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Introduction
Educators
have long used music, story, and verse as a means of learning
about people, places, and cultures. The inclusion of a study
of Bluegrass music within the K-12 curriculum allows for
cross-curricular investigations into rural life (present and
past), Appalachian cultures, folklore, economic histories, family
structures, spirituality, value systems, entertainment, work
ethic, the introduction of technology, and many other aspects of
culture in the Kentucky, Tennessee, Carolinas, Virginias, and
northern Georgia.
This WebQuest provides a
framework for an inquiry-based study of Bluegrass Music and what
we can learn about people, places, and eras as we develop an
appreciation for the power and beauty of this most American and
most unique genre of music.
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Content Areas
This multidisciplinary WebQuest includes
the following content areas: music, reading, social studies.
The target audience for this WebQuest is middle grades, however,
suggestions are including for adapting the tasks for younger and older
students.
Curriculum
Standards (Kentucky)
RD-E-1.0.10
Connect
literature to students' lives and real world issues. Informational
Reading includes whole texts and excerpts from materials such as
journals, magazines, newspaper articles, letters, brochures,
reference materials, essays, nonfiction books, and electronic
texts.
RD-E-2.0.8
Identify main
ideas and details that support them.
RD-E-2.0.10
Connect
the content of a passage to students' lives and/or real
world issues. Persuasive Reading includes whole texts
and excerpts from materials such as magazine and
newspaper articles, brochures, letters, proposals,
speeches, editorials, electronic texts, essays, opinion
columns, and advertisements.
RD-E-x.0.2
Use knowledge of synonyms, antonyms, homonyms,
and compound words for comprehension. Literary
Reading includes whole texts and excerpts from
materials such as short stories, novels,
essays, poetry, plays, and scripts. The
reading materials represent various historical
and cultural perspectives.
AH-E-1.1.34
Harmony: unison, parts, intervals,
tonality (major, resting "home"
tone)
AH-E-1.2.31
Identify
similarities and
differences in
musical elements
used in the
music of Native
American,
American Folk,
and West African
cultures,
including
instruments
unique to each
culture. (2.23,
2.24, 2.25,
2.26)
AH-E-1.2.32
Identify and
discuss various
styles of music
(blues,
spirituals,
popular, rock,
rap, country,
game songs, folk
songs, work
songs,
lullabies,
marches,
patriotic,
bluegrass).
(2.24, 2.25,
2.26)
SS-E-2.1.1
Language, music,
art, dress,
food, stories,
and folk tales
help define
culture and may
be shared among
various groups.
SS-E-2.1.2
Elements of
culture (e.g.,
language, music,
art, dress,
food, stories,
folktales) serve
to define
specific groups
and may result
in unique
perspectives.
SS-E-2.2.1
All cultures
develop
institutions,
customs,
beliefs, and
holidays
reflecting their
unique
histories,
situations, and
perspectives.
SS-E-2.3.1
Various human
needs are met
through
interaction in
and among social
groups (e.g.,
family, schools,
teams, and
clubs).
SS-E-2.4.1
As cultures
emerge and
develop,
conflict and
competition
(e.g.,
disagreements,
arguments,
stereotypes,
prejudice) may
occur.
NOTE: It is not
expected that all these
Core Content items for
Assessment would be
included. Teachers
should determine which of
these they will focus on
within this WebQuest.
A Combined Curriculum for
Kentucky can be found
here:
http://www.education.ky.gov/KDE/Instructional+Resources/Curriculum+Documents+and+Resources/Teaching+Tools/Combined+Curriculum+Documents/default.htm
National Association
for Music Education Standards (http://www.menc.org/publication/books/prek12st.html)
6. Content Standard: Listening to, analyzing, and
describing music
Achievement Standard:
Students
b. analyze the uses of *elements of music in aural examples representing
diverse genres and cultures
c. demonstrate knowledge of the basic principles of meter, rhythm, tonality,
intervals, chords, and harmonic progressions in their analyses of music
7. Content Standard: Evaluating music and music performances
Achievement Standard:
Students
a. develop criteria for evaluating the quality and effectiveness of music
performances and compositions and apply the criteria in their personal
listening and performing
8. Content Standard: Understanding relationships between music, the
other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
Achievement Standard:
Students
a. compare in two or more arts how the characteristic materials of each art
can be used to transform similar events, scenes, emotions, or ideas into
works of art
b. describe ways in which the principles and subject matter of other
disciplines taught in the school are interrelated with those of music
9. Content Standard: Understanding music in relation to history and
culture
Achievement Standard:
Students
a. describe distinguishing characteristics of representative music genres
and styles from a variety of cultures
b. classify by genre and style (and, if applicable, by historical period,
composer, and title) a varied body of exemplary (that is, high-quality and
characteristic) musical works and explain the characteristics that cause
each work to be considered exemplary
c. compare, in several cultures of the world, functions music serves, roles
of musicians, and conditions under which music is typically performed
The Tasks
The Tasks in this WebQuest ask
participants to listen to Bluegrass songs, read the lyrics, and use
electronic and print resources to chronicle aspects of culture as
reflected in the music. Students will have opportunities to
compare and contrast their own lives and beliefs with those reflected in
the Bluegrass music they hear. Tasks will include responding to
several data response formats that guide students through critical
analysis of the songs and of different cultural themes which will
include:
- descriptions of
rural/mountain life
- impact of transportation and travel reflected in
song
- themes of heartbreak,
courtship, and love
- concept maps on the old "homeplace"
- attitudes on war, patriotism, service to others
- Venn Diagram contrasting what
we value now as opposed to what was valued in times past as reflected
in Bluegrass music
- traditional stories and folklore told in Bluegrass
music
- themes of spirituality and religion
- impact of geographic location on world views
The Process
Prior to Beginning
WebQuest
Teachers should engage
students in "grand conversations" on the following to activate schema
and connect with previous learning:
1. Students
should work with a partner to brainstorm 5 words they think of when they
see the words "Bluegrass Music?"
2. Combine
and categorize the words into groups by headings (positive, negative,
specific songs, specific singers, musical instruments, geographic area,
era, etc.)
3. Ask
students to make a list of ten topics they think might be included as
the main ideas in Bluegrass music.
4. Ask
students to think of ten current songs they know and the topic or main
idea of each song (love, work, war, religion, family, home, etc.).
Note any similarities between music in popular culture and to
traditional Bluegrass music.
5. How does
music in general tell us about our culture?
Resources
Click here to begin 
of the Webquest
Planning:
Standards:
http://www.menc.org/publication/books/prek12st.html (national
association for music education)
Lyrics:
http://www.bluegrassworld.com/lyrics.htm
Lyrics:
http://www.roughstock.com/cowpie/songs/
Evaluation
09/11/2005 01:45:17 PM
Email Pam Petty
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