All Aboard the Freedom Train!

February is Black History Month. Several of the music classes have been studying the importance of music during the fight for freedom. Together, we are creating a Freedom Train that will be displayed in the hallway. Here are a few of the projects the classes have completed so far.

5th Grade: On President's Day, we talked about the impact Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King, Jr. had on the fight for Civil Rights. We learned two freedom songs that would have been sung during the marches and protests led by Dr. King. We also created a Rhythm Train, where we not only practiced our complex rhythms, we also learned about the Underground Railroad and the secret code songs that were used to help slaves escape to freedom. Finally, the 5th graders decorated their boxcar with phrases about what freedom means to them.

Standing around the rhythm track getting ready to play. Each color represents a different station.

3rd Grade: The 3rd graders also made a Rhythm Train, they just had easier rhythms to play. Students took turns being the conductor and helped keep the steady beat. Later this week, we will be learning a song titled, "Hallelujah, Get on Board" and read the book "Henry's Freedom Box". Then we will discuss the secret meanings of songs such as "Follow the Drinking Gourd". The 3rd grade boxcars will be decorated with different drawings of the Underground Railroad.

Orange Stations playing the maracas.

Chugging along the track.

Kindergarten: The Kindergarteners talked about what slavery was and learned about Harriet Tubman. We then learned a song about Harriet Tubman and read a book about her. The Kindergarteners thought she was very brave for going back to save people after she had already escaped. Their train cars show pictures of Harriet Tubman escaping to freedom.

Freedom Quilt

All of the music classes have been learning about Black History month and how African Americans greatly influenced the music we listen to today. Slaves often used songs and quilts to send secret messages about the Underground Railroad. Quilts are also used to tell the story of someone's family history. Several of the classes created pictures portraying what they had learned. We put the pieces together to form a "Freedom Quilt."
Kindergarten and 1st Grade studied Harriet Tubman. She often used secret calls and songs to warn people of danger and also to let them know when the coast was clear. The Kindergarteners colored pictures that follow the story of her life.

Kindergarten

The 2nd graders learned the song "Follow the Drinking Gourd" and were amazed to find out that the lyrics were really a secret map, guiding the slaves to freedom in the North.

The 3rd graders studied the Underground Railroad. We read the book "Henry's Freedom Box" and learned the true story of how one man mailed himself to freedom. We also learned several songs about freedom trains. Their quilt represents pictures of Henry's journey and also what they think life as a slave may have been like.



3rd Grade

The 4th Graders read two books (we wanted to celebrate Reading Month as well!), "When Marian Sang" and "Duke Ellington." They learned about the many styles of music that African Americans have inspired and created such as jazz, blues, gospel, rag time, swing, marches, hip-hop, and rap.

4th Grade

Painting their quilt squares.

The 5th Graders studied Martin Luther King, Jr and how freedom songs were often sung to inspire people and lift their hopes during his speeches and marches. "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is now considered the African American National Anthem.

The 6th Graders each researched a different African American musician. Their quilt pattern gives a short bio of their musician, any struggles that person may have overcome, and/or how they have changed music.

6th Grade

 The finished quilt takes up the entire wall outside of the music room. 6 "secret" facts about African American music have been hidden throughout the quilt.

Finished quilt

Secret fact

Ride the Rhythm Train

February is Black History month. The 3rd graders learned about the Underground Railroad and how secret songs were used as maps to guide the slaves to freedom. Then we created a Rhythm train, which was led by a "conductor". The students walked around the "track" stopping at different colored "stations" to play their new rhythms.



The rhythm track



Chugging along



The train conductor keeping everyone on track

The yellow station playing the tambourines

The pink station playing the maracas