The Ballad

Overview

One of the required forms of writing for grades seven and eight is the poetic format of a ballad.  So what?  It's was entertainment in music and story.

Objectives

GLE: Grade Level Expectations

2.3.1  The student writes in a variety of forms for different audiences and purposes.  Write in a variety of forms/genres. Uses a variety of forms/genres.                

Grades 2-9: Maintains a log/portfolio to track variety of forms/genres used. Includes forms/genres from previous years.               

1.1.1 Analyzes and selects effective strategies for generating ideas and planning writing.

·       Uses prewriting stage to determine purpose, analyze audience, select form, research background information, formulate theme (for narrative writing) or a thesis, and/or organize text.

1.2.1 Analyzes task and composes multiple drafts when appropriate.

·     a.  Refers to prewriting plan.

·     b.  Drafts according to audience, purpose, and time.

·     c.  Drafts by hand and/or electronically.

·     d.  Assesses draft and/or feedback, decides if multiple drafts are necessary, and explains decision.

1.3.1 Revises text, including changing words, sentences, paragraphs, and ideas. d. Seeks and considers feedback from a variety of sources (e.g., adults, peers, community members, response groups). e.  Records feedback using writing group procedure (e.g., partner reads writer’s work aloud, and writer notes possible revision).  f.  Evaluates and justifies the choice to use feedback in revisions (e.g., “I don’t want to change this because …”).  g.  Revises typographic devices (e.g., bullets, numbered lists) to clarify text and to meet requirements of technical writing forms (e.g., lab reports, graphs).

3.2.1 Applies understanding that different audiences and purposes affect writer’s voice.

·       Writes with a clearly defined voice appropriate to audience.

3.2.2 Analyzes and selects language appropriate for specific audiences and purposes. 

Selects and uses precise language in poetic and narrative writing.

·       Uses the vernacular appropriately.

·       Selects and uses specialized vocabulary relevant to a specific content area (e.g., meteorologist, climatology).

·       Selects and uses persuasive techniques (e.g., powerful and emotional imagery).

·       Selects and uses literary devices (e.g., metaphor, symbols, analogies).

·       Selects and uses sound devices in prose and poetry (e.g., two-syllable rhyme, repetition, rhythm, rhyme schemes).

·       Considers connotation and denotation when selecting works (plump vs. fat, shack vs. house).

1.5.1 Publishes in formats that are appropriate for specific audiences and purposes.Publishes material in appropriate form  and format. Publishes using visual and dramatic presentations.

Team

• Team Roles
• Team 1
• Team 2
• Team 3
• Team 4
• Team 5

Timeline

• Wiki Kickoff/Notes/Problems/: MTW
• What is a ballad? W/TH
• Ideas: Th
• Research and Notes: THFM
• Research/Notes/Prewrite: MTW
• Revision/Peer Edit/: THFM
• Revision/Final MT
• Peer Review: TW
• Final/Celebration: THF

Tasks/Milestones

• Introduction/Wiki How Tos/SandBox

What is wiki?

How do they work?

Can I try?

Project Intro and Setup (Project Team Pages:

• What is a ballad?
• Read all available versions of “Lord Randall (Lord Rendel)” “Sir Patrick Spens,” “The Three Ravens” (or “Two Corbies”), “The Unquiet Grave,” and “Bonny Barbara Allen.” 

  Glossary:  http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/display_rpo/poetterm.cfm 

  Medieval Ballad Web sites

  Francis J. Child Ballads,

  Early Child Ballads,

The Ballad,

With your team, choose two of the ballads to read. What did both of the ballads have in common?  Take notes on the

• If desired, also listen to several ballads (with lyrics printed). “The Long Black Veil” features Mick Jagger with the Chieftains. The soundtrack to the movie Songcatcher also features many folk ballads.
• Informally assess student learning by having students list some characteristics of the ballads that they have read and discuss examples from the ballads they have read.
• Write the significant characteristics (those that correspond with the Ballad Checklist) on the board or overhead to reinforce them.
• Close by reviewing the list so far and explaining that the class will explore the characteristics of ballads further in future sessions.
• Who or what to ballad?
• Research Tasks/Notes
• Prewriting
• Revision/Peer Edit
• Peer Review
• Publication

Resources

• What is a ballad?

Glossary: 

http://rpo.library.utoronto.ca/display_rpo/poetterm.cfm 

Medieval Ballad Web sites

Francis J. Child Ballads

Early Child Ballads

The Ballad

Information:

The Music & Meaning of Mexican Corridos

http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/content/3743/

Extend the ballad focus with this ArtsEdge lesson unit, which examines the historical and cultural significance of Mexican ballads known as corridos.

Characteristics of Ballads

http://www.sip.uiuc.edu/people/rromero/notes/corrido_characteristics.htm

This site features a list of twenty-two characteristics common to ballads, taken from the Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics.

The Music of Poetry: Ballad and Blues Stanzas

http://www.smithsonianglobalsound.org/archives_05.aspx

This Smithsonian Global Sound explains features of the ballad form and provides audio samples of poems, hymns and songs in ballad meter.

Wikipedia: The Ballad http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballad

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