Wisconsin Native Music Artists and Groups (Lesson 4)

Created Feb. 6, 2024 by Natasha Verhulst


WISELearn Grant Lesson Plan 
Title:Wisconsin Native Music Artists and GroupsAuthor: Natasha Verhulst
Subject(s):  Music
Grade Level(s): 4Total Time: 30-45

Overview / Description: Students will explore, discover, and present about Wisconsin Indigenous artists.

Learning goals/objectives: Students will work in small groups to pick and present about a Wisconsin Indigenous artist.

Workplace Readiness Skill: 

 x   Social Skills  x Communication 
 x  Teamwork     x    Critical Thinking
 x  Attitude and Initiative  x  Planning and Organization
   Professionalism  x  Media Etiquette

Content Standards: 

Wisconsin State Standards

  • Connect
    • MG4.Cn.8.i Describe roles of musicians in various music settings and world cultures
    • MG4.Cn.5.i: Compare the historical and cultural aspects of music with other disciplines.
    • MG4.Cn.6.i: Explain how music relates to self, others, and the world. 

Social Justice 

  • Diversity
    • 8. Students will respectfully express curiosity about the history and lived experiences of others and will exchange ideas and beliefs in an open-minded way.
    • 9. Students will respond to diversity by building empathy, respect, understanding and connection.
    • 10. Students will examine diversity in social, cultural, political, and historical contexts rather than in ways that are superficial or oversimplified.

Materials:


Learning Activities:

WHO (T=Teacher Focus Lesson; WG=Whole Group\; SM=Small Group; I=Independent)

Learning Activity Task                                                WHO is responsible
for this step?		Approximate time
for task
The teacher will welcome the students and complete their beginning of class duties (attendance, direct students to seat, etc). T1 Min
The teacher will start the lesson by telling the students that there are many kinds of Indigenous music, and there are many Indigenous artists singing and creating music here in Wisconsin.T1 Min
The teacher will divide the students into small groups and have them discuss the kinds of music they listen to. WG/SG5 Min
The teacher will ask one student from each group to recap for the whole groupWG/SG5 Min
The teacher will explain that some of the music the students listen to is also included in the music by Indigenous artists along with traditional music and instruments, but some songs are songs that have been passed down through generations for many yearsT1 Min
 The teacher will show parts of the PBS Ojibwe Music video that they have selected for the students to see the different instruments and understand what they mean T/WG 10-20 Min
After the video, the teacher will ask the students to discuss in their groups and have one person from each group share their most interesting fact they learned.  SG 5 Min
 After the discussion, the teacher will share a list of Wisconsin Indigenous artists examples, playing a short clip of each. T/WG 4 Min
 The small groups will each select an artist/group to learn about and pick a favorite song from.  WG/SG 2 Min
 The students will put together a slide that shows a clip of their favorite song/performance of the artist/group, the tribe that the group comes from, and show where that tribe is from on the map. (This will likely continue into the next lesson, along with the sharing part) WG/SG 20 Min

Assessment: The teacher will have each small group share their artist with the class when their project is complete.

Wrap-Up: The teacher will review with the students that there are many Indigenous artists living today in the state that are writing different kinds of music, and encourage them to look for more Native artists when they have time.

Extension Activity (for intervention or enrichment): Students may look deeper in the artist/group that they picked, or maybe decide to look for an artist from a tribe in the state that wasn't addressed to share with the class. 

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