I+Hear+America+Singing

Kaitlyn Kelleher Poetry Activity November 19, 2012


 * __Poem:__** “I Hear America Singing”
 * __Author:__** Walt Whitman

//I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,// //Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,// //The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,// //The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,// //The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand// //Singing on the steamboat deck,// //The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,// //The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or// //at noon-intermission or at sundown,// //The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of// //the girl sewing or washing,// //Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,// //The day what belongs to the day – at night the party of the young fellows,// //robust, friendly,// //Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.//


 * __Unit Plan Topic:__** End of Reconstruction, Industrialization, and the start of WWI
 * __The Lesson Topic for this Activity:__** Industrialization

(1) I will tell students to close their eyes and remain quiet while I read Walt Whitman’s poem. (2) I will cue students to visualize the images and imagine songs that would represent each line. (3) I will read through the poem once and let them absorb it, but I will also read it a second time, in which, I will pause after every line to allow them to write down their images and song selections. (4) Students will then have a chance to explore Voicethread.com to find primary source images that – they feel – reflects what Whitman was trying to say about America (post-reconstruction). Voicethread provides thousands of public images (provided by the New York Public Library) that students can pick from to create their voicethread. I would request that they only choose one //perfect// image for each of Whitman's lines (5) This activity will provide an introduction to a voicethread.com project (introducing Industrialization). The photos will reveal diversity in culture, and the students’ music selections will appeal to them personally (and, consequently, make the material more memorable).
 * __Activity Description__:**


 * __Pressing Question:__** What am I going to do about technology if we don’t have enough access to computers?

- Pausing after every line to write down images and song selections
 * __My Example of the Assignment:__**

//I hear America singing, the varied carols I hear,// “Home” by Dierks Bentley, or Opera. //Those of mechanics, each one singing his as it should be blithe and strong,// Mechanics working hard with their sleeves rolled up and covered in car oil. //The carpenter singing his as he measures his plank or beam,// construction of huge skyscrapers. //The mason singing his as he makes ready for work, or leaves off work,// workers with their families. //The boatman singing what belongs to him in his boat, the deckhand// //Singing on the steamboat deck,// a huge steamship (like my great-great-great grandfather’s). //The shoemaker singing as he sits on his bench, the hatter singing as he stands,// shopkeepers – small businesses //The wood-cutter’s song, the ploughboy’s on his way in the morning, or// //at noon-intermission or at sundown,// farmers and westward expansion //The delicious singing of the mother, or of the young wife at work, or of// //the girl sewing or washing,// women in the labor movement //Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else,// the Statue of Liberty //The day what belongs to the day – at night the party of the young fellows,// //robust, friendly,// soldiers //Singing with open mouths their strong melodious songs.// People having fun as they would today!

I then went to my account on Voicethread.com, where users may create a presentation using Digital Gallery images from the New York Public Library. I found images like the ones I envisioned (when I read my poem the second time). This gallery of the New York Public Library provides free and open access to almost 700,000 images that range from “rare and historical prints, photographs, illustrations, maps, manuscripts, posters and more.” I then created a voicethread of it using two opera songs (listed below and within the Voicethread). This Voicethread isn't perfect and I think I would have to allow students to do a second draft (after they received feedback for the first). They should be allowed to use their own images, if they wish to relate more personally to the content (and technology cooperates).

[|http://voicethread.com/?#u1781919.b3733844.i19372041]

Image 2: Tire industry (Source: Series of photographic documents of social conditions, 1905-1939./L.W. Hine/ Unit IV. Men at work Image 3: Building Construction (same source as above)  Image 4: A worker on the edge of a platform on the construction of the Empire State Building.  Image 5: This man is crushing faulty light bulbs for melting in the furnace.  Image 6: A boot cleaner  Image 7: A woman creating ammunition  Image 8: A woman and a man smiling together  Image 9: Soldiers of WWI  Image 10: People coming to America

Songs by:

Denza, Luigi, Funiculi Funicula, For Voice and Orchestra (& Chorus Beniamino Gili, The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli

D’Anzi, Giovanni Voglio Vivere Cosi, For Voice & Orchestra Andrea Bocelli, Incanto