ENGAGE

Understand the Great Migration

SLIDES

Share the lesson objective.

• Use the Jacob Lawrence Collection materials to either introduce what The Great Migration was, or reinforce/review.
  • Note: More than 75 years ago, a young artist named Jacob Lawrence set to work on an ambitious 60-panel series portraying the Great Migration, the flight of over a million African Americans from the rural South to the industrial North following the outbreak of World War I (The Phillips Collection).

Students can explore the background information on this time period here by hovering over the “Introduction” icon and looking through Lawrence’s collection.

• • Can be done individually, in small groups, or as a whole group

Next, explore the Migration Map depicting the movement patterns of Black Americans between 1920 and 1970.

• • Note: There is also an option to explore Reverse Migration. More information on this topic can be found here.

Check for understanding: Before moving on, students should be able to answer the following questions (Slide 3):

• • What is The Great Migration?
  • What are some factors that led Black Americans to leave the South?
  • Name 3 migration patterns

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INTRODUCE

The Cakewalk

Use the “Step Inside” technique and video example (Slide 4) to introduce students to the Cakewalk dance.

Connect: Explain that the cakewalk and the Great Migration are connected because culture moves with people. The cakewalk began in the South as a dance where Black Americans expressed creativity and strength, even during hard times. When Black families moved from the South to other parts of the country during the Great Migration, they brought their music and dances with them. The cakewalk changed and influenced new dance styles in new places, just like people changed and adapted in new communities.

• • Explain that this is why we will use key elements of the Cakewalk to demonstrate our understanding of the movement patterns during the Great Migration.

Use Slides 5 & 6 to introduce the defining characteristics of the Cakewalk that we will use in our own movement phrases later in the lesson.

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CONNECT

Modern Dance Trends

Explain that when students create their own movement phrases to show the movement patterns of the Great Migration, they will use the key elements of the Cakewalk (Slide 14) with steps from modern dance trends.

Use the map and Slides 8 – 11 to review regional modern dance trends.

• • Show short videos of regional dances from different parts of the U.S.
  • Have students map these dances on a blank U.S. map.
  • Allow time for students to try the dances themselves.
  • Check for Understanding/Reinforce: Review the Great Migration patterns on the map before moving to the next steps.

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APPLY

Cakewalk Group Challenge

Divide students into small groups (2-4 members), representing migrating families.

Assign each group a “hometown” (e.g., Atlanta, Memphis, New Orleans, Nashville, Birmingham, Jackson, Charlotte) and a destination city that corresponds with the Great Migration Map.

Slide 13: Explain that each group will create and perform their own Cakewalk. Review the Movement Checklist (Slide 14) outlining how dances will be assessed.

Directions:

Create a movement phrase incorporating modern dance styles from the region that correspond to your family’s hometown and destination. Feel free to use the examples of dance trends that were given to you, or research your own.

Consider the emotions that your family may have felt both during their journey and once they arrived at their destination. Use those feelings to create a third original dance. Be prepared to discuss your group’s artistic intent for your choreography.

Direct students to the Music Library to select:

• • One song representing their hometown
  • One song representing their destination

Provide students time to research, plan, and rehearse their Movement Phrases. Students use the Student Planning Organizer to plan their phrase.

• • Review the rubric before students begin (Slide 14, poster in Google Folder, and included on the Student Planning Organizer).

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PERFORM

The Cakewalk Migration

Use sticky notes or index cards to collect student hometowns, destinations, and music selections. Student groups will perform one at a time.

Instruct all groups start in the “South” area of the room.

When a group’s music begins, students will dance around the room counter-clockwise, starting in the South (South, East, North, West).

They will go around the room twice. The hometown song will play for the first rotation, the migrating city song for the second rotation. The group will end in their new destination.

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ASSESS

Discuss: Ask each group to explain their migration pattern aloud to the class, and how their movements represent the journey.

Movement Checklist: Use the included rubric to assess the movement elements of the assignment. Did each group meet the Modern Cakewalk criteria?

• • Dance steps must travel
  • Must have physical contact with at least one other person in your family while traveling (linked arms, arms over shoulders, etc.)
  • Must include at least 3 different dance moves (one from your hometown, one from your destination, and an original dance that shows what your family felt when they arrived at their destination)
  • Must include a choreographed révérence, or bow, at the final resting place

Written Reflection (Exit Ticket): Students will write a reflection of their “journey” and experience as an exit ticket

• • Select from the following reflection questions, or create your own.
    • What is one new idea or connection you learned from this experience?
    • How did creating a movement phrase help you understand The Great Migration better?
    • What part of this experience stood out to you the most, and why?
    • How do music and dance help tell people’s stories?
    • What is one question you still have after today’s lesson?

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