Spirituals Study Guide

Lori Miller, Spirituals Study Guide

Picture of slaves in chains.

Essential Question: What did the Negro spirituals mean and why were they important? Do they have the same meaning now?

People have always liked to sing, and they sing for different reasons. We sing special songs at weddings and at funerals. We sing songs when we’re happy or when we’re feeling depressed. We will explore a special type of music and discover why this music was sung.

Picture of slave quarters.
The rooms were crowded,
and straw was used as a mattress,
if there was a mattress at all.

Part 1 Picture of slaves before the Civil War.	Write down five reasons why YOU sing. Use complete sentences. Think about whether you sing fast songs, slow songs, country songs, church songs, dance songs, or other music. Think about where you sing. Think about what you are doing while you sing. Include this information in your sentences.
Part 2 Picture of slaves who escaped and are free, but who are still moving to find a new home.	Listen to a least four songs at these links. As you listen, think about how the music makes you feel. http://www.loc.gov/folklife/Gordon/sound/Deepdowninmy.mp3 http://www.negrospirituals.com/mp3/i_m_troubled.mp3 http://www.negrospirituals.com/mp3/heaven.mp3 http://www.negrospirituals.com/mp3/His-Eye.mp3 http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/ (the main page has a song playing in the background) **For the next ones, you may have to install a codec that you can find here: http://www.xiph.org/dshow/. Get an adult’s permission before you install anything! http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/82/RolltheOldChariotAlong.ogg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Colored_quartet.pharoah%27s_army_got_drowned_EDIS-SRP-0198-12.ogg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/26/MyGoodLordDoneBeenHere.ogg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/0b/DeepDowninMyHeart.ogg
Part 3 Illustration of slaves being beaten by their master as they worked in the field.	Choose one of the songs you just listened to. Listen to it again. Write down the lyrics. Look them up online if you need to. Who might have sung these lyrics? What are the lyrics about? Why would someone sing these lyrics? Read the poem "Runagate Runagate": http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/runagate-runagate/ How is this poem like the songs you've listened to? Could the same person who wrote the poem have written one of these songs? How are the lyrics the same? How are the lyrics different? How are the emotions and feelings in the songs the same as the emotions and feelings in the poem?
Part 4 Picture of a poster advertising a reward for runaway slaves.	Look at some of these sites and answer these questions. Write your answers on a piece of paper. Why did the slaves sing spirituals? What were the spirituals about? Is it possible that there were messages hidden in the spirituals? Find out when some of the spirituals were written or were popular. What things were happening in the slaves’ lives that would make them sing these lyrics? Would anyone have minded them singing these lyrics? Did the songs actually help them do their jobs? How could the songs have helped physically? How could the songs have helped mentally and spiritually? Do people still sing these songs today? Why or why not? http://www.negrospirituals.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_(music) http://www.loc.gov/folklife/Gordon/sideBbandB1.html http://www.spiritualsproject.org/ http://ctl.du.edu/spirituals/ http://www.tnstate.edu/library/digital/FISK.HTM http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/anderson/av/index.html http://imslp.org/wiki/User:Clark_Kimberling/Historical_Notes_1 http://www.jsfmusic.com/Uncle_Tom/Tom_Article3.html
Part 5 Picture of a bear trap. These were often set to capture escaped slaves.	Imagine that you are a slave who works in the fields. You are owned by someone and have no say in what happens every day. You must do exactly what your master says and cannot express your own opinions or feelings. Sometimes you are beaten if you do not complete your work the way your master says. Sometimes you are beaten just because your master is in a bad mood. Some of your family members have been sold to other masters and you will never get to see them again. You dream about running away and being free, but you know this is a huge risk because you could be killed if you attempt to run away and get caught. Write a song about how this makes you feel. Either write the lyrics or record yourself humming (or singing) the tune. Share your song with others and ask them how the song makes them feel.

Based on these standards:

Georgia State Social Studies Standard SS5H1 Grade: 5
Description: SS5H1 The student will explain the causes, major events, and consequences of the Civil War.
Elements:
a. Identify Uncle Tom's Cabin and John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry and explain how each of these events was related to the Civil War.
b. Discuss how the issues of states' rights and slavery increased tensions between the North and South.
c. Identify major battles and campaigns: Fort Sumter, Gettysburg, the Atlanta Campaign, Sherman’s March to the Sea, and Appomattox Court House.
d. Describe the roles of Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Jefferson Davis, and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson.
e. Describe the effects of war on the North and South.

NSS-USH.5-12.5 ERA 5: CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION (1850-1877)
Understands the causes of the Civil War
Understands the course and character of the Civil War and its effects on the American people
Understands how various reconstruction plans succeeded or failed

Pictures used with permission from:
http://commons.wikimedia.org/
http://www.pics4learning.com

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Last updated October 6, 2009.

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