My+Lesson+Plan

Paige Williams Lesson Plan (Adapted from ArtsEdge lesson plan titled “Multi-Media Hero Analysis”)

I. **__Overview:__** Students will recognize the positive character traits of heroes as depicted in music, art and literature. For this lesson, students will, on his or her own, write a definition of a hero. Additionally, students will discuss multi media representations of heroes as well as cultural differences among who is considered a hero. This lesson is aimed at juniors and seniors in high school, preferably in a general music classroom. This lesson can also be done as a collaboration between the music teacher and English teacher.

II. **__Learning Objectives:__** After completing this lesson, students will be able to identify characteristics that are common to heroes, and recognize qualities that are exceptional in certain heroes. Students will recognize heroes from many different cultures, and understand how works of art, literature, and music may depict historical, legendary, or contemporary heroes. Additionally, students will be able to understand how heroes can be any type of person who has accomplished an inspiring action.

III. **__Standards Addressed:__**
 * Standard 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
 * Standard 8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
 * Standard 9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

IV. **__Instructional Plan:__** a) **__ Preparation/Anticipatory Set: __** Students will call up and connect prior knowledge of heroes (physical attributes, characteristics, etc.). Students will also connect prior knowledge of how certain instruments are used to symbolize things in movies, etc. b) **__ Procedure & Activities: __**

1. Students will brainstorm a list of words that come to mind when they hear the word “hero”.

2. Students will create a cluster map showing how these words relate to a hero.

3. Students will pick one word from their cluster map and “art-ify” it. After 5 or 6 minutes of “art-ifying”, students will write 3-4 sentences, walking the reader through the illustration.

4. The class will read __A Band of Angels__ by Deborah Hopkinson and collectively discuss “unseen” heroes and heroes that are types of people who have accomplished an inspiring action (such as George White, Ella Sheppard and the Jubilee Singers mentioned in Deborah Hopkinson’s book). 5. The students will research heroic art on their own for a few minutes in groups. They will find one specific example of a hero depicted in art, each student addressing a hero from a different culture, and then analyze according to the following: 6. The students will then find a song or piece of music that also can be analyzed using the previous questions. 7. Students will present their piece of art and music to the class. The class can then compare heroes of different cultures (unifying aspects between cultures, similarities in qualities, differences, etc.). 8. End Project: For homework - each of the students will select a piece of music depicting a hero and write an expository essay on this piece. They may either select from the reproductions shown in class or select a piece of music on their own, subject to approval. The heroes may be epic heroes, mythological heroes, or “unseen” heroes. Students will each write a two-page, double-spaced expository essay analyzing this piece of music. Other option for project: Students could create their own composition depicting one of their heroes or one of the heroes about which they read. c) **__ Literacy and Metaphor/Analogy Links: __** Students will be “art-ifying” their definition of a hero, which is a concept from Wormeli Chapter 6. This helps them visualize what they are learning, and practice using art to symbolize a concept. Students will also be “calling up and connecting relevant prior knowledge”, which is from C&A chapter 7. This helps them get started with what a hero is and makes the concept easier to understand and more meaningful.
 * What is the theme depicted in this work?
 * Can you identify a heroic deed or character in this work of art?
 * What terms would you use to identify specific aspects of the work that illustrate heroic qualities of the subject?
 * In what manner is the portrayal (medium/style) suitable to the hero illustrated?
 * What characteristics does this hero display?
 * Why do artists depict heroes? What aspects of this hero are specific to the culture from which it comes? Would people all over the world agree that this is a hero? Why or why not?

V. **__Assessment:__** Students will create a cluster map; organizing 8-10 words they think of when they hear the word “hero”. After they have drawn up a rough sketch of their cluster map, they will create it online with bubbl.us. Additionally, students will take home a worksheet to complete, writing about a hero in their life (who, why, and what instrument would represent this hero?). A final project will show the students’ understanding. This project will be an essay, with students choosing a hero depicted in music, and writing about the hero and its culture, analyzing how it is depicted in music.

VI. **__Materials and Resources:__** VII. **__Research Support:__** Singh, Manjari, and Mei-Yu Lu. "Heroes and Heroines in Children's Literature." //Heroes and Heroines in Children's Literature//. N.p., 2006. Web. 10 Dec. 2012. The key focus of this article is the function of heroes in children’s literature. In children’s literature, heroes and heroines function as role models and as exemplars of universal character traits, which are valued in particular contexts and time periods. This article discusses several of these traits, such as: personal courage, perseverance, optimism and caring for others. The article also provides a list of teacher-recommended books, and suggestions of how to evaluate and search international children’s literature. This article gathers evidence about heroes in children’s literature, and has several implications for arts education, due to the lists of resources that can be used in your own way.
 * Songs/scenes from Disney’s “Hercules” (DVD or youtube clips)
 * __ A Band of Angels __ by Deborah Hopkinson
 * Spotify
 * Bubbl.us
 * Summary: **