Task / Process:
5th graders, your task is to investigate the artwork and blues music of different African American artists. You will then create your own original blues lyrics and artwork, inspired by the techniques and styles of the examples on this WebQuest.
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You will go to the Art Resources and Music Resources pages, click on the buttons, and explore the different selections of artwork and music. Pay close attention to details in the pieces. What is the subject matter in the songs and artwork? What kind of emotions are they portraying? For the artwork, what techniques and materials were used to create the piece?
Blues Lyrics Requirements:
Art Collage:
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Based on information from www.jamesfrankel.com and pbs.org/theblues/classroom
First, working with a partner, you will choose a topic or a problem that makes you feel down, or gives you the blues. Then, write four lines for each verse using the following AAB formula:
Line 1: State the Problem (A)
Line 2: Repeat Line 1 (A)
Lines 3 and 4: State the solution or the consequence (B)
For example:
Line 1: Mrs. Mann and Mrs. Latzke - got the Homework Blues
Line 2: Mrs. Mann and Mrs. Latzke - got the Homework Blues
Lines 3 and 4: Cause we had to do a project - in the last two weeks of school!
Try to make the last word of Line 1 (and Line 2) rhyme with the last word of Line 4. When you and your partner have written a verse, practice it and be prepared to share with the class. We will also borrow lines from different verses to create new ones. This is a common practice among blues musicians! When you have a verse you really like, you may choose whether to present the lyrics by singing them, or by speaking.
Recording Your Blues:
Using Audioboom, we will record your blues in class and make a QR Code so that others can scan it and listen. If you prefer not to sing, you may speak the lyrics instead. You will not be graded on your singing, but on the originality and form (AAB) of your lyrics.
You must be a character in your collage. Think of a memory, a dream, or a fantasy and ask a friend to take your picture, posing in front of a blank wall in the position you would like to be in your scene.
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Next, import your photo into Pages in a blank landscape document. Tap the paintbrush icon and select Image, then select Instant Alpha. Drag across the background of the photo in order to mask the background, leaving only yourself on the page.
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Now select scenery for your collage. Find an image and add it to Pages. Again, select the paintbrush icon and then select Arrange, then Move to Back.
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For extra credit, create a text box and type a brief story about your picture.
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After adding scenery, print your picture, then add additional drawing and details on your collage, using Cray-Pa oil pastels.
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Finally, print your photo collage, paste it onto construction paper and add magazine squares to create a border, like Faith Ringgold's story quilts.