Allegra Pennington
Teacher Applicant: Allegra Penington
Project Title: Civil War Voices
School: Brownell Elementary School
Grade: 5
Project Description:
The multidisciplinary unit of study focused on the study of the Civil War era, the celebration of the birthday of the great civil rights leader Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the history of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement, and the celebration of Black History Month by studying the period music associated with these historic events in our nation’s history. The goal was to utilize historic period music to study the history of civil rights in America.
In the era of No Child Left Behind and the emphasis placed on accountability, it is especially important that the study of arts curriculum be connected to the study of other core curricular areas. The arts are woven into the texture of our nation’s history and are an integral part of the mosaic of America.
In alignment with the National Standards of Music Education, this project was designed to study the history of civil rights in America from the perspective of the music of those time periods. Since I teach both general music and visual art, we utilized both curricular areas in our unit of study, although our primary emphasis was on the exploration and study of period music of those historic times- the Civil War and the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement.
In January, students studied and learned many pieces of music from the Civil War era and the 20th Century Civil Rights Movement. They researched the life of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and learned his “I Have a Dream” speech, performing an excerpt in a music arrangement for an evening all-school program celebrating the birthday of Dr. King.
Students were inspired by The History Channel’s presentation of “The Underground Railroad” to research that historic era, described as the first Civil Rights Movement, bringing black people and white people together to work for freedom. We also viewed biographical programming of African American leaders on A&E Biography during Black History Month in February.
Our research expanded on these viewing experiences by accessing the treasure trove of knowledge available through the resources of The Library of Congress. Although this was an ancillary goal, I wanted the students to become fluent in exploring the wealth of materials available so our nation’s library would become a valued companion in their journeys to lifelong learning. The students utilized the site American Memory to access some of the more than 90 digital collections available there.
Utilizing their research and integrating the music they had learned, the students wrote and created an opening scene for an original mini-musical we entitled “Civil War Voices”. The student created characters, either fictional or based on actual Personages, and created a scene integrating music into the setting and scene they created. Excerpts from this creative writing portion of the project will be included in our spring music production in May.
The students studied the art connection to the Civil War era, and focused on the folk art form of the Freedom Quilts. They learned the symbolic and hidden references in the quilts and their use as “maps” during the years of the Underground Railroad. Then they worked collaboratively in teams of their choosing to create quilt squares and their own Freedom Quilts, which hare displayed in the school. The quilt artworks will be exhibited during a Family Art Night event in our school on April 24.
As our project progressed, the students decided to create a PowerPoint presentation of their study of Civil Rights history as experienced through music, so this will also be included in our spring production in May.
Learning Objectives:
The overarching theme of our project was the utilization of historic period music to study the history of Civil Rights in America. The learning objectives were
1. To learn Civil War era songs, study military music of the era and understand their significance and impact on history.
2. To learn music of the 1960s Civil Rights era and connect this music to its roots in African American spirituals and music of the Civil War era. Students will learn Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and will perform it in a special musical arrangement to honor Dr. King’s birthday.
3. To utilize the resources of The Library of Congress to research music, art, and related subjects for this project.
4. To create an opening scene for a mini-musical entitled Civil War Voices which will utilize students’ research and integrate the music they have studied onto the created scene.
5. To research and study the significance of Freedom Quilts in the Civil War era, and to create a Freedom Quilt in art classes. Students will utilize on-line resources of the National Gallery of Art to examine Civil War artworks of American artist Winslow Homer, war correspondent at the beginning of the Civil War, and the Memorial to Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts 54th Regiment.
Use of Cable Programming and Technology:
Cable programming and technology are the tools of the present that link us to the past, and to the future. Cable programming enables students who are 10 and 11 years of age to connect with experiences of our nation’s history through the power of visual imagery. Technology enables them to explore and research their own special areas of interest, and to connect their imagery and research with their own unique perspective to make it their own lifetime learning experience.
Without technology, students would not have been able to hear and view authentic music of the historic times of Civil War and the struggle for Civil Rights. Without technology, they would have not been able to experience the powerful historic delivery of the words, “I Have a Dream.”
Without technology they would not have been able to access a photograph and look into the eyes of Drummer Jackson, a 14-year-old drummer in the Union Army.
Without cable programming, they would not have been able to connect with the terrifying experiences of enslaved people risking everything to travel to freedom through the Underground Railroad.
With the tools of cable programming and technology, their history becomes alive, meaningful, and memorable.
Effectiveness:
This challenging project kept the students fully engaged in learning mode at all times. They were enthusiastic about all aspects of the project, and produced quality work product as evidenced in their performances, creative writing assignments, and artworks. They consistently endeavored to go beyond the assigned boundaries and constantly shared tidbits of information regarding extra experiences they were doing outside the classroom in conjunction with our project, for example, looking at other artworks on-line at the Library of Congress and National Gallery of Art, asking a grandmother to help make a quilt, doing research on their own time to learn more about field drums and military drum cadences and reading books about related topics such as “Sweet Clara and The Freedom Quilt”. This was a very successful learning experience with fully realized learning objectives by all students.
Benefits:
In our cumulative discussion assessment, the students stated that utilizing music as a thematic device for the study of history brought the stories of history to life. Students shared their experiences of a new understanding of the importance of Civil Rights, and its roots in the Civil War era. They talked about singing the songs with little brothers and sisters, and singing them along with their moms and dads and grandparents. Some spoke of planning to research their family roots and ancestors who serve in the Civil War, and some expressed a wish to learn to play instruments such as drums and dulcimer. Students strongly stated their opinions about the need to understand and respect people of all backgrounds, and to listen and understand each person’s “story.” Many spoke with conviction about all people being “…equal and nobody’s no better than nobody else.” Two students will be in Washington, D.C. this summer and stated that they would be sure to visit the Library of Congress. One student shared that the music “Waiting for the Light to Shine” now had special meaning for her. Her light will shine, she said, when her dad comes home from Iraq. At the conclusion of the discussion students voted for their favorite piece of music studied in the project. The overwhelming favorites were “Wade in the Water” and “I Have a Dream”.
