Ford's+WA

Ford's WA

I. A. Results: What do I want to students to understand about "Song of myself?" Will they be familiar with the historical context in which "Song" was written? Will they understand that literature, in ways, reflects the times in which it is written; and how cultural events influence what is written and how? How will they percieve Whitman, a man who, because of his sex and skin color, commands a priveleged standing at a time when a large percentage of the population in this country was considered sub-human? Will they understand the deeper levels of tension and power-dynamics at work in the poem, i.e. Whitman's defiance, and his attitudes about slavery that operate on a purely human (rather than religious or political) level? How can I show them that Whitman considers marginalized groups his equal? Do I think he considers them his equal?

B. Will students understand how to read a poem on levels that delve below the surface? Will they recognize motifs within a poem, and know what a "cultural object" is? Do cultural objects matter? What is a cultural object vs a universal one? How will students read poetic tropes? What does it mean to use cultural objects in a text, and why would a writer use them? Are there recurrant cultural objects common to American literature? What are the more commonly used poetic motifs? How will students apply what they've learned to other readings, literary or otherwise? How will I teach them to write critically and interpretively?

II. Evidence of Learning: I'm having them write about a page, probably informally, maybe blog-style, about my selected motif--the slave, the fugitive slave--or another they choose from the poem. I've provided some background information into the cultural climate of the time in which Whitman wrote the 1855 version of "Song." I want them to demonstrate an understanding of Whitman's celebration of the individual as self, and as part of the collective whole, recognizing the underlying tension present in the text and sub-text. What I"m looking for is a reading that takes them a few steps deeper. I want to know what they think the deeper issues are, and why Whitman, with his level of privelege, would align himself with the lowest of the low, and whether or not they believe he succeeds.

III. Design: In doing my own research for this project, I came across many sites dedicated to educating younger children about slavery in the US. I want my students to synthesize what was going on at that time on a more sophisticated level. I collected some stuff, but I would want them to collect more (and I don't think I would necessarily give them what I have, either. I think I would maybe cite one or two events, and leave the rest to them). Slavery in this country sparked a variety of movements, including numerous abolitionist groups, some for a peaceful end to slavery and some for a violent end, both groups composed of black and white members; the American women's movement grew out of the abolitionist movement, as women were not allowed to participate in many public activities. I posted a lot of this stuff on my blog, but I think for a class, I would have the students assemble a running list of events surrounding 1855. B. I think collaborative stuff. I'd go beyond electronic archives, and encourage them to use hard text resources as well. C. I think I would have to spend some time before I assigned this poem having them read some shorter poetry, to introduce skills like interpretive reading, what poetic language is, and other poetry reading basics. I think I would be aiming this towards sophmore-level college students.

Unit would look something like this:

Pre-assignment. Give background on Whitman, maybe with a little Emerson and Thoreau thrown in to show the climate of the literary world at that time. Add some info about history and literature. Homework: assign first half of poem (1855 version), have students collect historical information on what was going on in this country during at the time Whitman was writing the peom. Have students post what they're found on a class web page.

In class: Start discussing poem. Admit that it is a long read, but enourage them to get past that. Homework: assign rest of poem, and hve them research more historical markers--have each student post at least two historical findings, no repeats.

In class: Discuss the rest of the poem, start discussing historical stuff, and why it's relevant. Discuss slavery in particular, my chosen "cultual object," Dicuss what cultural objects are. Homework: Have students re-read entire poem, and review site findings. Have them do peer-reviews of each persons on-line post, covering the value they think the post has in terms of studying Whitman.

In class: Try to put it all together. Why does Whitman do what he does? How does he do it? Do they think Whitman's treatment of his subjects reflects the social/political climate of the period, or are his feelings his alone? What about his place as a priviledged white male? How does this challenge or reconcile the poem? Homework: Read the poem again, do final assignment listed on my blog site.[]