’s Guide.” New Jersey State Museum Planetarium. Last updated September 7, 2004. 10 March 2006.

Spiritual Workshop. “Official Site of Negro Spirituals.” 1999. 01 March 2006.

NEGRO SPIRITUALS

RUBRIC

Teacher: As students perform, circle/ highlight elements of each section. Consider this a 4 point scale with Soaring Songbirds as 4 and Still In Captivity as a 1.

Soaring Songbirds!!! (

▪ Memorization of song

▪ Everyone participates in singing

▪ Use of percussion and/or other instruments

▪ Clearly models a feature common in Negro spirituals. For example: a shout ring, call and response, harmony, moan and groan.

▪ Uses full body to express self

▪ Group’s practice clearly evidenced

Emerging from Cage!!

▪ Memorization of song, with only a few lapses.

▪ Most people actively singing

▪ Use of some percussion or instruments but could be better integrated

▪ Loosely attempts to model a feature commonly used in Negro spirituals

▪ Use only part of the body to express self

▪ Could benefit from more practice

Trying to free yourself!

▪ Needs visual clues for words of songs

▪ Limited participation by some group members

▪ Limited use of percussion/or instruments

▪ No attempt to use features of negro spirituals

▪ Not everyone uses body to express self

▪ Needs more practice

Still in captivity and no escape in sight! (

▪ Sing only

▪ No instruments or percussion

▪ No evidence of practice

▪ Not a group effort

▪ Too short (Under 1 min)

-----------------------

Ahimsa Summer Institute 2005 lesson plan

By Christian Bracho

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download