Lessons & Units :: When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson 4th Grade Unit

Read-Aloud Lesson: When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson

Lesson Plan

When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson | 780L

When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson
Learning Goal
Identify the social barriers to Marian Anderson’s musical success and explain how she overcame those barriers in order to discuss the themes of the book.
Necessary Materials
Provided:
  1. Detailed lesson plan
  2. Graphic organizer for guided practice
  3. Independent student worksheet

Not Provided:
When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson
 
  1. This lesson is a close reading of the entire text. So it’s important to engage students often, to enhance their learning. Here are two tips:

    •   When you ask the more complex questions from the lesson, ask students to “turn-and-talk” or “buddy-talk” before answering.

    •   Once you are deep into the lesson, instead of asking students every question provided, ask them to share with you what questions they should be asking themselves at that point in the text. This is also a great opportunity to use "turn-and-talk."
       
  2. Suggested teacher language is included in the lesson.

  3. We recommend you read the book once to your students, either the day or morning before teaching the lesson.

  4. This research-based, read-aloud lesson may seem long. Why do students need the lesson to be this way?
 

Part 1: Teacher Modeling and Questioning

 

Write the following student-friendly learning goal on the board, then read the learning goal out loud with the class:

We will identify the challenges that Marian Anderson faced and what she did to overcome those challenges.

 
The quotation that begins the following transition comes from page 31 of the book. You need not preface it with any explanation—the intent is to capture students’ attention and prime them for the story you are about to read.
 
Transition Students into the Text
 
Teacher says (showing illustrations on page 32 and 33): “Marian looked out on a river of 75,000 people. Her heart beat wildly. Would she be able to utter one note?” We’re about to read the true story of Marian Anderson. She was someone who sang all by herself in front of 75,000 people one day . . . but there’s a lot more to her story.
 
Read page 4 out loud, beginning with, “It was her range of notes,” and ending with, “...resounding deep in a dark sky.” Then read the full title on page 5: “When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson, the Voice of a Century.”
 
Begin reading the story on page 6. Stop after the song lyrics, ending with the line, “O Lord, have mercy on me.” Show students the accompanying illustrations. If possible, always show students the illustrations on the pages you read throughout the lesson.
1.
Teacher asks: What did Marian love to do?
 
Students answer: Marian loved to sing.
 
Finish reading page 6. Page 6 ends with, “...hear Marian sing.”
2.
Teacher asks: What was Marian’s voice like?
 
Students answer (any of the following responses are acceptable):
  • Marian’s voice was distinct.
  • Marian’s voice was strong.
  • Marian’s voice was velvety.
  • Marian’s voice was able to climb more than twenty-four notes.
3.
Teacher asks: Whom did everyone want to hear sing?
 
Students answer: Everyone wanted to hear Marian sing.
4.
Teacher asks: Based on what we have read so far about Marian, why might everyone have wanted to hear her sing?
 
Students answer: Everyone wanted to hear Marian sing because her voice was strong. (Students may also say, “because her voice was velvety” or “because her voice was able to climb more than twenty-four notes.” If students say, “because her voice was distinct,” ask what made it distinct.)
5.
Teacher says: Singing seems like an important part of Marian’s childhood. Let’s see whether singing continued to be important to her as she became older.
Read more
 
Read pages 7-9. Begin reading page 10. Stop after the second paragraph, ending with, “...the pride of South Philadelphia.”
6.
Teacher asks: Where did Marian start performing as a singer?
 
Students answer: Marian started performing in church. (Students may specify the Union Baptist Church in South Philadelphia.)
 
Finish reading page 10 and continue through page 12. Page 12 ends with, “...if she was accepted.”
7.
Teacher asks: What did Marian hope to do someday?
 
Students answer: Marian hoped to go to music school someday.
8.
Teacher asks: Why might Marian have hoped to go to music school?
 
Students answer: Answers may vary but should recognize that Marian took music seriously and wanted to continue singing.
 
Read pages 13-14. Begin reading page 15. Stop after the second paragraph, ending with, “...if she was Negro?”
9.
Teacher asks: What happened to Marian when she went to a music school and waited in line?
 
Students answer (make sure at least the first response is given before moving on):
  • The girl behind the counter said, “We don’t take colored!”
  • The girl behind the counter helped everyone except Marian.
10.
Teacher says: Let’s make sure we understand what the girl behind the counter meant when she said, “We don’t take colored!” “Colored” is a word that was once used to describe African Americans, or Negroes.
 
The Oxford Dictionary of American English and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary define the term “Negro” as a member of a group of people native to Africa and characterized by dark skin. Both dictionaries note that the word is sometimes considered offensive. Because “Negro” is used neutrally throughout When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson, it has been preserved in this lesson for the sake of consistency and clarity. However, you may wish to address the word’s usage before proceeding. You may also exercise your discretion and substitute a term such as “African American” for “Negro” when it appears in this lesson.
11.
Teacher asks: What did the girl behind the counter mean when she said, “We don’t take colored!”?
 
Students answer: She meant that the music school did not accept Negro, or African American, students.
12.
Teacher says: With the counter girl’s words in mind, listen to this sentence about Marian that comes in the next paragraph. “She knew that her people were always the last to be helped in a store.”
13.
Teacher asks: Who were “her people”?
 
Students answer: Her people were Negroes.
14.
Teacher asks: Why were Marian and her people the last to be helped when they went into a store?
 
Students answer: They were the last to be helped because they were Negroes, or “colored.”
15.
Teacher asks: How is what happened to Marian at the music school similar to what happened to her and her people at stores?
 
Students answer: Answers may vary but should recognize that both situations are examples of people being treated unfairly because of their skin color.
16.
Teacher asks: How did Marian feel after what happened at the music school?
 
Students answer (make sure at least the first response is given before moving on):
  • Marian felt sick in her stomach and in her heart.
  • Marian felt confused.
17.
Teacher asks: Why might Marian have felt sick in her stomach and in her heart?
 
Students answer: Answers may vary but should recognize the connection between Marian’s sick feeling and her unfair treatment at the music school.
18.
Teacher says: We just read about an example of Marian being treated unfairly because of her skin color. Because she was Negro, she could not go to music school. She faced a barrier, or something that kept her from doing what she wanted to do. Let’s see how she handled this barrier.
 
Finish reading page 15. Page 15 ends with, “Negro churches and colleges.”
19.
Teacher asks: What did Marian’s mother tell Marian after she was not allowed to join the music school?
 
Students answer: Her mother told Marian that there would be another way to accomplish what would have been done at the school.
20.
Teacher asks: What did Marian do after she was not allowed to join the music school?
 
Students answer (any of the following responses are acceptable):
  • Marian took voice lessons in her own neighborhood.
  • Marian continued singing with choirs.
  • Marian performed at Negro churches and colleges.
21.
Teacher says (models thinking): Marian’s mother told her that there would be another way to accomplish what would have been done at the music school. The book states that Marian believed her, and Marian’s next actions prove it. Marian took voice lessons in her own neighborhood and performed at Negro churches and colleges. These actions show us that Marian was committed to growing as a singer even when she faced a difficulty.
 
Read pages 16-19. Page 19 ends with, “To let my people go.”
22.
Teacher asks: What sometimes happened when Marian traveled by train to sing somewhere?
 
Students answer: Marian was seated in a train car reserved for Negroes.
23.
Teacher asks: Describe the train car for Negroes where Marian was seated.
 
Students answer (make sure the first two responses are given before moving on):
  • The train car was dirty.
  • The train car was crowded.
  • The train car was a Jim Crow car.
24.
Teacher asks: What happened when Marian tried to get a hotel room?
 
Students answer: Marian could not get a hotel room.
25.
Teacher asks: Why could Marian not get a hotel room?
 
Students answer: Marian could not get a hotel room because she was Negro.
26.
Teacher says: Marian had to sit in a dirty and crowded train car when she traveled. She could not get a hotel room. If you look at this picture [display illustration on pages 18 and 19], you can see that even the train station has a sign saying “COLORED WAITING ROOM.” These are more examples of barriers Marian faced.
27.
Teacher asks: What effect, if any, did these barriers have on Marian? Support your answer with evidence from the book.
 
Students answer (answers may include the following):
  • These barriers did not have much effect on Marian. According to the book, Marian sang her heart with dignity no matter what humiliations she endured.
  • These barriers made traveling to sing a hassle for Marian. She had to sit in dirty, crowded train cars and could not get hotel rooms to sleep in.
28.
Teacher asks: How were these barriers and the barrier Marian faced at the music school alike?
 
Students answer (answers may vary):
  • These barriers and the barrier Marian faced at the music school are both examples of unfair treatment of people because of their skin color.
  • The barrier Marian faced at the music school did not stop her from singing, and neither did these new barriers.
29.
Teacher says (models thinking): As we read, I’m noticing a pattern in Marian’s life. She kept hitting barriers to her growth as a singer, but she did not let them stop her. She kept singing no matter what happened. Let’s see whether that pattern continued.
 
Read pages 19-23. Page 23 ends with, “...twinges of homesickness.”
30.
Teacher asks: Where did Marian go after studying with Mr. Boghetti?
 
Students answer: Marian went to Europe.
31.
Teacher says: Listen as I reread two important sentences from the book. “After all, Europe was different. There, she would be able to sing to mixed audiences and travel without the restrictions put on her people in America.” Let’s make sure we understand what those sentences mean.
32.
Teacher asks: Who were “her people in America?”
 
Students answer: “Her people” were Negroes.
33.
Teacher asks: What were the traveling restrictions that the author refers to?
 
Students answer:
  • The author is referring to Marian having to ride in train cars reserved for Negroes.
  • The author is referring to Marian not being able to get a hotel room.
34.
Teacher says: Marian went to Europe, a place with fewer barriers for Negroes than the United States.
 
Read pages 24-28. Page 28 ends with, “...did no good.”
35.
Teacher asks: After Howard University scheduled a concert with Marian, what did it begin looking for?
 
Students answer: Howard University began looking for an auditorium that would be big enough.
36.
Teacher asks: Where did Howard University decide would be the perfect place for Marian’s concert?
 
Students answer: Howard University decided that Constitution Hall would be perfect for Marian’s concert.
37.
Teacher asks: What did the manager of Constitution Hall say?
 
Students answer: The manager said the hall was not available.
38.
Teacher says: After the manager of Constitution Hall said it was not available, no other concert dates were offered by the hall.
39.
Teacher asks: Why were no other dates offered by the hall?
 
Students answer: No other dates were offered because the hall had a white-performers-only policy.
 
Read page 29. Page 29 ends with, “...could be heard?”
40.
Teacher says: Here was another barrier facing Marian. She was having trouble finding a place to sing in the capital of the United States.
41.
Teacher asks: Based on what has already happened in Marian’s life, will she overcome this barrier? Explain why or why not.
 
Students answer (answers may vary):
  • Yes, Marian will overcome this barrier. She overcame previous barriers, such as not being allowed to go to music school, and her determination will help her find a way around this one too.
  • No, Marian will probably not overcome this barrier. When she overcame barriers before, they were smaller, and there was more in her control. For example, when she could not go to music school, she had other options, like neighborhood voice lessons. Now she is in a situation where there may not be other options and much is out of her hands. After all, it is Howard University, not Marian herself, trying to arrange the concert.
 
Read pages 30 and 31. Page 31 ends with, “...on the multitudes.”
42.
Teacher asks: Where was Marian invited to sing by the United States government?
 
Students answer: Marian was invited to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
43.
Teacher asks: After being asked to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Marian had concerns. What was she concerned about?
 
Students answer: Students may identify any of the following concerns:
  • Would people protest?
  • Was it dangerous?
  • Would anyone come?
44.
Teacher says: When thinking about her concerns and examining her heart, Marian realized that she was “a symbol to her people.” That means that Negro people did not think of Marian just as herself. They thought she represented them as well.
45.
Teacher asks: What did Marian finally say to the invitation to sing at the Lincoln Memorial?
 
Students answer: Marian said yes.
46.
Teacher asks: Why might Marian have said yes to the invitation?
 
Students answer (answers may vary):
  • Marian realized that she was a symbol to her people and wanted to make them proud.
  • Marian thought that by singing at the Lincoln Memorial she would make things easier for the Negroes who would follow her.
 
Read the remainder of the book, pages 32-37.
47.
Teacher asks: Where was Marian invited to sing about sixteen years after her performance at the Lincoln Memorial?
 
Students answer: Marian was invited to sing at the Metropolitan Opera.
48.
Teacher asks: Had a Negro singer ever performed at the Metropolitan Opera before?
 
Students answer: No, a Negro singer had never performed at the Metropolitan Opera before.
49.
Teacher asks: Did Marian overcome a barrier by singing at the Metropolitan Opera? Explain why or why not.
 
Students answer (answers may vary but will likely be affirmative): Yes, Marian overcame a barrier by singing at the Metropolitan Opera. No Negro singer had ever performed there before, so she was doing something groundbreaking.
50.
Teacher asks: Think about all the barriers Marian faced to her growth and career as a singer. What were some of those barriers?
 
Students answer (responses should include all of the following and may include more):
  • Marian was not allowed to enter music school.
  • Marian had to sit in dirty, crowded train cars reserved for Negroes when traveling to sing.
  • Marian could not get hotel rooms when she traveled to sing.
  • Finding a place where Marian could sing in the capital of the United States was difficult.
51.
Teacher asks: Did Marian overcome those barriers? Explain why or why not.
 
Students answer (answers may vary but should be affirmative): Yes, Marian overcame those barriers. No matter what happened, she found a way to keep singing.
52.
Teacher asks: What did the barriers that Marian faced have in common?
 
Students answer (answers may vary and include the following):
  • The barriers that Marian faced were all types of unfair treatment based on a person’s skin color.
  • The barriers that Marian faced were all possible to overcome—and they all were overcome.
 

Part 2: Guided Practice and Discussion

 
For this oral lesson, it is suggested to have the completed graphic organizer on the board with the answers concealed. After students provide a correct answer, reveal the corresponding answer on the graphic organizer.
1.
Teacher says: Now we are going to review the barriers Marian faced and how she overcame them. You can think of each barrier as a problem and the way she overcame it as a solution.
2.
Teacher asks: What were the barriers, or problems, Marian faced in her life?
 
Students answer (responses should include all of the following and may include more):
  • Marian was not allowed to enter music school.
  • Marian had to sit in dirty, crowded train cars reserved for Negroes when traveling to sing.
  • Marian could not get hotel rooms when she traveled to sing.
  • Finding a place for Marian to sing in the capital of the United States was difficult.
3.
Teacher asks: One barrier Marian faced was not being allowed to enter music school. How did she overcome this barrier?
 
Students answer: Marian found other ways to grow as a singer, such as taking voice lessons in her neighborhood and singing at churches and colleges.
4.
Teacher asks: Another barrier Marian faced was having to sit in dirty, crowded train cars reserved for Negroes when traveling to sing. How did she respond to this barrier?
 
Students answer: Marian endured the humiliation and did not let this barrier interfere with her singing.
5.
Teacher asks: Another barrier Marian faced was that she could not get hotel rooms when she traveled to sing. How did she respond to this barrier?
 
Students answer: Marian endured the humiliation and did not let this barrier interfere with her singing.
Read more
6.
Teacher asks: Another barrier for Marian was finding a place in the capital of the United States where she could sing. How was this barrier overcome?
 
Students answer: This barrier was overcome by Marian accepting an invitation from the United States government to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
 
After the answers for the graphic organizer have been completed and discussed with the class, ask the following two extension questions.
 
Teacher asks: Look back over all the barriers Marian faced and what she did to overcome them. Thinking about what she went through and did, what would be a good word to describe her? Use evidence from the book to explain why you chose the word you did.
 
Students answer: Answers may vary and include the following:
  • Determined: Even though Marian faced big barriers, she did not let them stop her from singing.
  • Brave: Accepting the invitation to sing at the Lincoln Memorial took courage. Even though Marian worried that it might be dangerous and that no one would come, she decided to do it anyway.
  • Patient: Marian sang for many years before achieving her dream of becoming an opera singer.
 
Teacher asks: Marian could be described in many different ways. She was a singer. She was American. She was Negro. Think about all the different ways Marian could be described, including the word you came up with in the previous question. Which of those characteristics are most important to understanding who she was as a person? Explain why, using evidence from the book.
 
Students answer: Answers may vary, as long as they are supported by the book. For example, students may respond that Marian’s characteristics of bravery and determination are most important to understanding who she was. Without those qualities she would not have become a famous singer who performed for thousands of people around the world. Alternatively, students may respond that Marian’s identity as an African-American is most important to understanding she was. If she had not been African-American, she would not have faced (and overcome) so many barriers to success. The story of her life would have been very different.
 

Part 3: Student Independent Practice

 
Both the student question set and teacher answer sheet are provided in the 'Text & Materials' section.

Texts & Materials

Standards Alignment

(To see all of the ReadWorks lessons aligned to your standards, click here.)

User Comments

Love the lesson!!!

Submitted by hazel.spells_2295602 on 1/23/17

Wow!!!! awesome lesson.

Submitted by dhuggins_1680064 on 3/7/16

Perfect! Thank you!

Submitted by lwatson_1692384 on 2/22/16

What an awesome lesson on engaging students in reading while integrating Black History Month subjects. My students really loved it and looked forward to hearing more each and everyday. They also had many questions and ideas on how Marian's problems could have been solved. There was so much more that could be done with this lesson. Thanks for sharing.

Submitted by jacqueline.slade1_1203937 on 2/16/16

Excellent way to engage students with the turn and talks and such focused, deep questions about the book. Students definitely can build connections with this lesson that can last a life time!

Submitted by DMHowe_1196894 on 1/25/15