LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE FOR A STANDARDS-ALIGNED SYSTEM
PRIMARY SOURCE SET
1.
Teacher’s Guide: Work Songs Underscored the Rebuilding of the South
In your lifetime what primary materials will you create for the future use of others ? What legacy will
you leave behind; what evidence will prove your existence?
During Reconstruction, the muscle to achieve the rebuilding of the South was that of the nearly
invisible, mostly illiterate laborers who would have vanished without a trace except for their “voice”
preserved in work songs such as “John Henry.” The songs we are about to examine and connect to their
historical context expose the plight of the lowest of laborers as they did the bidding of others.
2
Historical Background:
Following the Civil War, during Radical Reconstruction, the South, seeking ties with a newly opened
and promising West, courted the railroads with gifts of full ownership of state owned rail lines and a steady
supply of cheap convict labor if the railroads could forge this connection. Newly empowered Southern
politicians, seeking to resurrect the South from its Civil War ruins, sought the help of C.P. Huntington,
owner of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad, to repeat what he had done for the West – linking its parts by
continuous rail. For a price – ownership of all the state owned railroads minus their debt, and a steady
supply of cheap convict labor, Huntington accepted the challenge. In six years he would have the line from
Richmond, Virginia to Ohio completed, despite having to tunnel through the Allegheny Mountains.
Unknown to the politicians, Huntington had access to newly developed tools – nitroglycerin, dynamite,
dualin, and the steam drill.
Huntington also knew that huge deposits of coal, a mainstay for the industrial revolution, lay in thick
seams in those mountains through which he would be drilling. Access by rail from those seams to industrial
centers like a resurrected Richmond would yield double the reward.
Both Huntington and the state of Virginia viewed laborers as indispensible yet deposable.
Supported by the newly enacted Black Codes of the Freeman Bureau , the combination of these forces
created an industrial slavery with conditions no better, and often worse than before the War.
Documentation of the plight of this underclass is preserved almost solely in their work songs.
TPS_CALU Lesson Plan Template
Teacher Name:
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE FOR A STANDARDS-ALIGNED SYSTEM
3.
Primary Sources (complete the bibliographic organizer)
“Seal of West Virginia.” 30 Aug . 2012.Wikimedia Foundation.
29 October 2012< http://en.wikipedia.org>.
“State of Virginia Seal.” Erik Schubach, site designer. The
US50.com.29 October 2012< http://www.theus50.com>.
King, Ellen and Engle , H.E. “ West Virginia Hills.” Jeff
Ellis.Hillbillyproud.com. 31 March 2009. 29 October 2012
<. http://www. youtube>.
Bland, James A. “Carry Me Back to Old Virginny.” CSA Militia. 16
July 2009. 29 October 2012< http:www.youtube.com>.
Hook Q: As a motivational force, how and why
does song incite passion and prompt action?
What is the emotional IQ of song as a record of
human expression?
The dispute which caused the 1863 split of
West Virginia from Virginia offers a microcosm
of the issues which fostered the Civil War.
In addition to the question of slavery,
differences in economic base, cultural
background, and topography resulted in the
western mountainous region to separate from
the eastern Piedmont-Tidewater section.
The differences in values are reflected in
both the state seals and state songs for each.
West Virginia celebrates the everlasting
endurance of mountains caught in a sea of
change in “West Virginia Hills.” Virginia looks
backward to the old plantation system of
enslaved dependence.
N.B. “Carry Me Back to Old Virginia” as
state song has encountered some controversy.
Currently it has emeritus status as the search
for a replacement continues.
Historical Context
Robertson, Robbie. Joan Baez. The Night They Drove Ole Dixie
Down. 1971.LP.Vanguard,1972.Performing Arts Encyclopedia.
Lib. of Congress.22 Oct. 2012<
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mbrsrs/lp0001.c132>
http://lccn.loc.gov/95769311>.
Alan Lomax. John Henry. Digital Music with Text.
AFS L 3: Afro-American Spirituals, Work Songs, and
Ballads. Archives of American Folk Songs. Lib. Of
Congress. 15 Oct.
2012<http://www.loc.gov/folklife/LP/AfroAmerSpirtualsL3_opt.pdf>.
Comfort, Tyrone. “Gold is Where You Find it.” 1934.
Ctankcyles’ photostream. 17 May 2009. 1934: A New Deal
for Artists. Smithsonian American Art Museum. 31 Oct.
2012<http://www.flickr.com>.
“The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down.”
“In the closing days of the war, Major General
George Stoneman … oversaw a raid by a
division of Union troops …into…southwest
Virginia. Their orders were not to fight battles
but to punish and demoralize the Southern
civilians….Stoneman’s forces plundered &
destroyed tons of supplies, including food
stocks & grain, along with miles of railroad
supply tracks...his name lives in infamy.”
David Powell.
<http://theband.hiof.no/articles/dixie_viney.htm>l
“If a group of folklorists were asked to choose
the most important ballad produced in the United
States, I believe most of them would agree on the
Ballad of John Henry, the steel-driving man.” A. L.
(Alan Lomax)
Q: What are the attributes of a ballad? What makes a
“ballad” a ballad?
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE FOR A STANDARDS-ALIGNED SYSTEM
Title of Primary Source – Use MLA citation style and
record the Digital ID/Permanent URL
.
Richmond, Virginia. Ruins of
Richmond and Danville Railroad Bridge. Apr. 1865 .Civil War
Glass Negative Collection. Prints and Photographs Online
Catalog. Lib. Of Congress. 15 Oct.
2012<http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cwpb.04038>.
Annotations for instructional use – how will you
use this primary source with your students?
Historical Context
Richmond, Virginia , capital of the
Confederacy, lay in ruins as did all of the South.
Richmond had been burnt on military order of the
Confederacy to prevent its use by Union forces.
During Reconstruction, the South sought to rise
from its ashes by connecting by rail to the West.
This photo is representative of a group from
which students will choose several to analyze
using the Library of Congress primary source
analysis tool.
Q: What vested interests are involved in
reestablishing an industrial center?
Who are the most active stakeholders?
Historical Context
Map of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railroad and its Connections . Map. New York,
1873. Map Collections. American Memory . Lib. Of
Congress. 15 Oct.
2012.<http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3706p.rr003660 >.
The State Penitentiary, Richmond,
Standing in the way of the Western route - the
Allegheny Mountains. Huntington counted on new secret
weapons to get him through – nitroglycerin, dynamite,
dualin, and the steam drill. Huntington didn’t know – the
mountain’s sandstone and shale would ”whoop" the
steam drill.
Question for students:
Why are topography and geology prime factors in how
well machines can do a job?
How did the presence and abundance of coal
predetermine the future of this region?
Students will examine a series of maps with dates
ranging from 1774 – 1905 from the Library of Congress'
map collection regarding these questions.
Historical Context
Under the newly enacted Black Codes, the state
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Teacher Name:
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE FOR A STANDARDS-ALIGNED SYSTEM
Va. 1865. Civil War Photograph Collection. American
Memory. Lib. Of Congress. 15
Oct.2012<http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/cph.3c05082 >.
penitentiary was overflowing. Sentenced to ten years for
allegedly stealing food from a grocery, John Henry gained
skill as a steel driver when farmed out as convict labor. He
won the contest against the drill but “died with the
hammer in his hand.”
Q: From your investigation of conflicting claims, is it more
likely that John Henry is man or myth? Give evidence to
support your choice.
Opper, Frederick Burr, 18571937. ‘“It Costs Money to Fix things’—C.P.
Huntington.” Puck. 9 Jan. 1884 Cover. Prints and
Photographs Online Catalog. Keppler & Schwarzman.
Lib. Of Congress. 15 Oct.
2012<http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/ppmsca.28282>.
Historical Context
C.P. Huntington, owner of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railroad, accepted the challenge of the
Southern politicians. In six years he would link East
to West through Virginia to Ohio – a deal for
which Virginia paid a very steep price.
This cartoon was published 10 years after C.P.
Huntington punctured the Alleghenies and was
handed a railroad. Many now denounced the new
railway system as “the Octopus.”
Q:
How has the passage of time and consequences
of Huntington’s success altered the public’s
perception of him?
Reflection
It would take another hundred years plus for
blacks to receive the recognition and equal
treatment promised by the Civil War. Union songs
followed work songs; protest songs spawned
marches, demonstrations , revolutions, passive or
otherwise. Through it all, music kept the beat.
Pete Seeger Is Born May 3, 1919
Sheet music for "We Shall Overcome" CREDIT: Silphia Horton, Frank
Hamilton, Guy Carawan, and Pete Seeger. We Shall Overcome. 1963. Music
Division. Library of Congress. 23 Oct. 2012.
“Many folk singers write songs about current events,
and Peter Seeger was no different. ‘We Shall
Overcome,’ which he co-wrote, was a song often
sung during civil rights protests of the 1960s.
Pete Seeger is Born. Library of Congress.
23 October 2012.
Q: What similarities are there between work songs
and protest songs? What differences?
Does having actual sheet music for a song make it
more concrete than a song without it?
TPS_CALU Lesson Plan Template
Teacher Name:
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE FOR A STANDARDS-ALIGNED SYSTEM
STANDARDS ALIGNED LESSON PLAN
1. Lesson Plan Code AmHis.9.1
2. Subject
American History
3. Grade Level/Course Grade 9 American History
4. Title of Lesson
Work Songs Underscored the Rebuilding of the South
5. Teacher(s) name(s) Carol Dinco
6. Alignments (please use all relevant PA Academic and Common Core Standards for your specific subject, ELA,
Math, Writing, and Speaking & Listening).
CC1.4.9-10 U,V,W,X ; CC1.5.9-10 A,C,D,G
LDC Reading Standard #9: “Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order
to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.”
LDC Writing Standards #7 & 8: “Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on
focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.”
“Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and
accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism. “
7. Vocabulary Tier III – specialized definitions of that era such as “engrossment” “line a track, etc .”
8. Objective(s) for Learning
Students engaged in extended research will utilize both primary and secondary sources to establish a
more authentic context for their “findings” paper and oral presentation.
Students will consult a mix of voices and media to establish a more accurate context for their findings.
Students will be able to identify vested interests that governed the rebuilding of the South.
Students will investigate the extent to which coal replaced cotton as the King Crop, and the Captains of
Industry often became Robber Barons.
Students will look in depth at the exploited laborers , viewed by agents as being indispensible but
disposable, who paid the price to restore the South’s economy.
Students will analyze several work and related songs laborers used to pace their work and leave a legacy.
9. Essential Questions (includes guiding investigative and other essential questions)
In addition to the questions posed above, students will look at the following:
Are songs underutilized as primary resources and research tools of human expression or do they have
an inherent drawback which limits their use?
Are songs times - sensitive or timeless as a resource?
Are songs coded in purpose?
Are songs a two- fold construction , music plus text, - or one indivisible whole?
10. Duration 10-14 days
11. Materials
Record player for the L. p. albums containing some selected songs. (Many students are not familiar
with L.P.’s and enjoy seeing this classic technology) .
Projector and Smartboard for Youtube segments of several music video clips.
Printed lyrics and Library of Congress Primary Source Analysis sheets for the following songs:
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE FOR A STANDARDS-ALIGNED SYSTEM
“The West Virginia Hills”
“Lincoln Freed Me Today(The Slave)”
“Carry Me Back To Ole Virginia “
“Tol My Captain”
“ The Night They Drove Ole Dixie Down” “Sixteen Tons”
“John Henry”
“ We Shall Overcome”
Use of computers, printer, and central server will be required and access provided.
Teacher’s Guide containing the initial historical overview and a sample bibliographic organizer.
Rules and example sheets for MLA bibliographic entries.
Text handout of LOC ‘s digital Overview entitled Landscape and History at the Headwaters of the Big
Coal River Valley by Mary Hufford.
Fair Use for educational purposes applies to all selected primary and secondary resources.
Performance Task Statement
Evaluation rubric for the assignment.
12. Instructional Strategies (include the WHERE TO and Stripling Model of Inquiry as you describe your
instructional procedures).
WHERE TO Instructional Strategy
W Day 1 of this 10-14 day research project:
Introduction Queries:
If a tree falls in a forest and no one is present, does it still make a sound?
If the message exists only in the singing of a song, is it still a transmission that certifies the
existence of a singer regardless of the presence or absence of a listener ?
Are songs underutilized as primary resources and research tools of human expression or do they have
an inherent drawback which limits their use?
Are songs time - sensitive or timeless as a resource?
Are songs coded in purpose?
Have songs a two- fold construction , music plus text, - or one indivisible whole?
After the above questions are posed to the class, the instructor will model analysis of a song using a
primary resource analysis sheet. Introduction to the Library of Congress digital collection will also be
given.
Students will then receive the following: Project overview, requirements, timeframe,
teacher’s guide for historical background, primary source analysis sheets, group assignments,
MLA bibliographic rules and patterns, the performance task statement, and evaluation rubric. All materials will be explained and
questions answered concerning them.
TPS_CALU Lesson Plan Template
Teacher Name:
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE FOR A STANDARDS-ALIGNED SYSTEM
H Days 2 -14 The Hook: Each class period will begin with a work song and its initial analysis by the class as a whole. After all songs have been
played once, students will have the opportunity to select which ones they wish to hear at the start of that day’s class.
E Days 3-6: Students will receive a starter kit of LOC primary sources including introductory historical
background, suggestions on how to maximize the analysis guides, additional places to locate information
and search strategies to use, and rules and guidelines on how to document their findings.
R Days 3-6: The instructor will conference daily with each student group to monitor their findings and
frustrations; review, reflect, and redirect their search if necessary.
E Days 3-6: During these daily work sessions, students will have the opportunity to ask questions and voice
concerns. Using the rubric, students can self-evaluate as they obtain their goals.
T Topics for the work groups include: maps including those of coal seams and topography; photos depicting
the destruction of Richmond; growth of railroads; John Henry, man or myth ; from slavery to industrial
slavery; Black Codes and the Freeman Bureau ; and the connection between work songs, unions, and
protest songs. Some topics are easier to research than others. Leveling the primary source sets by
difficulty and keeping this in mind when assigning groups helps pair students with appropriate tasks.
O The Day 1 orientation to the project will be teacher-guided instruction. Each following day will gradually
increase self-directed work by students. The final forum for students findings – the oral presentation and
discussion forum – would be student generated, monitored by the instructor.
The Stripling Model of Inquiry will be utilized by students as they conduct their own investigation.
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES
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Assessment
1. Formative Assessment (Performance Task & Rubric)
Argumentation/Problem Solution
How did the South use and abuse laborers in post-Civil War? After listening to their plight recorded in work
songs and investigating primary and secondary sources, write a research paper and give an oral presentation
that identifies the need Southern Reconstruction had of cheap, disposable labor, presenting pros and cons
afforded by various stakeholders in this solution employed by the South to aid its economic recovery.
Rubric For Reconstruction: Research: Work Songs Underscored the Rebuilding of the South
Advanced
Meets
Meets
Improvement
Expectations in Expectations in
Needed in Most
Most Categories Some Categories Categories
4
3
2
RESEARCH
5
WORKLOAD
Divided and
Divided and
Divided But Not
Workload Mostly
Shared Equally
Shared Fairly;
All Team
Done By One or
By All Team
May Vary
Members
Two Members
Members
Among Team
Contributed
Members
ON TASK
Always
Most Always
Some
Repeated
Redirection
Redirection
Necessary
Necessary
ON PROMPT
Always
Most Always
Drifts Somewhat Drifts From
From Topic
Topic
VARIETY OF
4 Formats +
3 Formats +
2 Formats +
1Additional
RESOURCES
Song
Song
Song
Format + Song
INVESTIGATED
WRITTEN REPORT Typed
1 Requirement
2 Requirements
3 Requirements
Correct
Missing
Missing
Missing
Mechanics
Cover Page:
Heading
Title
G. Members
Illustration
Bibliography
BIBLIOGRAPHY
All Sources
Most Sources
Few Sources
Two Sources
Cited Correctly
Cited Correctly
Cited Correctly
Cited Correctly
Minimum-5
Minimum- 4
Minimum-3
Minimum-2
ORAL
PRESENTATION
5
4
3
2
TIME LIMIT
19-21
Over 21, or
10-14
5-9
Not Yet
1
No Clear Work
Divisions or
Performance of
Task
Often Off Task
Off Prompt
Only Song
Investigated
4
Requirements
Missing
One Source Cited
Minimum-1
1
1-4
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Teacher Name:
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TEACHING WITH PRIMARY SOURCES
LESSON PLAN TEMPLATE FOR A STANDARDS-ALIGNED SYSTEM
20 MINUTES
DELIVERY
USE OF MULTIMEDIA
QUALITY
15-18 Minutes
Minutes
Maintains
Professional
Ambience
4 Information
Aids Used
Smooth
Holds Audience
Fairly Formal
Ambience
3 Information
Aids Used
Not Smooth
Holds Audience
Minutes
Casual But
Acceptable
Ambience
2
Information
Aids Used
Not Smooth
Holds Most
Audience
Minutes
Overly Casual,
Unacceptable
Minutes
Minimal Effort
Unacceptable
1
Information
Aid Used
Not Smooth
Holds Some
Audience
No Use of
Information Aids
Not Smooth
Loses Audience
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