Monday: Analyze folk songs of the 1930's

Activities: Use the Voices from the Dust Bowl website to find songs that were popular during the Dust Bowl period. Choose three songs and create a music journal that answers these questions:

1. What are the messages behind each song?
2. What is similar about the three songs?
3. What is different about the three songs?
4. Choose a popular song that you like on the radio right now. Compare and contrast that song to the three folk songs you chose.
5. Why do you think the folk artists of the '30's chose the lyrics they did?
6. Why do you think the folk artists of the '30's chose the instruments they did?
7. Why do you think the folk artists of the '30's chose the rhythms they did?
8. What do you think the artist's life was like?

Useful website: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/afctshtml/toddbibperfindex.html

Tuesday: Analyze Woodie Guthrie music

Activities: Use "Dust Bowl Ballads" by Woodie Guthrie (found in learning tub). Play various songs for the students to listen to and take notes on. Answer the same questions from yesterday, this time as they apply to Woodie Guthrie's music. Students could also surf the internet to learn more about Woodie Guthrie and his music. Also ask students to write two paragraphs, using these writing prompts:

1. Do you like the music of the Dust Bowl period? Why or why not? Do you think people who lived in the Dust Bowl liked Woodie Guthrie's music? Why or why not?

2. If the people of the Dust Bowl created a time capsule that we could dig up now, they probably would have included some folk music as a reflection of their lives. What music would you put in a time capsule today to be buried for future generations that would be a reflection of your life? What do you think your great-grandchildren will think of that music?

Idea: Make a time capsule to be buried on your school grounds. Include music that reflects the ideas of teenagers today.

Wednesday: Field trip to the Discovery Center.

Thursday and Friday:

Students have two days to write and perform their own "folk" music. They will use what they've learned this week to create lyrics that reflect some of the "hardships" of today's times. Students can mimic a particular tune they found from the Voices of the Dust Bowl website, from Woodie Guthrie's CD or create their own similar tune.