Elaine Snowden

EDSEC 455
Diversity Project

I. Objective
Students will research (in class) one of the given topics and present in groups
in the context of the composition Takeda Lullaby arranged by Benjamin Yeo.

II. Materials Needed to Accomplish Objective

a. Selected research topic
i. The folksong Takeda Lullaby (origin and present use)
ii. The folk music band Akai Tori (Red Bird)
iii. The Burakumin people (history and 1920s mythology)
iv. Traditional instruments, as used in this piece (Shime-Daiko and
Kagura-Suzu)
b. Power-point
c. Internet access either through school laptops, school-issued iPads, or
phones

III. Intro to the Activity

a. Students will either set their instruments down or not have them set up in
the first place
b. Once in their seats, a recording of the song will be played over the
speaker (the music has not been passed out on the stands yet so students
can only listen)
c. While the music is playing, the teacher will ask questions about what the
students are hearing such as: can you describe something unique about
the instrumentation (in reference to the optional traditional instruments)?
Describe something unique about the texture/harmonies of the piece.
Describe the mood of the piece.

IV. Procedures for the Activity

1. Students will be divided into groups of five. The amount of groups depend
on class size but it’s okay for two groups to research the same given topic.
2. Groups will be assigned topics to research
a. The folksong Takeda Lullaby (origin and present use)
b. The folk music band Akai Tori (Red Bird)
c. The Burakumin people (history and 1920s mythology)
d. Traditional instruments, as used in this piece (Shime-Daiko and
Kagura-Suzu)
3. The students are instructed to research each topic and then present the
information on a Power-point. Each slide will pertain to these prompts
a. How would you explain this topic to one of your friends?
b. What is the historical context of this topic?
c. How does this topic relate to the composition Takeda Lullaby as
arranged by Benjamin Yeo?
 d. What is a Western equivalent to your topic?
e. How can information of this topic be relevant outside of the band
room?
f. There should also be a works cited slide but this slide isn’t assigned
to a specific student
4. Each student in the group is assigned a prompt to research though it is
okay for them to work together and discuss as well.
a. If students are sharing a device, have students rotate on who is at
the computer for each prompt
5. While students work in groups, the teacher should move around the room
and facilitate discussion and effective researching.
a. What are good ways to search for these topics?
b. What websites might be more reliable than others?
c. Is everyone in the group contributing?
6. Research could span over multiple class periods if needed.
7. After research has been completed, students should show the teacher
their presentation so that some suggestions could be made for
improvement if needed.
8. After the teacher has seen all of the presentations, groups will present
their research topics to the rest of the class
a. Each student is assigned a slide from the beginning so that
everyone gets a chance to speak

V. Closure
After the presentations have been completed, music should be passed out so
that the ensemble can sight-read through the piece. After the initial sight-
reading, the teacher should ask students how they can see what they
researched applies to this composition.

VI. Evaluation of the students

a. Teacher will assess participation through observations during research
time
b. The grades for this activity will follow a rubric assessing the proficiency of
the actual presentation, the content presented, and the validity of their
resources

VII. Self-evaluation of the activity

a. This activity encourages independence and critical thinking in a way that
allows students to relate a new topic to what they already find familiar.
b. Frustration during this activity could stem from a general openness of the
topic. In an effort to avoid limiting students in their research of this topic,
students might find it difficult to find a place to start.

VIII. Thinking toward the future

a. After this activity, students will begin rehearsing the composition that these
topics are supposed to provide context to. Knowing the context of a piece
 can make it easier to play musically. It can also foster more interest in
something that students previously knew little about.
b. I think there are multiple ways that students could learn the cultural
context of a composition from a diverse background besides in depth
research such as this. It would be beneficial to have students find the
context of pieces in multiple ways for the sake of time as well as more
experience.

Classroom Activity for Teaching in a Multicultural Society

Checklist

Content Evidence Missing/0 pts. Included/5 pts.

Objective
Materials
Introduction
Procedures
Closure
Evaluation of the
Learner
Self-Evaluation /10 pts.
Thinking to the future

Total Points/60