triumph over adversity: a musical journey through african american
TRANSCRIPT
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Dear Educator,
Thank you for choosing the Cleveland Institute of Music. Inside this packet, you will find all of the
materials your class will need for your upcoming Triumph Over Adversity video conference. There are
two lessons that need to be completed prior to the video conference. Please allow at least two
class periods to prepare your class.
Please fax or email your students’ blues lyrics from p. 6 to us ([email protected] or 216-791-3063)
AT LEAST THREE DAYS BEFORE the video conference.
If at any time you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. We look forward to
“meeting” you!
Sincerely,
Heather Young Mandujano
Distance Learning Education Coordinator
Cleveland Institute of Music
Phone: 216-368-0874
Email: [email protected]
Fax: 216-791-3063
Table of Contents
Pre-Conference Lesson Plan: Day 1…………………………………………………………………….2
Lift Every Voice and Sing + Worksheet………………………………………………………3-4
Blues Lyrics Worksheet……………………………………………………..……………..…5-6
Pre-Conference Lesson Plan: Day 2…………………………………………………………………….7
Poem #1 (Sympathy by Dunbar)………………………………………………………...………8
Poem #2 (I Dream a World by Hughes)………………………………………...………..…….9 Poem #3 (Status Symbol by Evans)……………………………………………………………..10
Poem #4 (When Great Trees Fall by Angelou)…………………………………………….11-12
Poetry Analysis Worksheet…………………………………………………………………13-14
Early Poems (for video conference)……………………………………………………………………..15
During the Video Conference…………………………………………………………………………...16
Academic Content Standards……………………………………………………………………………17
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………………..28
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Pre-conference Lesson Plan: Day 1
Objective:
The students will explore how music can enhance poetry
The students will write their own blues lyrics. 2-5 will be selected to be performed live by CIM musicians during the video conference.
Materials:
Pencils
Poem: “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (p. 3)
DVD: “Lift Every Voice and Sing” (provided by CIM)
DVD Worksheet (p. 4)
Blues Lyrics Worksheet (p. 5-6)
Procedure:
1. Read the poem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by James W. Johnson
a. Have students take turns reading stanzas aloud or have them read the poem silently
b. Time permitting, engage students in a discussion of the text
2. Explain that sometimes, composers will take a poem and use it for lyrics to a song. The music
can help to enhance the original message of the poem. Poet James W. Johnson’s brother, John
R. Johnson, wrote music to go with the poem we just read. The music made the poem so
powerful that today it is known as the African American national anthem.
3. Have students watch the “Lift Every Voice and Sing” DVD
4. Have students complete the corresponding worksheet
5. Pass out the “Blues Lyrics” worksheet.
a. Explain that song lyrics can be a form of poetry. An easy form to turn into a song is the
blues.
b. Have students follow the directions on the worksheet to write their own blues lyrics.
The lyrics MUST relate to a personal triumph over adversity in the students’ own lives.
6. Email or Fax the students’ lyrics to CIM AT LEAST 3 DAYS BEFORE the video conference
a. Email: [email protected]
b. Fax: 216-791-3063 (Heather Mandujano, Distance Learning)
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Lift Every Voice and Sing
by James W. Johnson, 1899
Lift every voice and sing,
till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the listening skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod,
bitter the chastening rod,
felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
yet with a steady beat,
have not our weary feet
come to the place for which our fathers died?
We have come over a way that with tears have been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
out from the gloomy past,
till now we stand at last
where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
thou who hast by thy might
led us into the light,
keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met thee;
lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee,
shadowed beneath thy hand,
may we forever stand,
true to our God, true to our native land.
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Lift Every Voice and Sing Worksheet
1. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem?
(Write your answer on your copy of the poem)
2. Is the rhyme scheme the same in every stanza? Explain.
____________________________________________________________________________
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3. How does the music help to bring out the changes in rhyme scheme within the poem?
____________________________________________________________________________
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4. What is the overall message of the poem?
____________________________________________________________________________
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5. Does the music add to or take away from the overall effectiveness of the poem? Explain your
answer.
____________________________________________________________________________
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Blues Lyrics Worksheet
The Blues
Blues is a genre of African American folk music that was a predecessor to jazz. There are many elements of
blues which were incorporated into jazz such as improvisation (the creation of new music on the spot), and the
"blue" note (a note whose pitch is "bent" by slightly raising or lowering the pitch). The typical blues song is in
4/4 time, with lyrics cast in a three-line stanza consisting of an opening line, its repetition, and a new third line.
The third line will either rhyme or have an approximate rhyme with the last word of the previous lines. Blues
songs are often about sad topics.
Here is an example:
Backwater Blues
By Bessie Smith
When it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night
When it rained five days and the skies turned dark as night
There was trouble taking place in the lowlands at night
I woke up this morning, wouldn't even get out of my door
I woke up this morning, wouldn't even get out of my door
Enough trouble to make poor girl wonder where she gonna go
They rowed a little boat, about five miles 'cross the farm
They rowed a little boat, about five miles 'cross the farm
I packed up all my clothing, throwed it in and they rowed me along
It thundered and it lightened and the winds began to blow
It thundered and it lightened and the winds began to blow
There was a thousand women, didn't have no place to go
I went out to the lonesome, high old lonesome hill
I went out to the lonesome, high old lonesome hill
I looked down on the old house, where I used to live
Backwater blues have caused me to pack up my things and go
Backwater blues have caused me to pack up my things and go
'Cause my house fell down and I can't live there no more
Hmm, I can't live there no more
Hmm, I can't live there no more
And there ain't no place for a poor old girl to go
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
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Blues Lyrics Worksheet Continued
Bessie Smith, also known as the “Empress of the Blues,” was the most popular female blues singer in
the 1920’s and 1930’s. The above lyrics are from one of her most successful records, and the song
was recorded just before the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927. You can read about the flood here:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/05/0501_river4.html .
Writing your own blues lyrics
1. In the above example, Bessie Smith chose to sing about a tragic event—adversity—that was
currently happening. For your topic, choose an adversity (large or small!) from your own life over
which you have triumphed, and write it on the title line.
2. For each stanza, write the first line. Copy that line into the second line—they should be identical.
3. Then, write something different for the third line—the last word of the 3rd line should rhyme with
the last word of your 1st and 2nd lines.
__________________________________________ BLUES Title: Your personal triumph over adversity
By _________________________________________ Name
Stanza 1
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
Stanza 2
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
Stanza 3
1. ____________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Pre-Conference Lesson Plan: Day 2
Objective:
The students will explore, analyze and prepare to perform the poems of various African American authors in preparation for their upcoming Triumph Over Adversity video conference.
Materials:
Pencils
Poems (pp. 8-12)
Poetry analysis worksheet (pp. 13-14)
Procedure:
1. Divide students into 4 groups. Assign each group ONE of the poems from pp. 8-12 (each
student should have his or her own copy of the poem).
2. Give each group a copy of the Poetry Analysis Worksheet from pp. 13-14. You may choose to
give one copy per group or individual copies to each student.
3. Instruct each group to complete the Poetry Analysis Worksheet for their assigned poem.
4. Have the students prepare to read their assigned poem during the video conference.
a. They should decide who will read which sections of the poem.
b. They should plan to portray the overall mood of the poem through their delivery.
c. They should analyze the poem for strong and weak beats, and express this when they
perform the poem.
5. Make sure that each group has their poem analysis and anything they need for the reading
during the video conference.
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Poem #1: Sympathy
(Published 1899)
By Paul Laurence Dunbar
I know what the caged bird feels, alas! When the sun is bright on the upland slopes;
When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,
And the river flows like a stream of glass;
When the first bird sings and the first bud opes,
And the faint perfume from its chalice steals —
I know what the caged bird feels!
I know why the caged bird beats his wing
Till its blood is red on the cruel bars;
For he must fly back to his perch and cling
When he fain would be on the bough a-swing;
And a pain still throbs in the old, old scars
And they pulse again with a keener sting —
I know why he beats his wing!
I know why the caged bird sings, ah me,
When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore,—
When he beats his bars and he would be free;
It is not a carol of joy or glee,
But a prayer that he sends from his heart's deep core,
But a plea, that upward to Heaven he flings —
I know why the caged bird sings!
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Poem #2: I Dream a World
(1926)
By Langston Hughes
I dream a world where man
No other man will scorn
Where love will bless the earth
And peace its paths adorn
I dream a world where all
Will know sweet freedom’s way,
Where greed no longer saps the soul
Nor avarice blights our day.
A world I dream where black or white,
Whatever race you be,
Will share the bounties of the earth
And every man is free,
Where wretchedness will hang its head
And joy, like a pearl,
Attends the needs of all mankind-
Of such I dream, my world!
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Poem #3: Status Symbol
(1964)
By Mari Evans
i
Have Arrived
i
am the
New Negro
i
am the result of
President Lincoln
World War I
and Paris
the
Red Ball Express
white drinking fountains
sitdowns and
sit-ins
Federal Troops
Marches on Washington
And
prayer meetings
today
They hired me
it
is a status
job . . .
along
with my papers
They
gave me my
Status Symbol
the
key
to the
White . . . Locked . . .
John
Note: This poem references ideas presented in a letter that Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote from the Birmingham City jail in 1963. You can read the letter here: http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
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Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Poem #4: When Great Trees Fall
( Published 1991)
By Maya Angelou
When great trees fall, rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.
When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.
When great souls die,
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile.
We breathe, briefly.
Our eyes, briefly,
see with
a hurtful clarity.
Our memory, suddenly sharpened,
examines,
gnaws on kind words
unsaid,
promised walks
never taken.
(Continued on next page)
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
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Class Materials
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(Poem #4: When Great Trees Fall by Maya Angelou, Continued)
Great souls die and our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us.
Our souls,
dependent upon their
nurture,
now shrink, wizened.
Our minds, formed
and informed by their
radiance,
fall away.
We are not so much maddened
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance
of dark, cold
caves.
And when great souls die,
after a period peace blooms,
slowly and always
irregularly. Spaces fill
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed.
Note: Maya Angelou wrote this poem for writer James Arthur Baldwin, who died in 1987. You can read more
about him here: http://www.bookrags.com/biography/james-arthur-baldwin/
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
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Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Poetry Analysis Worksheet p. 1
Names:____________________________________________________________________________
Poem:_____________________________________________________________________________
Directions: Read the poem silently to yourself. Then read it again aloud with your group (you can
either have one person read the poem, or take turns). Use your poem to answer the following
questions.
1. Are there any unfamiliar words in the poem? List them below and use context clues within the
poem to decipher the meaning. Use a dictionary to verify your answers.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
2. Who is the speaker in the poem?
____________________________________________________________________________
3. Describe the tone (attitude or mood) of the poem.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
4. Describe the poet’s word choice (formal, conversational, specific dialect, etc.)
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
5. When was the poem written? _______________
6. What issues were African Americans facing at this point in history?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
7. Can you find any of the following types of figurative language in your poem? Cite specific examples
where applicable.
a. Simile_______________________________________________________________
b. Metaphor____________________________________________________________
c. Personification ________________________________________________________
d. Onomatopoeia________________________________________________________ e. Alliteration____________________________________________________________
f. Hyperbole____________________________________________________________
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
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Poetry Analysis Worksheet p. 2
8. Does the poem have a specific rhythm, or are there a specific number of syllables per line? What
syllables are stressed and unstressed? Describe below.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
9. Does the poem have a regular rhyme scheme? Describe.
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
10. Describe how the lines of the poem are broken— at the end of a sentence or grammatical pause
(end-stopped) or before a logical or grammatical completion of a thought (enjambment)?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
11. What type of sentence structure does the poet use? Is there a pattern? Is it consistent?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
12. How does this poem relate to the theme of “Triumph Over Adversity”? Does it focus more on
one than the other? What do you think inspired the poet to write it?
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________
13. Your group will be responsible for reading your poem aloud during
the video conference. Decide who will be reading each section (for a
shorter poem, you may choose to have fewer speakers). Mark any
necessary inflection—stressed words, pauses, etc. Then PRACTICE with
your group!
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
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Class Materials
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Please have copies of the following poems available for students to reference during the video
conference:
Bars Fight (Written 1746)
By Lucy Terry
August 'twas the twenty-fifth,
Seventeen hundred forty-six;
The Indians did in ambush lay,
Some very valiant men to slay,
The names of whom I'll not leave out.
Samuel Allen like a hero fout
And though he was so brave and bold
His face no more shall we behold.
Eleazer Hawks was killed outright
Before he had time to fight
Before he did the Indians see
Was shot and killed immediately.
Oliver Amsden he was slain
Which caused his friends much grief and pain
Samuel Amsden they found dead
Not many rods off from his head.
Adonijah Gillet we do hear
Did lose his life which was so dear.
John Saddler fled across the water
And so escaped the dreadful slaughter.
Eunice Allen see the Indians coming
And hoped to save herself by running
And had not her petticoats stopt her
The awful creatures had not cotched her
And tommyhawked her on the head
And left her on the ground for dead.
Young Samuel Allen, Oh! lack a-day
Was taken and carried to Canada.
On Being Brought from Africa to America (Published 1773)
By Phillis Wheatley
‘Twas mercy brought me from my Pagan land,
Taught my benighted soul to understand
That there’s a God, that there’s a Saviour too:
Once I redemption neither sought nor knew
Some view our sable race with scornful eye,
“Their colour is a diabolic die.”
Remember, Christians, Negros, black as Cain,
May be refin’d and join th’angelic train.
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
During the Video Conference
Classroom Set Up:
Students should be seated in their groups from the poetry analysis pre-conference lesson. o Each group needs their completed poetry analysis worksheet and copies of their
assigned poem.
Each student needs a copy of the two poems on p. 15 for reference.
Please assist us by calling on students to ask or answer questions.
Video conference activities will be selected from the following:
Review: “Lift Every Voice and Sing” from pre-conference lesson
Activity: Students give oral interpretations of assigned poemss
Discussion: The background, context and analysis of each poem is discussed.
Performance: Live and/or pre-recorded musical interpretations of each poem
Discussion: How music affects the impact and interpretation of poetic text
Live Performance: CIM Blues Combo performs students’ blues lyrics.
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
National Standards for Music Education
4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
7. Evaluating music and music performances.
8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
Common Core Standards: ELA
Reading Standards for Literature
Key Ideas and Details
Grades 9-10
RL.9-10.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.9-10.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its
development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and
refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
Grades 11-12
RL.11-12.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the
text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining
where the text leaves matters uncertain.
RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their
development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one
another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
Craft and Structure
Grades 9-10
RL.9-10.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the cumulative impact of specific
word choices on meaning and tone (e.g., how the language evokes a sense of time and
place; how it sets a formal or informal tone).
Grades 11-12
RL.11-12.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text,
including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is
particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
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RL.11-12.6. Analyze a case in which grasping a point of view requires distinguishing what
is directly stated in a text from what is really meant (e.g., satire, sarcasm, irony, or
understatement).
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Grades 9-10
RL.9-10.7. Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different
artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g.,
Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus).
Grades 11-12
RL.11-12.7. Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded
or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version
interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an
American dramatist.)
RL.11-12.9. Demonstrate knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-
century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more texts
from the same period treat similar themes or topics.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
Grades 9-10
RL.9-10.10. By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, in the grades 9–10 text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Grades 11-12
RL.11-12.10. By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Writing Standards
Text types and purposes
Grades 9-10
W.9-10.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole.
Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a
vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
Grades 11-12
W.11-12.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
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Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one
another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and
outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).
Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a
vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.
Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced,
observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.
Production and Distribution of Writing
Grades 9-10
W.9-10.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations
for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
W.9-10.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a
specific purpose and audience.
W.9-10.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to
other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically.
Grades 11-12
W.11-12.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations
for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
W.11-12.5. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a
specific purpose and audience.
W.11-12.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update
individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new
arguments or information.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
Grades 9-10
W.9-10.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
Apply grades 9–10 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how an author
draws on and transforms source material in a specific work [e.g., how
Shakespeare treats a theme or topic from Ovid or the Bible or how a later
author draws on a play by Shakespeare]”).
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Grades 11-12
W.11-12.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
Apply grades 11–12 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Demonstrate
knowledge of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational
works of American literature, including how two or more texts from the same
period treat similar themes or topics”).
Range of Writing
Grades 9-10
W.9-10.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Grades 11-12
W.11-12.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of
tasks, purposes
Speaking and Listening Standards
Comprehension and Collaboration
Grades 9-10
SL.9-10.1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-
on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts,
and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study;
explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other
research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange
of ideas.
Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g.,
informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views),
clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the
current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others
into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement
and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and
understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning
presented.
Grades 11-12
SL.11-12.1. Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics,
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
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texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.
Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study;
explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other
research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange
of ideas.
Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making,
set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed.
Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe
reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic
or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote
divergent and creative perspectives.
Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and
evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and
determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the
investigation or complete the task.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Grades 9-10
SL.9-10.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and
logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
Grades 11-12
SL.11-12.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and
distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or
opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and
style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
Language Standards
Conventions of Standard English
Grades 9-10
L.9-10.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and
usage when writing or speaking.
Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial,
prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative,
adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or
presentations.
L.9-10.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Spell correctly.
Grades 11-12
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
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Class Materials
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L.11-12.2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Spell correctly.
Knowledge of Language
Grades 9-10
L.9-10.3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different
contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully
when reading or listening.
Grades 11-12
L.11-12.3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in
different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend
more fully when reading or listening.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
Grades 9-10
L.9-10.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s
position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different
meanings or parts of speech (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical; advocate, advocacy).
Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries,
thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or
determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.
Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by
checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
L.9-10.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
Interpret figures of speech (e.g., euphemism, oxymoron) in context and analyze
their role in the text.
Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
L.9-10.6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career
readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when
considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Grades 11-12
L.11-12.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 11–12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of
strategies.
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
The Cleveland Institute of Music
Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s
position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different
meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).
Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries,
thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or
determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its etymology, or its
standard usage.
Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by
checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).
L.11-12.5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and
nuances in word meanings.
Interpret figures of speech (e.g., hyperbole, paradox) in context and analyze their
role in the text.
Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
L.11-12.6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career
readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when
considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Ohio Academic Content Standards: Music
Perceiving/Knowing/Creating
HS I - Beginning
3CE Recognize and describe the elements of music.
4CE Listen to and compare various musical styles from the United States, other cultures and
historical periods.
5CE Identify musical forms used in vocal and instrumental genres from various historical
periods.
6CE Identify the social contexts from which music of various cultures evolved.
8CE Explain the role of technology in researching, creating, performing and listening to
music.
HS II- Developing
3CE Listen to, analyze and describe various music works on the basis of their stylistic
qualities and the historical and cultural contexts in which they were created.
4CE Describe the elements of music and their functions.
7CE Identify musical forms used in vocal and instrumental genres from world cultures.
8CE Describe how music reflects the social and political events of history and the role of the musician in history and culture.
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
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HS III- Intermediate
2CE Using appropriate musical terminology, critique various music styles from the United
States other cultures and historical periods.
5CE Compare and contrast musical forms used in vocal and instrumental genres.
HS IV- Mastery
3CE Analyze various music works from a variety of world cultures, identifying the unique
features of expressive content (e.g. role of dynamics, movement, sounds of language-
pronunciation and tone colors, style, instruments and accompaniment and
ornamentation) and determine how these characteristics contribute to performance
style while minimizing stylistic bias.
7CE Recognize aesthetic characteristics common to all art forms.
Responding/Reflecting
HS I - Beginning
2RE Respond to aesthetic qualities of a performance using music terminology.
3RE Examine how people from different backgrounds and cultures use and respond to music.
4RE Evaluate the use of the elements of music as relative to expression in a varied repertoire
of music.
HS II- Developing
2RE Describe how the use of elements of music affects the aesthetic impact of a music
selection.
3RE Discuss how the purpose, meaning and value of music changes because of the impact of
life experiences.
5RE Describe the use of elements of music as they relate to expression in a varied
repertoire of music.
6RE Incorporate technology when possible in assessing music performances.
HS III- Intermediate
2RE Discuss how people differ in their responses to the aesthetic qualities of performance
including their personal responses.
3RE Assess how elements of music are used in a work to create images or evoke emotions.
4RE Explain how the creative process is used in similar and different ways in the arts.
5RE Evaluate how musical forms are influenced by history.
6RE Compare and contrast a musical work with another work of art (e.g., dance, drama or
visual art) from the same culture on the basis of cultural influences.
7RE Evaluate how musical forms and performance practices are influenced by culture and
history.
HS IV- Mastery
2RE Describe how compositional devices and techniques (e.g., motives, imitation, suspension and retrograde) are used to provide unity, variety, tension and release in a music work.
3RE Discuss how people differ in their response to musical experiences based upon culture,
environment, values and personal experiences.
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Triumph Over Adversity: A Musical Journey Through African American Poetry
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Class Materials
© Cleveland Institute of Music, 2013
Bibliography
Johnson, James Weldon. “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Poets.org. 1997-2012. Academy of American
Poets. 6 January 2012. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15588>
Dunbar, Paul Laurence. “Sympathy.” Poets.org. 1997-2012. Academy of American Poets. 6 January
2012. <http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16071>
Hughes, Langston. “I Dream a World.” Learning From Lyrics. Chase, Jonathan. 1996-2012. Musicians
United for Songs in the Classroom, Inc. 6 January 2012.
<http://www.learningfromlyrics.org/Langston.html>
Evans, Mari. “Status Symbol.” LoisLeveen.com. Leveen, Lois. 2012. 6 January 2012.
<http://loisleveen.com/digitalportfolio/neeraj_midterm/status_symbol.htm>
Angelou, Maya. “When Great Trees Fall.” The Complete Collected Poems of Maya Angelou. New York:
Random House, 1994. 266-267. Google Book Search. Web. 6 January 2012.
Terry, Lucy. “Bars Fight.” Africans in America. 1998. PBS. 6 January 2012.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2h1592t.html>
Wheatly, Phillis. “On Being Brought from Africa to America.” Ann Woodlief’s Web Study Texts.
Woodlief, Ann. 1996-2010. Virginia Commonwealth University. 6 January 2012.
<http://www.vcu.edu/engweb/webtexts/Wheatley/brought.html >