Lesson Plan I
The purpose of this lesson is to distinguish verse from prose and poetry from narrative.
When the students arrive into class I will have them look at the following narrative excerpt and song that will be projected on the screen. I will ask them to focus on the screen while they listen to an audio CD of a person reading "The Underground Rail Road "excerpt of the narrative "The Train to Freedom." Then the students will listen to the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd." Both related to the American Civil War. After hearing the audio CD, onto a page of their notebooks, the students will draw two pages like the ones on the board writing on one Narrative and on the other Verse. They will identify three characteristics for each of the styles. This will help the students reinforce their knowledge of the forms in which we travel through the scholar year.
After they have finished we will discuss the two forms and determine when one form is used and when another is preferable. We will dissect the readings further by pointing out the use of codes as "passengers" instead of saying "slaves," "stations" or "depots" instead of churches, homes, businesses slaves used to hide; "Conductors" instead of courageous people who went with slaves on their journeys like Levi Coffin, or Harriet Tubman. After the students learn of the codes and their purpose, I will have them read both forms again, and follow it with further discussion: What are the codes of the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd."
If the discussion is successful, we can compare the verses with hip-hop or rap. This will be the basis for the evaluation in which the students will write a paragraph about the codes used by slaves during the Civil War and similarity to codes used today by people who comes from other countries. Also, create a poem or song dedicated to a character in the reading.
The activity will be divide in two routine periods, or take 45 minutes.
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