Pre-Reading Activity
Audio Analysis Activity
Grades 8-12
50 minutes
It is important to introduce a new novel or text through a context in which kids can relate to and enjoy. Through an analysis of an audio clip pertinent to the context of the text being introduced, students will identify major themes and cultural contexts in which to further explore in the required text. This will establish a thematic base for students to frame the new text.
The only materials needed would be an audio file and a media player.
For instance, when reading, “The Grapes of Wrath” by John Steinbeck, the instructor could introduce music and life of Woody Guthrie, considering the following quote by John Steinbeck:
“Woody is just Woody. Thousands of people do not know he had any other name. He is just a voice and a guitar. He sings the songs of a people and I suspect that he is, in a way, that people. Harsh voiced and nasal, his guitar hanging like a tire iron on a rusty rim, there is nothing sweet about Woody, and there is nothing sweet about the songs he sings. But there is something more important for those who will listen. There is the will of a people to endure and fight against oppression. I think we call this the American spirit.”
The instructor would play the song, “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie and distribute lyrics of the song focusing student attention on the last several (relatively unknown) verses considering the following:
* Use of irony (e.g. beauty of land vs. condition of people)
* Attitude toward the land
* Idea of the “American spirit”
* Political implications/views
After reading “The Grapes Of Wrath,” further discuss connections previously discussed between the song and the novel.
Perhaps read excerpts from "Bound for Glory," Guthries’ autobiography. Discuss the parallels between Guthrie’s life and music and the experience of the Joad family. How well does Tom Joad fit Steinbeck’s description of Guthrie? How does Tom change over the course of the novel?
Partially taken from The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame:
http://rockhall.com/education/resources/lesson-plans/sti-lesson-9/
Rational for selection: My reasons for selecting this idea are very similar to my reasons for selecting Eve's "Mapping the Action" lesson. I am extremely interested in engaging students into the texts by providing context for them. Playing Woody Guthrie for students not only allows them to access the text with their aural senses, but it also reveals a slice of American culture from the time of the novel's setting. If activities such as this and "Mapping the Action" inspire students to research elements of novels, I would consider that a huge success. I also think this idea transfers beautifully to many other works.
ReplyDeleteSteinbeck, John. (2006). The Grapes of Wrath. New York, NY: Penguin Classics.
Guthrie, Woody. (1997). This Land is Your Land. This Land is Your Land: The Asch Recordings Vol. I [CD]. Smithsonian Folkways