Explore, too, the part religion plays in this closing gesture of the speech. Conclude this lesson by having students collect spirituals and other shared songs of their heritage by interviewing family members, friends, and acquaintances in their own community. If possible, have students record the songs they collect on audiocassette and transcribe the words to create a class booklet, noting for each text where, when, and from whom they collected it, as well as any reminiscences or facts about the song that their source provides. During the decade following the Civil War, spirituals entered the musical mainstream through the concert tours of the Fisk Jubilee Singers and gave rise to the choral genre known today as gospel, through the work of composers P. P. Bliss and Ira D. Sankey. Students may also wish to explore the roots of the spiritual in African religions through the African Studies WWW website.
Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts.
Students employ a wide range of strategies as they write and use different writing process elements appropriately to communicate with different audiencees for a variety of purposes. Students conduct research on issues and interests by generating ideas and questions, and by posing problems. Students develop an understanding of and respect for diversity in language use, patterns, and dialects across cultures, ethnic groups, geographic regions, and social roles. Students participate as knowledgeable, reflective, creative, and critical members of a variety of literacy communities. National Geography Standards 9.