When Marian Sang

By Pam Munoz Ryan Pictures by Brian Selznick

Book cover from Amazon.com

Cyberlesson by Leigh Buczak 5 th Grade

Introduction

Do you ever think about who the important people were who worked to make sure that all people were treated equally, no matter what their skin color was?

Today we are going to learn about Marian Anderson, a woman who worked throughout her life to do this. We are going to be reading a biography focused on her called When Marian Sang.

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Materials

When Marian Sang

by Pam Munoz Ryan Pen Pencil Paper Jim Crow Web site Scholastic Writing Web site Marian Anderson Web site

Photo from: Penn Library Exhibitions Web site

Before Reading

• • In your small group, share what you know about biographies and record your ideas here .

When you are finished sharing ideas, continue to the next slide to see how your ideas matched an actual definition.

Photo from: www.marian-anderson.org

Before Reading

• • • • • Biographies Genre of literature based on the life story of someone other than the writer The main character is usually influential and important in some way Non-fiction series of important events about a person The author develops insight into who the

Before Reading

Look at the cover and pictures within When Marian Sang and read the book jacket. With your partner, discuss some predictions about what you think this book is about and why.

The book jacket talks about the obstacles Marian had to face in the time before African Americans had equal rights to Whites. As the K part of the KWL , write down ideas about what you know about the African Americans’ struggle. When you are finished, jot down some questions you have about the African American struggle and what Marian Anderson might have to do with it under the W column of the KWL chart.

Many times African Americans were not treated equally because they had to follow laws called Jim Crow laws. With a partner, click Read the documentary sections and personal histories.

here to learn more about them, and discuss what you find in your small group.

During Reading

   States Using sticky notes, tab inspiring sentences or passages while you are reading to share with your small group. These passages should help you and your group members understand Marian’s personality. Discuss why you chose Quickwrite : Based on what you already know about Marian, do you think that she ever is accepted as an equal by the American people? Why? Keep in mind that the struggle for social justice continued through the 1960s.

During Reading

As you are reading, think about how you know that this book is a biography. Base your answers on what you learned a biography is at the beginning of the lesson. Discuss and record ideas in your small group here .

Photo from: Penn Library Exhibitions Web site

After Reading

One way that authors collect information for biographies is by conducting interviews either with the person the biography is about or people who know the person. In your small groups, compose two burning questions you would have liked to ask Marian if you were interviewing her. Then, based on what you read and your background knowledge, answer the questions how you think she would have answered them. When all groups are finished, we will do the “hot seat” activity in which a group member will pretend to be the interviewer and another member will be Marian. Each group member will get to participate since there are two questions.

After Reading

In order to complete your KWL, fill in the L column of your civil rights, and Cyberlesson.

KWL chart describing what you LEARNED about Marian Anderson, biographies from this Photo from: Penn Library Exhibitions Web site

Beyond Reading

Towards the end of this unit, you will be writing your own biographies. Explore here this Web site with a partner to find helpful hints for writing biographies and record them . The Web site begins by explaining how to change a boring first draft into an interesting final draft and then gives tips to follow while researching and writing.

Photo from: Penn Library Exhibitions Web site

Beyond Reading

In your small group, explore song here this Web site that you visited before to listen to audio links and view a video of Marian singing. Use this as inspiration to write a about Marian and the person that she was. First make up the words, then you can sing the words to a popular tune or a tune that you create.

Excellent (5 pts.) Before Reading Activities: Building and Activating Background Knowledge • Detailed explanation of background knowledge • thorough use of resources and discussion time to build and share background knowledge • thorough explanation of predictions based on what is known and book walk Good (4pts.) • Straightforward explanation of background knowledge, could use more description • good use of resources and discussion time to build and share background knowledge • some explanation of predictions made based on what is known and book walk Needs Improvement (3pts.) • Vague explanation of background knowledge • Did not show much use of resources and discussion time to build and share background knowledge • Predictions mostly based on clues from the book walk, little use of background knowledge During Reading Activities: Reading and Responding After Reading Activities: Thinking More Deeply and Revisiting the Text • • • Brought many important passages in text to share in discussion to help make predictions, inferences, connections, and build on knowledge of the genre answers to burning questions show excellent use of text and background knowledge Detailed description of what was learned Beyond Reading Activities: Going Beyond the Text and Extending Knowledge • Gained many helpful hints from biography Web site • Group song includes much information learned about Marian and shows use of creativity • Brought some ideas gained from text to share in discussion in order to predict, make inferences, make connections, and build on knowledge of the genre • answers to burning questions show good use of text and background knowledge • General description of what was learned • Gained some helpful hints from biography Web site • Group song includes some information learned about Marian and shows use of creativity • • • Brought little to discussion in order to help group continue predicting, make inferences, make connections, and build on knowledge of the genre • answers to burning questions show little use of text and background knowledge • Little description of what was learned Gained a few helpful hints from biography Web site Group song includes little information learned about Marian and does not use much creativity

Credits

• • • http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/ features/remembering/index.html

http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/biog raph/index.htm

http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rb m/anderson/