Rhapsody in Blues Artful Learning Unit for Grade 2
Explore music with sketchnotes
On the last solar day of class before Christmas intermission, I decided to practise something totally off the "read-and-talk over track" that my class had been on since starting our unit of measurement on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Swell Gatsby.
I decided to have students experience composer George Gershwin's jazz masterpiece Rhapsody in Bluish via Betsy Potash's sketchnotes. (Go to Spark Creativity for free templates and more).
The ground-breaking musical piece is considered to exist the inspiration behind the only fictional music mentioned in the entire novel, the imaginary Vladimir Tostov's "Jazz History of the World." According to Gatsby's orchestra leader, the Tostov's piece "attracted and then much attention at Carnegie Hall last May." He continues, "If you read the papers yous know at that place was a big sensation."
This particular description causes many to believe that Rhapsody in Blue was the piece Fitzgerald was really referencing. When Gershwin debuted his jazz masterpiece in 1924 with Paul Whiteman's Orchestra, Whiteman wanted the music to legitimize jazz and center the new American artform on the globe stage. Both goals were accomplished with the music that has since become Gershwin'southward nigh well-known masterpiece.
And now, we interrupt this postal service for the Common Core…
Standards alignment: RL.xi-12.9
When students analyze a piece of music, I consider that music to exist a kind of text, in the cantankerous-curricular sense. Making sketchnotes of an iconic musical piece referenced in a novel accomplishes the post-obit Common Cadre standard:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.ix
"Demonstrate noesis of eighteenth-, nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century foundational works of American literature, including how two or more than texts from the aforementioned menstruation care for similar themes or topics." When making sketchnotes, students are synthesizing ideas from that musical text as it relates to the novel from which the music is derived.
Also meeting that standard, I wanted my students to feel Rhapsody in Blue because I know they will hear it in commercials, movies, and in other pop culture references from time to fourth dimension. Information technology's one of those signature American compositions that students demand to add together to their "American cultural literacy" accounts.
And if you show Baz Luhrman's 2013 The Bang-up Gatsby picture in class, you'll notice that Rhapsody in Blue is the music that accompanies the big reveal of Gatsby to Nick at the glittering party in chapter iii. Rhapsody makes other appearances during the movie, including the ride into town that Gatsby and Nick take to run into Mayer Wolfsheim.
"The city seen from the Queensboro Span is always the urban center seen for the offset fourth dimension, in its get-go wild promise of all the mystery and the dazzler in the earth.
The Great Gatsby, Ch. four
As Nick ponders these thoughts, the score soars in the groundwork building to a crescendo to reflect the optimism, opportunity, and decadence that the city represented during the Jazz Age.
So hither's what I did:
- I passed out plainly 11″ by 17″ inch paper to each educatee.
- I asked students to describe sketchnotes in blue as they listened to the music.
- I suggested that they listen for a minute or two earlier starting since that might assistance images come to heed.
- After seeing a few blank stares at this evidently crazy thought, I gave them some ideas: describe a cityscape, spirals, zigzags… annihilation that might evolve equally they listened.
- I required students to include these iii things on their page: i) George Gershwin, 2) Rhapsody in Blue, and three) 1924
- I also permit them know that the song would terminal for sixteen minutes. There would be plenty of time to come up up with ideas!
This activity was the perfect "last-day-before-Christmas-break" activity. Hither are some photos of what my students came up with:
I besides made this "quick and dirty" handout that I read aloud from before starting the music. I wanted them to take some context across that from the novel.
Making sketchnotes from music may work for any number of novels that have musical allusions. Think of a novel that you pair with its movie version. Are there whatsoever songs that take special cultural meaning that your students should experience?
I'k also wondering if there are ways to make this activity more than than just a visual exposure to a musical piece. Can I take students do more than than just listen and draw? Tin can I accept them use their drawing as a springboard for a written piece nigh the music that utilizes text excerpts or citations?
At that place'due south always more to think about, right?!
I hope your Christmas suspension was restful and that you'll have a manageable January, despite the COVID surge sweeping the country.
Need ideas for a novel you're teaching? Trying something new in your classroom? I'd love to hear what yous're up to. Feel free to leave a annotate below or on my Contact folio.
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Source: https://elabraveandtrue.com/2022/01/06/sketchnotes-the-great-gatsby-rhapsody-in-blue/
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