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Resilience in the Great Depression
Arts Integrated Lesson Plans and Materials for Teaching the Great Depression & Wit & Wisdom Grade 6 “Resilience in the Great Depression”
Life in Black and White
Pairs with Wit & Wisdom Lesson 17
Students will build their visual literacy and gain understanding of how photography can be used as a powerful storytelling medium. They will examine black and white photography from the Great Depression as well as the 1940’s images of Gordon Parks and Baltimore photographer Devin Allen.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
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L.4.3 – Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
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RI.6.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
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RL.6.9 – Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
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W.6.4 – Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
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W.6.2 – Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
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W.6.9 – Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
NATIONAL ARTS STANDARDS
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VA:Cr2.1.6a – Demonstrate openness in trying new ideas, materials, methods, and approaches in making works of art and design.
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VA:Cn11.1.6a – Analyze how art reflects changing times, traditions, resources, and cultural uses.
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VA:Re.7.2.6a – Analyze ways that visual components and cultural associations suggested by images influence ideas, emotions, and actions.
WHY THE ARTS
- This affords students an opportunity to make the content more relevant to themselves and their communities. It’s a way to make the lesson come alive in new, engaging, and relatable ways, thus making it more likely for students to retain the information.
ASSESSMENT
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Formative:
- Teachers check for understanding of descriptive words by reviewing student lists.
- The teacher listens to student responses to the probing questions to check for understanding of the use of photography in storytelling.
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Summative:
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Students will use this evidence and background knowledge to complete Focusing Question Tasks 2 and 4, and the End of Module Task.
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LESSON CONNECTIONS
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Lesson 6: Students look closely at the image Kentucky Flood by Margaret Bourke-White to build background knowledge of hardships of the people during the Great Depression.
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Lesson 17: Students look closely at the image Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange to build background knowledge of how the people sustained their spirits during the great depression.
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Alternate/Additional Images: To increase understanding of how difficult life was during the Great Depression, the images in the slides are to be used with the 10 in 1 routine and probing questions.
CONNECTION TO MODULE GOALS/EOM TASK
- By the time students are asked to complete the EOM, they’ll have had ample practice in writing, they’ll have read a couple of poems by poets of the time, and they’ll have analyzed photos taken from the GD, giving them an opportunity to bring more visual context to the book they’re reading. They will also have their own poetry that they’ve written which will give them more examples of writing to draw from. The collection of their works will help inform their EOM task.
WIT & WISDOM INSTRUCTIONAL ROUTINES
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10in1: Students look closely at the Kentucky Flood. The teacher will show 10 descriptive words of the photo. Students will add more descriptive words as an example. Students will provide descriptive words about the following photos.
MATERIALS
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Vocabulary Journal
TEACHER BACKGROUND
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When we talk about storytelling, it’s important to remember that different people have different perspectives. To help create a positive emotional climate, it’s helpful to let students know upfront that all answers have validity and that all thoughts are welcomed. This is meant to be like a jazz song – it’s a conversation and everyone gets to riff!
INTRODUCTION
Slide #2
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- Show the Kentucky Flood image with the example of 10 descriptive words.
DESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE PRACTICE
There are 2 slides for each photograph. Students will practice descriptive language on the 1st slide.
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One at a time show the rest of the photos to students – give them a reasonable amount of time – 1 or 2 minutes – to come up with 5 of their own descriptive words per photo. The idea is to write quickly and spontaneously, trusting their thoughts.
- Once the photos have been shown and the students have their list of words for each one, have them share their lists of words with a classmate (turn & talk).
- Students can then write these words in their vocabulary journal to reference when they work on the EOM task.
- Once the photos have been shown and the students have their list of words for each one, have them share their lists of words with a classmate (turn & talk).
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PROBING QUESTIONS
There are 2 slides for each photograph. Students will engage with probing questions on the 2nd slide.
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Next, share the probing questions that have been added to each slide. Present these to your students for either a classroom discussion or a small group conversation.
- Once everyone has had a chance to explore the photos:
- Continue this routine for each of the images
- OPTIONAL: There are additional questions should you want to go deeper in discussion with your students.
- Once everyone has had a chance to explore the photos:
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CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING
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You can check for understanding all along the way by having students share these words as a group, share with a partner, or write in their journal.
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BRAIN TARGETED TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM
The Emotional Climate:
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Model appropriate peer feedback (e.g., “I noticed…” or “I wonder if…”).
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Use sentence frames for glow/grow comments to promote constructive dialogue.
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The Physical Space:
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Arrange desks for smooth Gallery Walk movement.
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Ensure maps are clearly visible on walls, or provide digital access for zoom-in functionality.
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Pre-teach expected movement behaviors and discussion norms.
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ROOT BRANCH MEDIA GROUP – BRING ROOT BRANCH TO YOUR SCHOOL!
All video content made in partnership with Baltimore’s Root Branch Media Group.
DAN + CLAUDIA ZANES – BRING THE ZANES TO YOUR SCHOOL!
Haitian-American jazz vocalist and music therapist Claudia Zanes and Grammy Award winning all-ages entertainer Dan Zanes have been making music together since the day they met in 2016. During their time together the two have toured extensively; written and performed Night Train 57: A Sensory Friendly Comic Folk Opera for the Kennedy Center; created House Party: A Family Roots Music Treasury songbook for Quarto Publishing Group; and released their first record as a duo, Let Love Be Your Guide, for Smithsonian Folkways. Their follow-up Folkways album, Pieces of Home, was released in August, 2024. Vocals! Guitar! Flute! Percussion! Trombone! Harmonica! Jaw Harp! Dan and Claudia bring their social electric folk music with them wherever they go. People attend the highly interactive concerts knowing they’ll be singing along and dancing to a sound that lies at the center of Haitian folk, early rock and roll, sea shanties, Black gospel and blues. Learn more at https://danandclaudia.com/.
ARNELYN VIERNES
All in the Family Band
Pairs with Wit & Wisdom Lesson 14
In this exercise, students will build vocabulary for their figurative language bank through analyzing Chapter 17 of Bud, Not Buddy and jazz music. Students will listen to clips of each of the instruments described in the chapter and provide their own descriptive words for each instrument. As an extension, students become a “member of the band” and perform alongside a jazz song.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
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Lesson 14 Learning Goal: Describe how people and events have impacted Bud so far in the text (RL.6.1, RL.6.3, W.6.10, SL.6.1.a, SL.6.1.b,L.6.6)
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Lesson 14 Learning Goal: Identify and interpret examples of figurative language (RL.6.4, L.6.5.a).
NATIONAL ARTS STANDARDS
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MU:Re7.1.6 – Select or choose music to listen to and explain the connections to specific interests or experiences for a specific purpose
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MU:Pr4.2.6a – Explain how understanding the structure and the elements of music are used in music selected for performance.
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MU:Pr4.2.6c – Identify how cultural and historical context inform performances.
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MU:Re7.2.6a – Describe how the elements of music and expressive qualities relate to the structure of the pieces.
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MU:Re7.2.6b – Identify the context of music from a variety of genres, cultures, and historical periods.
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MU:Re8.1.6 – Describe a personal interpretation of how creators’ and performers’ application of the elements of music and expressive qualities, within genres and cultural and historical context, convey expressive intent.
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MU:Cn11.1.6 – Demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and the other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life.
WHY THE ARTS
- Teaching this through the arts is a way to bring this part of the book to life in a more direct and relatable kind of way. It allows for a deeper connection to the main character Bud which in turn personalizes the reading experience. The music elevates the educational experience.
ASSESSMENT
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Formative:
- Travel around the room to listen to student descriptions and review description lists.
- After music clips are played, gather “popcorn” responses where students quickly say aloud a descriptive word one after another.
- Redirect when necessary by asking students to “tell us why” they chose a specific word.
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Summative: Students gather their descriptive words and write a paragraph.
- Topic sentence – That introduces the main idea
- Supporting sentences – That provides explanation, details, or examples
- Concluding or transition sentence – That wraps the ideas/ thoughts. If they write more, this should connect to the next idea.
LESSON CONNECTIONS
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Grade 6, Module 1, Lesson 14: In Handout 14, “Jazz and Strategic Disagreement” students are prompted to identify the instruments Bud is describing. This exercise brings the content to life by providing audio clips of each instrument and prompting students to build their descriptive word banks. Students will have the opportunity to practice informative writing by reflecting on the experience of hearing music just like Bud.
CONNECTION TO MODULE GOALS/EOM TASK
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This routine helps students succeed in the unit and on the EOM task by deepening their understanding of Bud’s transformation. As students listen to the band and reflect on each instrument and each player, they reveal how each character contributes to Bud’s personal growth. This supports the EOM task which requires students to write a ToSEEC essay explaining how Bud’s life was transformed.
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Students engage in figurative language used in descriptions, enhancing their literary analysis skills. Students realize that through his connection with the band, Bud feels a sense of belongingness, healing, and family which they can highlight in their writing.
TEACHER BACKGROUND
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Teachers need to have a way to play the videos for the students to see and hear (slides). The teacher can also have students turn to chapter 17 of the book so that they can look over the descriptive words of Bud Not Buddy – this starts on pgs. 200 – 203. If the teacher doesn’t have enough books for all students, the pages could be displayed on the board, overhead, or whatever can be used to share the text with students.
ACTIVITY CONTEXT
This activity is based on chapter 17 in which Bud first hears Herman E Calloway and his band, “The Dusky Devastators of The Depression” play their instruments together during a rehearsal in the club.
At this point in the story, he has been getting to know the musicians but he hasn’t actually heard them play together. It’s clear from Bud’s narrative that the experience of hearing each instrument, separately and as a group, is quite overwhelming. The sounds are firing his imagination and he quickly understands that this is not just a group of musicians, they are chosen family that care and look out for one another and that
BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Slides #2-3
Students will prepare for the All in the Family Band exercise by taking a very brief look at early jazz to get anchored.
LISTEN & ANALYZE
Slides #4-9
The class will examine, one at a time, the six instruments played by the Dusky Devastators – drums, piano, saxophone, upright bass, trumpet, and voice.
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- We suggest first reading Bud’s description of one of the instruments followed by the short video clip of that instrument.
- After watching the video clip, students will write their own descriptive sentence or two and tell the way the instrument makes them feel.
Proceed to the next instrument in this way until all six have been looked at, listened to and written about with descriptive language. These clips are available to you in the slides. If time is limited, you can have students come up with a word or short phrase in a popcorn like fashion.
THE BAND
Slides #10
Once they’ve heard all the instruments individually, play the Billie Holiday recording for students. This is a video of a jazz ensemble that would have had a line up similar to the Dusky Devastators of the Depression.
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- We understand that it may not be possible to play the entire recording. If you are limited on time, play the video at 2:07 seconds to the end.
- As the students listen, have students write their own descriptive words or phrases of hearing all the musicians play together. They will have to listen closely to hear all the instruments. Some instruments are more in the foreground while others are in the background.
OPTIONAL: if students are into this experience, you can dig deeper into the life of the vocalist – Billie Holiday. With direct ties to Baltimore, this could be a rich discussion for students. Her father died when she was 22 years old and her mother died when she was 30 years old. Like Bud, she too was orphaned. The only difference is that Bud was a child and Billie lost her parents into adulthood. But like Bud, she found her chosen family in music. Her bandmates played a key role in her life.
MAKE THE BAND
Slides #12
Now it’s time to make the bands! Divide students into groups of six (if there’s an odd number, feel free to double up on an instrument.). They should each have their descriptive words/phrases with them.
Each student will choose ONE of the six instruments from the book to represent. Feel free to assign parts if that would be most effective for your classroom.
Here are the names of the characters in the book and the instrument that they play:
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- The Thug = Drums
- Dirty Deed = Piano
- Steady Eddie = Sax
- Miss Thomas = Vocal
- Herman E Calloway = Bass
- Jimmy = Trumpet
The “bands” will discuss how they want to physically interpret this snippet of the song. This performance will be done in a kinetic tableau style.
Students will spend a few minutes deciding how they want to bring their figurative language to life with their bodies. They can refer to the words or phrases they wrote to help guide their choice of movements.
GUIDING QUESTIONS
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- How does the choreography represent the music?
- How do I bring my figurative language to life through movement? How does that look and feel?
- What do I want the audience to feel?
- How do I want to connect with the rest of the band?
Play the song again for the students to rehearse. 2-4 times should be plenty. They will listen to the song and move collectively as a group coming up with their own choreography that supports the music. The movements should be big and bold with a grandness that the audience can see. They can of course use dynamics to get their points across. Big to small, low to high, fast to slow etc. Like the Dusky Devastators of the Depression, they too should come up with a band name for themselves.
As the teacher you can walk around to all of the groups to see how they are doing with the activity. Feel free to ask probing questions.
Students should be able to answer the question: How does each student describe their movements as they relate to their instruments?
PERFORMANCE PREP
Before performing the pieces, ask students what makes a good audience and once that’s been established, ask that they follow these suggestions and offer maximum support to each other. It’s not always easy for people to get up and dance around in front of their classmates. Encouragement and attentiveness are essential in this activity! A ritual of clapping as the band enters and exits the stage is a great tradition to establish in your classroom.
EXTENSION
Each of the groups pose for a black and white photograph of their band similar to the one on the flyer that Bud carries with him in his suitcase.
If the teacher can print these, the images could go up around the classroom.
ADDITIONAL EXTENSIONS
Once students have written their descriptive language/phrases, open the class up to have a deeper conversation about some of the images, words, and feelings that came up for them. Teachers can write these contributions down.
Come back as a group and have each band perform their own interpretation of the song. As each group shares and the rest of the class watches, perhaps questions come up from the audience ex: I noticed the saxophone was leaning back and closing their eyes a lot – can you tell us why you chose to move like that?
BRAIN TARGETED TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM
The Emotional Climate:
-
-
Model appropriate peer feedback (e.g., “I noticed…” or “I wonder if…”).
-
Use sentence frames for glow/grow comments to promote constructive dialogue.
-
The Physical Space:
-
-
Arrange desks for smooth Gallery Walk movement.
-
Ensure maps are clearly visible on walls, or provide digital access for zoom-in functionality.
-
Pre-teach expected movement behaviors and discussion norms.
-
ROOT BRANCH MEDIA GROUP – BRING ROOT BRANCH TO YOUR SCHOOL!
All video content made in partnership with Baltimore’s Root Branch Media Group.
DAN + CLAUDIA ZANES – BRING THE ZANES TO YOUR SCHOOL!
Haitian-American jazz vocalist and music therapist Claudia Zanes and Grammy Award winning all-ages entertainer Dan Zanes have been making music together since the day they met in 2016. During their time together the two have toured extensively; written and performed Night Train 57: A Sensory Friendly Comic Folk Opera for the Kennedy Center; created House Party: A Family Roots Music Treasury songbook for Quarto Publishing Group; and released their first record as a duo, Let Love Be Your Guide, for Smithsonian Folkways. Their follow-up Folkways album, Pieces of Home, was released in August, 2024. Vocals! Guitar! Flute! Percussion! Trombone! Harmonica! Jaw Harp! Dan and Claudia bring their social electric folk music with them wherever they go. People attend the highly interactive concerts knowing they’ll be singing along and dancing to a sound that lies at the center of Haitian folk, early rock and roll, sea shanties, Black gospel and blues. Learn more at https://danandclaudia.com/.
ARNELYN VIERNES
Classroom Campfire
Pairs with Wit & Wisdom Lesson 7
Bud’s experience hearing the song Shenandoah played on the harmonica in Hooverville will be the starting point for a look at the “call and response” song form. Students will listen to call and response songs for context and then create a classroom campfire to act out a call and response sing along and, in the process, illustrate how singing can bring people together and why it’s important.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
- Lesson 7 Learning Goals:
- Connect details and themes in “Hoovervilles” to evidence from Bud, Not Buddy (RL.6.1, RL.6.9, RI.6.1, RI.6.9).
- Develop elaboration in a To-SEEC paragraph citing two sources (RL.6.1, RL.6.9, RI.6.1, RL.6.9 W.6.2.a, W.6.2.b).
- RL.6.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- RL.6.9 – Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
- W.6.2.a – Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
- W.6.2.b – Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
NATIONAL ARTS STANDARDS
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MU:Pr4.2.6a – Explain how understanding the structure and the elements of music are used in music selected for performance.
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MU:Pr4.2.6c – Identify how cultural and historical context inform performances.
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MU:Re7.1.6a – Select or choose music to listen to and explain the connections to specific interests or experiences for a specific purpose.
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MU:Re7.2.6b – Identify the context of music from a variety of genres, cultures, and historical periods.
WHY THE ARTS
- This activity will help students understand the ways in which music can lift people’s spirits and help create community during hard times. Call and response is an essential part of musical structures as well as social interactions. This activity will help students think more deeply about Bud’s experience as a lone traveler and the value of community.
ASSESSMENT
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Student reflections: ask students (group discussion, think-pair-share, or stop and jot)
- How does it feel to be a part of a music making circle?
- Bud thinks this song sounds sad? Do you agree?
- Deza thinks it sounds beautiful. Do you agree? If so, why?
LESSON CONNECTIONS
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FQ2: What hardships did people face during the Great Depression? When the Shenandoah Song is played and the lyrics are shared, students will be able to relate emotionally to the song. This will lead to deepening their understanding of Bud’s longing for his mother and his resilience to find his father.
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When the class creates a “campfire” circle and sings together, students will experience community and hope just like Bud’s experience of Hooverville and Bud’s connection with Deza in Chapter 8. The idea is that students will feel the sense of belongingness that is conveyed in the book.
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This music experience also supports FQ4: What sustained their spirits during the Great Depression? This is because students continue to gather textual evidence (like coming together as a community) on what sustained people’s spirits during times of hardship.
CONNECTION TO MODULE GOALS/EOM TASK
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This routine helps students work on the EOM task (Write a cause-and-effect To-SEEC essay explaining how Bud’s responses to hardship(s) contributed to his/her transformation) by building emotional insight into Bud’s hardships that allows students to connect with Bud’s longing, loss, and resilience. It deepens students’ analysis of how Bud responds to hardship.
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This experience supports textual analysis for ToSEEC writing by identifying evidences of Bud’s responses to hardships such as seeking family, finding hope in community. It supports their ability to explain how those responses like learning to trust others and staying hopeful shape who Bud becomes.
MATERIALS
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Printed Lyrics (Optional, also in slides)
ACTIVITY CONTEXT
The song Shenandoah is mentioned in chapter 8 during the scene in which Bud is in Hooverville. As he is washing dishes with Deza, there is a man playing the song “Shenandoah” on the harmonica (or “mouth organ”). He is bringing some music to the camp as he plays a folk song that was likely familiar to most people. Deza asks Bud if he knows the song and she recites the lyrics to him.
We know that songs are mentioned in literature for a reason, so for this exercise, let’s look at Shenandoah.
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- Although it’s played instrumentally in this example, it’s often sung as a call and response song. In call and response, the leader will sing a line (the call) and the group will sing a reply (the response). This type of singing is a very effective way to bring people together, both emotionally and physically.
- Music is flexible and the same song can be used in many different ways depending on the needs of people.
- So let’s imagine that Shenandoah was sung on this night in Hooverville, around the campfire, as a call and response instead of a harmonica solo.
BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Slides #2
Before we create our own “campfire” circle here in class, let’s look at a few examples of call and response songs. The call and response tradition in music is most closely associated with West African music. It was used for a wide variety of work songs and religious songs. Yonder Comes Day sung by the Georgia Sea Island Singers is an example.
CALL & RESPONSE EXAMPLES
Yonder Come Day – Slide #3
In this song people are celebrating and showing gratitude for the coming of a new year. This song was sung during New Year’s Eve night watch (a church service that takes place on NYE).
Yonder Come Day as performed by The Georgia Sea Island Singers
Minnie The Moocher – Slide #4
Call and Response was also used as a way to bring people together in a more relaxed social or performance setting. Minnie the Moocher is an example. (Please note this Baltimore connection: Minnie the Moocher was recorded in 1931, during the Depression era. Cab Calloway spent his young life in Baltimore. He lived in the Druid Hill neighborhood and as a young person he shined shoes, sold newspapers, and cooled down horses at the Pimlico racetrack.)
MINNIE THE MOOCHER as performed by Cab Calloway
Can I Kick It? – Slide #5
Call and response is an essential part of much Black music and popular music including Hip Hop.
CAN I KICK IT? as performed by A Tribe Called Quest
The Tribe Called Quest song “Can I Kick it” begins with the call: Can I kick it? and the response: (Yes, you can!)
Can I kick it? (Yes, you can!)
Can I kick it? (Yes, you can!)
When people are singing in this way everyone knows when to join in. It’s a very communal song form.
Shenandoah – Slide #6
In Hooverville people were coming together under very difficult circumstances. Music is an important part of how we create and maintain our spirit of community and our resilience.
In the story so far, Bud has been basically traveling alone, he’s on a solo trip – much like the harmonica we hear in this chapter! – and he has had very little sense of togetherness with groups of people.
In Hooverville, he encounters other folks going through hard times. They have made a community for their survival and welcome him in.
The song Shenandoah will be a starting point as we consider moving from a solo instrumental version to a community-based call and response rendition.
SHENANDOAH as performed by the X Seaman’s Institute
CAMPFIRE IMPLEMENTATION
Slides #7-8
First, listen to the harmonica version of the song with the class while referencing chapter 8 in the book.
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- Notice the harmonica (mouth organ) in the background.
Have students sit in a circle around the “campfire” for the call and response version:
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- Ask for a song leader.
- With the lyrics still on the board, play the song again and act out a communal evening by the campfire singing Shenandoah.
- The song leader sings the leader lines and the group responds.
- Ask students to imagine that it’s the end of a long difficult day. There is uncertainty in their lives and in the country. And still they have managed to form a small community in order to survive. Music brings people together.
- Ask students (group discussion, think-pair-share, or stop and jot):
- How does it feel to be a part of a music making circle?
- Bud thinks this song sounds sad? Do you agree?
- Deza thinks it sounds beautiful. Do you agree? If so, why?
ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
Incorporate ToSEEC essay writing in this activity with S’mores model.
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- Graham Cracker – Topic Statement
- Marshmallow – Evidence
- Chocolate – Elaboration/Explanation
- Graham Cracker – Conclusion
The teacher gives the students each of the ingredient only when the student completes each part of the recipe (paragraph).
Campfire Ideas:
ROOT BRANCH MEDIA GROUP – BRING ROOT BRANCH TO YOUR SCHOOL!
All video content made in partnership with Baltimore’s Root Branch Media Group.
DAN + CLAUDIA ZANES – BRING THE ZANES TO YOUR SCHOOL!
Haitian-American jazz vocalist and music therapist Claudia Zanes and Grammy Award winning all-ages entertainer Dan Zanes have been making music together since the day they met in 2016. During their time together the two have toured extensively; written and performed Night Train 57: A Sensory Friendly Comic Folk Opera for the Kennedy Center; created House Party: A Family Roots Music Treasury songbook for Quarto Publishing Group; and released their first record as a duo, Let Love Be Your Guide, for Smithsonian Folkways. Their follow-up Folkways album, Pieces of Home, was released in August, 2024. Vocals! Guitar! Flute! Percussion! Trombone! Harmonica! Jaw Harp! Dan and Claudia bring their social electric folk music with them wherever they go. People attend the highly interactive concerts knowing they’ll be singing along and dancing to a sound that lies at the center of Haitian folk, early rock and roll, sea shanties, Black gospel and blues. Learn more at https://danandclaudia.com/.
ARNELYN VIERNES
Through My Eyes: Student Photography
Pairs with Wit & Wisdom Lessons 6 & 17
In this extension, students will briefly examine the elements of black and white photography, take a black and white photo of someone in their world that tells a story, edit it for clarity, and write a clear and compelling caption describing who the person is and how the photo tells something about them.
COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS
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W.6.2 – Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
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W.6.2.a – Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
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W.6.3 – Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
NATIONAL ARTS STANDARDS
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MA:Cr3.1.6a. – Experiment with multiple approaches to produce content and components for determined purpose and meaning in media arts productions, utilizing a range of associated principles, such as point of view and perspective.
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MA:Re7.1.6 a. – Identify, describe, and analyze how message and meaning are created by components in media artworks.
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MA:Cn11.1.6b. – Explain and show how media artworks form new meanings, situations, and cultural experiences, such as historical events.
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MSS.MA.I:9-12:1 – Demonstrate and employ artistic, design, technical, and soft skills in managing and producing media artworks.
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MSS.MA.E:9-12:3 – Apply and adapt use of tools and techniques to construct innovative media content.
WHY THE ARTS
- Hands-on experience with visual storytelling through photography will help our young people gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for the art form. Connecting their photos to the descriptive captions will also broaden their ability to communicate more effectively in their writing.
ASSESSMENT
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A basic checklist will help teachers check for understanding: Checklist for Success
LESSON CONNECTIONS
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Students will apply the skill they learned from Lessons 6 & 17 about the role of photography in storytelling. In those lessons, the students analyzed the connection of the different photos taken by the photographers Margarette Burke-White, Dorothea Lange, Gordon Parks and Devin Allen, contributing to the Module 1 theme: “Resilience during the Great Depression.”
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As an extension project, the students will take their own photograph that shows a meaningful story. They will then make a caption of the photo they took applying what they learned about expository writing.
CONNECTION TO MODULE GOALS/EOM TASK
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This extension routine intensifies the importance of evidence in writing be it textual or visual evidence – that supports their reasoning in an expository essay at the end of the module.
MATERIALS
- Photo Shoot Planning Guide
- Checklist for Success
- Phone or Chromebook for taking photos
- OPTIONAL: Flyer Extra Fun – Printed photos, glue, scissors, markers, printer paper
TEACHER BACKGROUND
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It will be helpful if teachers have a basic understanding of smart phone photography so that they can help students navigate the cropping and coloring edits.
STUDENT PREREQUISITES
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Access to a phone with a camera and ability to email the finished photo to the teacher. If students cannot use their phones during school hours, the photos can be taken after school as homework.
NOTES
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As stated above, assign photo taking at home OR if they want to take scenes in school, they can utilize their school chromebooks.
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Photography Resources:
- Here is some helpful information from the National Gallery of Art about aperture and perspective in making community photo stories that may be helpful.
- For an even further deep dive into photography, use these slides.
LEARNING TARGETS
Slide #2
Explain to the students that they are going to be photographers working in black and white. In this activity they’ll be choosing a person (or small group of people) to be their subjects. They are going to shoot and edit a photograph that tells the viewer something about their subject. When they have finished the photo, they’ll give it a name and write a descriptive caption.
BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Slides #3-8
Look over the “Elements of Photography” slides to help everyone get focused (HA!!!)
Discuss the probing questions on the slides as a class.
CAPTION WRITING
Slides #9-13
Take a look at the sample photographs and consider a few questions as you practice writing captions as a class.
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- Who is the subject?
- Where are they?
- What are the details that help tell the story?
- What is the mood of the photo?
- How does black and white affect the impact of the photo?
- You may have other good questions!
Four photographs are included. Consider modeling the first, doing the second or third as a group, and having students do the fourth independently.
ASSESSMENT OVERVIEW
Slide #15
Checklist for Success Rubric
PHOTOGRAPH PLANNING
Slides #16-17
Planning Guide (2 per sheet)
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- Ask students to each pick a subject. It could be a friend, family member, or someone in the school community. Some may want to pick a small group of people.
- Check to be sure that everyone has access to a phone with a camera.
- Review the two basic editing tools that students will need: cropping and filter (to make photos into black and white).
- Determine the amount of time that students have to shoot and edit their photos.
- Decide where the photos will go when they’re completed, for example, your email address.
- Ask students to write a descriptive caption that tells the viewer what they’re looking at and to include it with their photo.
REVIEW & SHARE
Slide #18
When everything is finished, print the photos with captions and hang them up in the classroom for a gallery walk OR share them in a Virtual Gallery Walk (File ⟶ Create a Copy) or Padlet (REMAKE to Copy)
EXTRA FUN
Slides #19-20
Poem Extension:
After the gallery walk, students write a four line poem about one of the photos hanging on the wall. The name of the photo could be the first line of the poem.
Song Connection:
Have students pick a song to go along with their photo and caption. Ask that the song supports and enhances the story that they’re telling.
Flyer:
*This activity requires you to have printed out the student photographs*
Use the photo to make a flyer. Consider the kind of information that would have appeared on one of the flyers that Bud carried in his suitcase:
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- name of the act
- the time
- the place
- the style of music
Like photos, flyers also tell a story. In this case the story is intended to make people want to go to the show.
Suggested Steps:
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- Ask students to give “stage names” to their subjects
- Take the printed photo and cut out the main person. If there is more than one person they could cut them all out and give them a “band name.”
- Glue that image on a piece of blank paper.
- Decide what information is important to include on the flyer.
- Write the “stage name,” and all pertinent information (real or imagined places, dates, etc) in a way that would make someone want to attend the show.
- Hang the flyers around the room for a second gallery walk!
- Go to a show and have fun!
BRAIN TARGETED TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM
The Emotional Climate:
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It might be helpful if the teacher can remind students that most of them are already used to telling stories: with their writing, their drawing and painting with their phone cameras, and in their everyday conversations. They are already experienced storytellers and this is essentially a more formal version of something they already do.
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The Physical Space:
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When the photos (and/or flyers) have been completed, if it’s possible to print them and hang them up around the room the physical environment will be amazing.
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Other Considerations:
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This extension requires that students call on all that they’ve learned about clear communication and storytelling so that they can apply it to the visual medium of photography. They’ll also be asked to use their knowledge of descriptive writing when they create their names and captions.
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This extension is very open ended and allows for a tremendous amount of creative thinking and planning. Students may be surprised by how deep they can go with this extension!
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ROOT BRANCH MEDIA GROUP – BRING ROOT BRANCH TO YOUR SCHOOL!
All video content made in partnership with Baltimore’s Root Branch Media Group.
DAN + CLAUDIA ZANES – BRING THE ZANES TO YOUR SCHOOL!
Haitian-American jazz vocalist and music therapist Claudia Zanes and Grammy Award winning all-ages entertainer Dan Zanes have been making music together since the day they met in 2016. During their time together the two have toured extensively; written and performed Night Train 57: A Sensory Friendly Comic Folk Opera for the Kennedy Center; created House Party: A Family Roots Music Treasury songbook for Quarto Publishing Group; and released their first record as a duo, Let Love Be Your Guide, for Smithsonian Folkways. Their follow-up Folkways album, Pieces of Home, was released in August, 2024. Vocals! Guitar! Flute! Percussion! Trombone! Harmonica! Jaw Harp! Dan and Claudia bring their social electric folk music with them wherever they go. People attend the highly interactive concerts knowing they’ll be singing along and dancing to a sound that lies at the center of Haitian folk, early rock and roll, sea shanties, Black gospel and blues. Learn more at https://danandclaudia.com/.
ARNELYN VIERNES
