Lesson Plan Title: Country Music
Skills Covered: Reading, writing, speaking and listening skills
General Goal(s): The students will develop reading, speaking, listening and writing skills necessary for recognition, comprehension, interpretation, analysis, evaluation and appreciation of the work of art. The students will explore cultural issues, values of American society through country music, will learn to develop respect and appreciation of American cultural traditions.
Specific Objectives: The students will develop knowledge and ability to use a range of vocabulary items related to description of painting, different types of music and musical instruments. They will examine the artistic detail of “The Sources of Country Music” by artist Thomas Hart Benton, write stories about the characters depicted in the picture. The students will also develop creative skills of writing based on the subject matter presented by the picture.
Materials/ Visual Aids: Projector, computer with access to internet (to present the reproduction of “The Sources of Country Music” by Thomas Hart Benton) or slide projector and the slide with the reproduction of “The Sources of Country Music” by Thomas Hart Benton; interactive whiteboard to project images on the screen, CD player, paper, pens/pencils.
Warm-up activity (To inspire the students have them listen to some country music as they work. It could be played not very loud at the background, suggesting the mood and the subject of the lesson)
Activity #1. In pairs discuss what form of entertainment you would choose if :
- you needed cheering up
- you wanted to meet new people
- you wanted to celebrate something
- you wanted to spend a quiet evening
What is your favorite form of entertainment?
Why do you enjoy it?
What do you think about music as a form of entertainment?
PROCEDURE
Activity #2. Discuss the following questions. Work in groups. Compare your answers.
1. Can you image your day without music?
2. What types of music do you like?
3. What music do you listen to if the weather is nasty?
4. What music do you like to listen early in the morning?
5. What music do you listen to when you feel low?
6. What type of music you do not enjoy listening to?
7. Who are your favorite bands/singers/composers?
8. What were the last CDs that you’ve bought?
9. What was the last concert you went to?
10. What is you favorite musical instrument? Can you play it? If you can, how did you learn to play it? How did you become interested in this instrument? If you do not play an instrument, is there an instrument you would like to learn how to play?
11. What are the rewards of learning a musical instrument?
12. What role does music play in your life?
13. Do you agree that music is universal language? Why?
Activity #3. Define the following types of music:
classical pop rock jazz country
You may make use of the given words and phrases
pleasant sounds, reflection of emotions, based on traditions, intellectual pleasure, powerful appeal, original, lyrical, aggressive, invigorating, sensational, boring, old-fashioned, light, experimental, influential, etc.
Activity #4. Work in pairs. Divide the following musical instruments into the four groups:
- string instruments
- brass instruments
- wood-wind instruments
- percussion instrument
banjo clarinet cymbals dulcimer double-bass
drums flute guitar harp horn
oboe harmonica piano fiddle saxophone
mandolin trumpet tambourine xylophone violin
cello trombone bassoon
Activity #5. Write the names of the musical instruments from Activity #4 which contain the following letters. The letters may be final, initial or middle.
C M
O U
U S
N I
T C
R
Y
Ask the students what musical instruments are generally associated with “country music” and what do they know about country music? (What country is it originated from? In what state of the USA is situated the city of Nashville? Who are cowboys? etc. ) The teacher presents the general overview of the country music, explaining that ‘country music’ is the music of America. It is rooted in the folksongs brought to the New World by the settlers from the British Isles. It has roots in traditional folk music, Celtic music and gospel music. The Irish fiddle, the German dulcimer, the Italian mandolin, the Spanish guitar, and the West African banjo were the most common musical instruments. Rural American music gradually combined many different styles but it is still based on vocal and instrumental traditions of the past.It’s center is Nashville – the capital of Tennessee, USA. It is the city where Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is situated and where you could find Thomas Hart Benton’s picture “ The Sources of Country Music”. “The Sources of Country Music” was the last great work of the American master painter which was commissioned in 1973 and completed in 1975.
Activity # 6. Look at the picture by Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975), The Sources of Country Music, 1975 for about 5 minutes. You can find it if you go to the website http://picturingamerica.neh.gov (in the Gallery it is picture number 18a). Prepare to describe the scene of action and the characters. When the image disappears from the screen one person starts by giving one detail about the picture in a complete sentence. The next person adds a new detail, and so on. Describe people, places, activities and objects.
Activity #7. Look at the picture by Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975), The Sources of Country Music, 1975. You can find it if you go to the website http://picturingamerica.neh.gov (in the Gallery it is picture number 18a). Choose the character from the picture. Write a short background story of the character considering the following questions and then report it to the class:
What is his/her name?
Where is he/she from?
How old is the character?
What does he/she do for living?
Does he/she have a family to support?
What is his/her life is like?
Can he/she play the musical instrument/ dance/sing?
How long has he/she been doing it?
Does he/she enjoy doing it?
What is he/she doing in the painting?
What is he/she wearing? Why?
Does the character know other people?
How did they meet?
Does he/she like the place where he/she lives?
What is his/her dream?
Activity #8. Read the quotation about country music and express your opinion about it with reference to the Thomas Hart Benton’s picture “The Sources of Country Music”.
"Country music is still devoted to the lyric and to the telling of stories, which people love and people need. Country music artists took what they heard around them, material that was in the air and that was common currency, and they made something entirely new. " - Garrison Keillor
Activity #9. Thomas Hart Benton’s picture “ The Sources of Country Music” was dedicated to the famous country music artist and actor Tex Ritter. Can you identify him in the picture? Listen to the country song which was performed by Maurice “Tex” Ritter (1905-1974) “Froggy Went A-Courtin” and fill in the blanks.
FROGGIE WENT A-COURTIN'
Frog went a courtin' and he did ride, uh-huh
Frog went a courtin' and he did ride, uh-huh
Frog went a courtin' and he did ride
With a _______and a _______by his side, uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
He rode right up to Miss Mousie's door, uh-huh
He rode right up to Miss Mousie's door, uh-huh
He rode right up to Miss Mousie's door
Gave three _____raps, and a very big______, uh-huh uh-huh uh-huh
Said Miss Mouse, are you within, uh-huh
Said Miss Mouse, are you within, uh-huh
Said Miss Mouse, are you within
Miss Mousie said, I sit and______, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Took Miss Mousie on his knee, uh-huh
Took Miss Mousie on his knee, uh-huh
Took Miss Mousie on his knee,
Said Miss Mousie, will you _______me, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Without my Uncle Rat's consent, uh-huh
Without my Uncle Rat's consent, uh-huh
Without my Uncle Rat's consent,
I wouldn't marry the________, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Uncle Rat laughed, and he shook his fat sides, uh-huh
Uncle Rat laughed, and he shook his fat sides, uh-huh
Uncle Rat laughed, and he shook his fat sides
To think his _______would be a________, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Uncle Rat went running downtown, uh-huh
Uncle Rat went running downtown, uh-huh
Uncle Rat went running downtown
To buy his niece a__________, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Where shall the wedding supper be, uh-huh
Where shall the wedding supper be, uh-huh
Where shall the wedding supper be
Way down yonder in the__________, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
What shall the wedding supper be, uh-huh
What shall the wedding supper be, uh-huh
What shall the wedding supper be
Fried _________and a black-eyed______, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
First to come in was a flyin' moth, uh-huh
First to come in was a flyin' moth, uh-huh
First to come in was a flyin' moth
She layed out the________, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was a juney bug, uh-huh
Next to come in was a juney bug, uh-huh
Next to come in was a juney bug
She brought in the_________, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was a bumbly bee, uh-huh
Next to come in was a bumbly bee, uh-huh
Next to come in was a bumbly bee
Sat mosquito on his_______, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was a broken back flea, uh-huh
Next to come in was a broken back flea, uh-huh
Next to come in was a broken back flea
Danced a jig with the bumbly _____uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was Mrs. Cow, uh-huh
Next to come in was Mrs. Cow, uh-huh
Next to come in was Mrs. Cow
She tried to ______but she didn't know how, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was a little black tick, uh-huh
Next to come in was a little black tick, uh-huh
Next to come in was a little black tick
She ate so much it made her_______, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was the big black snake, uh-huh
Next to come in was the big black snake, uh-huh
Next to come in was the big black snake
Ate up all of the_________, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Next to come in was the old gray cat, uh-huh
Next to come in was the old gray cat, uh-huh
Next to come in was the old gray cat
Swallowed the ______and ate up the ______, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Mr.Frog went a-hoppin up over the brooke, uh-huh
Mr.Frog went a-hoppin up over the brooke, uh-huh
Mr.Frog went a-hoppin up over the brooke
A lily white _____came and swallowed him up, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Little piece of corn bread layin' on the shelf, uh-huh
Little piece of corn bread layin' on the shelf, uh-huh
Little piece of corn bread layin' on the shelf
If you want anymore you can__________, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Activity #10. Work in Pairs. You are going to create a country music band. Decide on these things
- name for the band
- places where you could perform
- outfits and costumes
- list of things the musicians want (riders)
- festivals you would like to organize
EXTENSION
Activity #11. Visit the internet resource- official website of Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum – www.countrymusichalloffame.org/thomas-hart-benton. Watch Thomas Hart Benton’s the Making of the Sources of Country Music Video and answer the following questions:
- Who was the painting dedicated to? What was he famous for? Where is he in the picture?
- Why did the artist make a clay model of the picture?
- How did the artist come to the idea of creating the mural?
- What is the difference between painting and the mural according to the artist’s point of view?
- Where did Thomas Hart Benton spend his childhood? Did he know anything about country music when he was a child?
- Did the players of the country music use percussion instruments?
- What instruments did they play?
Activity #12. Focus on Describing painting. When describing painting as a work of art you need to give the important details. Talk about the main subject, the setting, composition, the colors, characters, objects and their roles in the main theme and composition, the background. Also describe your feelings and emotions towards the picture and the subject presented.
Write down the description of Thomas Hart Benton’s picture “ The Sources of Country Music”. Use between 130-150 words.
Activity #13 . Project work. Choose an influential American country music artist. (For example, Maurice “Tex” Ritter (1905-1974)). Prepare a content for a web page about your artist. Think about:
- personal background
- why his/her music is important to American culture
- key examples of his/her work
- other similar musicians
- if he is well known in Russia
If you can find a sample of the music/songs, play it to the rest of the class.
Based on your presentation the Wall of Fame wall paper for the best country music singers/musicians will be created.
List of References:
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