Stephen Foster And Other Popular Songs of the Civil War Grade: 5 th Date: January/February 2012 Objectives: Sing and Play the Songs of the Civil War Become familiar with the songs of Stephen Foster and his important connection to popular American songs today. America’s first paid professional composer Why copyright laws? Vocabulary: Ballad Parlor songs Pentatonic Minstrel Minstrel show Essential Questions: What is popular music? How would you classify mid-century American music? Why are copyright laws important to American musicians today? How are different genres of music perceived by the social classes and cultures of America? How would you compare popular music of today with the popular music of mid-century America? What is a Minstrel Show? Who is E.P. Christy and What role did he play in Stephen Foster’s Life?

Assessment: (subjective, informal, and formal) Sing and play melodies and rhythms with accuracy. Find and identify answers with minimal assistance. Sing a Stephen Foster song with proper intonation. Transfer knowledge and explain song lyrics and melodies to convey sentiments and history of the time with detail and accuracy. Share written facts about Stephen Foster, knowledge of music symbols, and score reading in a formal assessment. Demonstrates knowledge of score reading /music symbols Able to read and write middle c, d, e, f, g, a, and b. Able to distinguish feeling and mood of the song with accuracy. (happy/melancholy) Levels of Proficiency: 4, 3, 2, 1