Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Tuesday, April 24th by carlaWe knew something was up as soon as we walked in — Miss Jackson had a record player on the table. A record player? This was English class! Everybody knew you didn’t listen to records at school.
We started by reading “Richard Cory” from our textbooks. Miss Jackson guided us through the analysis, then put the needle on the record and played Simon and Garfunkel’s version of the same poem. Our eighth-grade minds were captivated. She followed it up with “A Most Peculiar Man,” and for the first time we began to think this poetry stuff might not be so bad.
Fast forward. I’m teaching “Richard Cory” to my own classes. Simon and Garfunkel’s recording is now older than my students, the musical style completely outdated. How can I help them make the same connection to poetry? During a Web search I found the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, specifically, their Summer Teacher Institute and lesson plans.
This site offers 52 lessons in which music supports learning in an English/language arts classroom. The lessons were written by teachers and range in style from "Woody Guthrie and The Grapes of Wrath" to one called “Scops, Rappers, and You”. They can be integrated into a larger unit or stand alone as poetry lessons.
Check out these wonderful resources! And Miss Jackson, wherever you are, thanks!
