When Marian Sang
By Pam Munoz Ryan
Pictures by Brian Selznick
Book cover from Amazon.com
Cyberlesson by Leigh Buczak
5th Grade
Introduction
Do you ever think about who the important
people were who worked to make sure that all
people were treated equally, no matter what
their skin color was? Today we are going to
learn about Marian Anderson, a woman who
worked throughout her life to do this. We
are going to be reading a biography focused
on her called When Marian Sang.
Materials
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When Marian Sang
by Pam Munoz Ryan
Pen
Pencil
Paper
Jim Crow Web site
Scholastic Writing
Web site
Marian Anderson
Web site
Photo from: Penn Library Exhibitions Web site
Before Reading
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In your small group, share what
you know about biographies and
record your ideas here.
When you are finished sharing ideas,
continue to the next slide to see how
your ideas matched an actual definition.
Photo from: www.marian-anderson.org
Before Reading
Biographies
• Genre of literature based on the life story of
someone other than the writer
• The main character is usually influential and
important in some way
• Non-fiction
• Describes the history of a person’s life or the
series of important events about a person
• The author develops insight into who the
person is/was, the person’s personality and
emotions linked to experiences
Before Reading
Look at the cover and pictures within When Marian Sang and read the
book jacket. With your partner, discuss some predictions about what
you think this book is about and why.
The book jacket talks about the obstacles Marian had to face in the
time before African Americans had equal rights to Whites. As the K
part of the KWL, write down ideas about what you know about the
African Americans’ struggle. When you are finished, jot down some
questions you have about the African American struggle and what
Marian Anderson might have to do with it under the W column of the
KWL chart.
Many times African Americans were not treated equally because they
had to follow laws called Jim Crow laws. With a partner, click here to
learn more about them, and discuss what you find in your small group.
Read the documentary sections and personal histories.
During Reading
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Read up to when Marian returns to the United
States
Using sticky notes, tab inspiring sentences or
passages while you are reading to share with
your small group. These passages should help
you and your group members understand
Marian’s personality. Discuss why you chose
them with your group.
Quickwrite: Based on what you already know
about Marian, do you think that she ever is
accepted as an equal by the American people?
Why? Keep in mind that the struggle for social
justice continued through the 1960s.
During Reading
As you are reading, think
about how you know that
this book is a biography.
Base your answers on what
you learned a biography is
at the beginning of the
lesson. Discuss and
record ideas in your
small group here.
Photo from: Penn Library Exhibitions Web site
After Reading
One way that authors collect information for
biographies is by conducting interviews either with
the person the biography is about or people who know
the person. In your small groups, compose two
burning questions you would have liked to ask Marian
if you were interviewing her. Then, based on what you
read and your background knowledge, answer the
questions how you think she would have answered
them. When all groups are finished, we will do the
“hot seat” activity in which a group member will
pretend to be the interviewer and another member
will be Marian. Each group member will get to
participate since there are two questions.
After Reading
In order to complete
your KWL, fill in the L
column of your KWL
chart describing
what you LEARNED
about Marian Anderson,
civil rights, and
biographies from this
Cyberlesson.
Photo from: Penn Library Exhibitions Web site
Beyond Reading
Towards the end of this unit,
you will be writing your own
biographies. Explore this
Web site with a partner to
find helpful hints for writing
biographies and record them
here. The Web site begins by
explaining how to change a
boring first draft into an
interesting final draft and
then gives tips to follow while
researching and writing.
Photo from: Penn Library Exhibitions Web site
Beyond Reading
In your small group, explore this Web
site that you visited before to listen to
audio links and view a video of Marian
singing. Use this as inspiration to write a
song here about Marian and the person
that she was. First make up the words,
then you can sing the words to a popular
tune or a tune that you create.
Excellent (5 pts.)
Good (4pts.)
Needs Improvement
(3pts.)
Before Reading
Activities:
Building and
Activating
Background
Knowledge
•Detailed
explanation of
background knowledge
• thorough use of resources
and discussion time to build
and share background
knowledge
• thorough explanation of
predictions based on what is
known and book walk
•Straightforward
explanation of
background knowledge, could use
more description
• good use of resources and
discussion time to build and
share background knowledge
• some explanation of
predictions made based on what
is known and book walk
•Vague
During Reading
Activities:
Reading and
Responding
•Brought
many important
passages in text to share in
discussion to help make
predictions, inferences,
connections, and build on
knowledge of the genre
•Brought
some ideas gained from
text to share in discussion in
order to predict, make
inferences, make connections,
and build on knowledge of the
genre
•Brought
After Reading
Activities:
Thinking More
Deeply and
Revisiting the
Text
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answers to burning
questions show excellent use
of text and background
knowledge
•Detailed description of what
was learned
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answers to burning questions
show good use of text and
background knowledge
•General description of what was
learned
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Beyond Reading
Activities:
Going Beyond
the Text and
Extending
Knowledge
•Gained
•Gained
•Gained
many helpful hints
from biography Web site
•Group song includes much
information learned about
Marian and shows use of
creativity
some helpful hints from
biography Web site
•Group song includes some
information learned about
Marian and shows use of
creativity
explanation of background
knowledge
•Did not show much use of
resources and discussion time to
build and share background
knowledge
•Predictions mostly based on clues
from the book walk, little use of
background knowledge
little to discussion in
order to help group continue
predicting, make inferences, make
connections, and build on
knowledge of the genre
answers to burning questions
show little use of text and
background knowledge
•Little description of what was
learned
a few helpful hints from
biography Web site
•Group song includes little
information learned about Marian
and does not use much creativity
Credits
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http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/
features/remembering/index.html
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/biog
raph/index.htm
http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rb
m/anderson/