America the Beautiful Lesson Plan

Desired Results/Learning Outcome/Essential Question:

Students will know and be able to:
• Summarize the main idea of a poem/lyrics and understand the connection between the two.
• Apply knowledge of U.S. history to think critically about tone, mood, and theme.
• Analyze a text through active reading to understand how specific vocabulary can create
emotion and reveal the author’s tone and mood.
• Respond to music performances and discuss how it made them feel.
• Identify musical elements that differentiate two performances of the same song.

NCSCOS/Common Core Standards:

Social Studies
5.H.2 Understand the role of prominent figures in shaping the United States.
5.C&G.1 Understand the development, structure and function of government in the United
States.

ELA
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7 Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the
meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction,
folktale, myth, poem).

Assessment Plan:
Through informal assessments, such as discussions, observations, and exit tickets, I will evaluate
student understanding based on their performance on these. Effective discussion between peers
using academic vocabulary and constructive responses to the exit ticket will tell me which
students have a deep understanding of the content, and who would benefit from additional
support.

Check which areas of Blooms Taxonomy this lesson addresses.

__X___Remember
__X___Understand
__X___Apply
__X___Analyze
_____Evaluate
_____Create
Materials/Resources:
• Hard copy of “America the Beautiful”
• Google Slides
• Kahoot
• YouTube Video Performances

Specific Questioning:
Teacher engages the learner by asking:
• How can tone be defined? What is the tone of the lyrics/song?
• How can mood be defined? How do the lyrics make you feel?
• What specific vocabulary create a sense of emotion for you as you read the lyrics?
• How are lyrics and poetry similar?
• What is important about the punctuation in the lyrics and poems?
• How do the two performances differ? Think about rhythm, tempo, softness vs. loudness, etc.
• In what was are the two performances similar?
• Which performance was your favorite? Why?
• Did the singers emphasize the same words that you highlighted for mood?

New Vocabulary:
• Tone
• Mood
• Poetry
• Inauguration
• Patriotism
• Tempo, Rhythm

Lesson Introduction/Hook:
To begin the lesson, students will engage in a Kahoot that focuses on U.S. history, such as bill of
rights, branches of government, and presidential responsibilities. Knowing that my students
respond effectively and positively to healthy competition, this Kahoot ensures students are
accountable and engaged in the activity. After each question, we will stop to discuss potential
unknown concepts or vocabulary regarding U.S. history.

Which learning style did the hook address? __X__Visual __X__Auditory _____Kinesthetic
__X__Verbal

Heart of the Lesson/Learning Plan:

Differentiation/Same-ation:
Through visual and auditory teaching strategies, this lesson differentiates for a wide range of
learners. Through close readings, this lesson creates higher order thinking and guided support in
reading. Engaging in read aloud, displaying visuals, and walking around to monitor student
learning will ensure that each student is getting the accommodations that they need.
Lesson Development:
1. Begin with the end in m by having a student read aloud our learning objectives for the lesson
and how this will connect to our field trip to Washington, D.C. Students will then engage
in a social studies Kahoot.
2. Students will then analyze the lyrics of “America the Beautiful,” by Sam Ward.
1. First Read: Follow along as the teacher reads for enjoyment. Look for words
2. Second Read: Underline words that reveal the author’s tone.
3. Third Read: Circle words that create feeling (mood).
3. After reading, get students thinking about how lyrics are similar to poetry by prompting them
with questions.
1. What do you notice about these lyrics? What is it similar to?
2. Why is the punctuation so important? What does it tell us to do?
3. What poetic devices can be seen in the lyrics? (alliteration, metaphor,
onomatopoeia, personification, rhyme, simile)
4. Explain to students that they will be listening/watching two unique performances of “America
the Beautiful” at the Presidential Inauguration. Provide background information on what
the inauguration is. Tell students that as they watch each performance, look for poetic
devices and focus on how each singer makes you feel. This will get students thinking
about mood and emotion as we continue into the poetry unit.
5. Show students Beyonce’s performance. Ask students how this performance made them feel,
what words really stood out as they performed?
6. Follow this with Sam Moore’s performance. Ask students how this performance made them
feel, what words really stood out as they performed?
7. Synergize by having students turn and talk to a peer to answer questions about the
performances.

Concluding the Lesson/Closure/Debriefing:

Students will complete the following exit ticket:
 Give an example of a specific word from the lyrics that struck your emotions. What was
the word? How did it make you feel? Think of a synonym for this word and write it
down!