Lesson Title

Strange Fruit

"The smell of magnolia, sweet and fresh..."

Two- Week Outline

Part 1- Week 1

• Students will be able to view assignment details and ask questions using D2L Brightspace.
• Introduce the unit by informing students that we are all connected and with that connection comes great responsibility to encourage empathy for others in our everyday lives.
• Watch The DNA Journey
• When great tragedies occur, humans seek solace in those times of need. Art, music, dance, and literature provide us with opportunities to address these tragedies in a profound way. Students will be introduced to three historical events that inspired musical responses: 
• "Don't Kill My Baby and My Son" - 1911 Laura Nelson Lynching
• "Strange Fruit" - 1930 Lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith
• "A Change is Gonna Come" - 1963 African American Church Burning in Birmingham

Part 2 - Week 2

• Students will be asked to find other examples of art addressing tragedy: graffiti, music, art, etc.
• Students will research their art, the artist, and the event that inspired that art’s creation.
• Students will submit a short research paper about their findings and create a presentation to share with the class:
• Power Point/ Prezi
• Videos
• Animations
• Original Artworks that they have created: music, visual Arts, Poetry, etc.

Lesson Objectives/

• Study historical events that inspired songs
• Study whose perspective is heard in history
• Study the songs to learn how art expresses tragedy
• Students find modern examples of tragic events that have inspired art (visual, dance, music, etc.)
•  Discuss, research and write about this topic in preparation for the final presentation project.
  

Intelligences and Learning Styles Targeted

• Verbal/linguistic: understanding and manipulating words and languages, writing and speaking.
• Visual/Spatial: movies, pictures, videos, express mood through art.
• Musical intelligence: crating lyrics about what is being taught.
• Interpersonal: group work and planning
• Intrapersonal: Knowing yourself journals

Essential Questions:

• Why is music such an integral part of the human experience?
• What inspires someone to create a piece of music?
• Does a performance have to be public to be meaningful?
• What criteria do we use to evaluate a performance?
• What makes a significant and meaningful performance?
• How does the style of music affect the behavior of the audience?
• What is empathy and why is it important?

Materials

Websites :

http://www.jenx67.com/2015/03/lynching-of-laura-nelson.html

http://www.jenx67.com/2015/06/laura-nelsons-grave.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strange_Fruit

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-f-darden/tragedy-art-the-power-of-_b_5914788.html

YouTube Videos:

“Don't Kill My Baby and My Son” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF15w1PWBYI

“Strange Fruit” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ZyuULy9zs

“Hang Knot”

“High Balladry”

Vimeo:

The Nelson Lynchings of 1911: https://vimeo.com/91065177

Articles:

Debra Leigh: http://www.womenspress.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=4048

Oklahoma Gazette: http://okgazette.com/2011/05/24/picture-of-horror/

Lynch Quilts Project: http://www.thelynchquiltsproject.com/#!laura-nelsons-story/c1ygo

Racist History: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/03/12/the-real-lynchings-in-sae-s-oklahoma-backyard.html

The Strange Story of the Man Behind “Strange Fruit”: http://www.mprnews.org/story/npr/158933012

Learning to Listen: Music of Rights and Revolution: http://www.classicalmpr.org/story/2016/01/18/learning-to-listen-music-of-rights-and-revolution

Twin Cities Teen Musicians Record a Song for Philando Castile: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/07/17/philando-castile-song/#.V4xT6i752y0.facebook

Online- In this platform you will need the following technology to be successful in this class:

• Active SCTCC email account
• Internet access
• Use of SCTCC D2L services
• Use of Starfish Account
• Microsoft Word software
  

Let’s Create Empathy – We are all Connected

Watch Momondo: The DNA Journey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw7FhU-G1_Q

We are all connected and with that connection comes great responsibility to encourage empathy for others in our everyday lives. When great tragedies occur humans seek solace in those times of need. Empathy can be found in art, music, dance, and literature, which provide us with opportunities to address these tragedies in a profound way.

In our two-week unit, we will explore how musicians turned tragedy, in this case lynchings, into profound musical statements that spoke more deeply than the newspaper clippings of the day. In Part 1 of this unit, we will look at three historical events that inspired musical responses. In Part 2, you will have an opportunity to find current examples of music that addresses tragedy and make your own art to express your point of view.

Directions for Part 1:

1. Answer the Essential Questions Survey and post to our D2L Discussion Board.

2. Read the materials and watch the videos for the following historical events.  For each event, you will write a 200+ word discussion post about your reactions to the articles you have read and music examples that you have watched. Comment on at least three of your colleague’s posts.

Discussion 1: "Don't Kill My Baby and My Son" - 1911 Laura Nelson Lynching

Discussion 2: "Strange Fruit" - 1930 Lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith

Discussion 3: "A Change is Gonna Come" - 1963 African American Church Burning in Birmingham

Directions for Part 2:

Discussions:

2. Choose one current event, an artwork inspired by it, and the artist to research for your project paper. Then, create a presentation to share with the class. Be inspired and be creative! You can create music, artwork, dance, poetry, spoken word, etc. In the discussion, tell us about your art, what event inspired it, and how you think it will connect to others and help create empathy. If you make a video or use another website to create your art, be sure to include links for us to view it!

• Power Point/ Prezi
• Videos
• Animations
• Music, Visual Arts, Poetry, etc.

3. Answer the Essential Questions Survey again and post to our D2L Discussion Board. Compare your answers to the beginning of the unit. How has your perspective changed?

Bonus Points on the top! Each student may earn extra points for this unit by choosing from the selected activities below:

1. Use multiple art forms to create a reflective reaction to current racial events.

2. Select a project that is personal to you for your research project and art reflection.

3. Submit your final project to a competition or present it in a public venue.

Project Paper: Submit to the D2L Dropbox at the end of Week 2.

Questions? Please email me – hvermillion@sctcc.edu

Want to do more with your arts involvement? Where do you see a need in our community for empathy, social justice, and support?

• Find a cause and create a plan to address that need.
• Would you create an after school dance program? An art exhibition to raise awareness? A concert to raise funds for your project? 
• In your plan include the need, why it is important to address, what you plan to do (music, art, dance, etc.), and how you would get permissions, reserve the space, and invite people to your event.
• Extra bonus points if you can put your plan into action this semester!

Differentiation/

Face-to-Face classes: Two Weeks

•  Part 1 three 50 minute classes
•  Part 2 three 50 minute classes

Alternate assessment Tic-Tac-Toe. During the semester, students score a tic-tac-toe by choosing a column, row, or diagonal assessment "chain" to be used as a summative assessment for three different units. Rubrics could be created by students and guided by the essential questions posed for each unit. (source: Assessment and the Learning Brain, by Hardiman and Whitman, 2014 available on ERIC)

Teacher Reflection

Before: 

• What is my goal and what do I want to happen in this unit?

After:

• Did the assignments meet the objectives?
• What went well?
• What changes should be made?

Here is a link to my prezi! http://prezi.com/tzighb-ja8ll/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy