Today Shoesmith 4th graders got bluesy. When I talked about the origins of blues music, some students remembered learning about it during a Black History Month program that explored the evolution of music created by African Americans.
To warm up we practiced looking pitiful and sad and making the sounds of crying and moaning. We brainstormed reasons why we sometimes get the blues, and viewed some blues performances to help further set the mood. We talked about stage names and “nom de plumes” and then consulted a blues name generator to find out our blues names. We examined the lyrics to “Everyday I Have the Blues” by Pinetop and Milton Sparks; noting its repetition and rhyme. Next week we will finish our residency by writing our blues poems!
Enjoy a sampling of reasons to have the blues that students brainstormed today:
*a pet suffers or dies
*losing someone you love
Other kinds of blues:
*The Clapping-Pans Blues
*The Leaving-School Blues
*The Lose-Your-Warm-Spot Blues
*When-Friends-Leave Blues
*Annoying-Sibling Blues
*Can’t-Fall-Asleep Blues
*Losing-a-Sports-Games-by-2-Points Blues
