Interactive Read Aloud Planning Template
Text: When Marian Sang
Author: Pam Munoz Ryan
Genre:Biography
Learning Goals: Language Arts or Content Area
 The students will understand how Marian Anderson impacted those around
her.
 The students will understand the challenges that Marian faced during this
time period.
Before reading:
Build background knowledge: This is a biography of a famous African American
singer, Marian Anderson. During the early years of Marian’s life, things were
different for African Americans in many parts of the country.
Introduce story vocabulary: distinct; accomplish; pleaded
Set purpose: As I read this story I want you pay attention to the various
challenges Marian faced as an African American singer during this time period and
what she did to overcome these obstacles. I also want you to think about how
Marian’s singing affected the people she performed for, and how she impacted
future generations.
During reading:
Teaching Points/Questions:
Page #2-What do the italicized words in the middle of the page represent? (the
song Marian is singing)
Marian often sang all afternoon with her sisters, but the author stated that her
voice was distinct. What does she mean by distinct? (different)
What made her voice so distinct or different? (the author says it was strong and
velvety and she could sing high because it said it could climb more than twentyfour notes)
Page #6-How can you tell that people were impressed with Marian’s talent? What
specific details in the story support this? (she was invited to perform in church
and they started talking about her remarkable gift; she was invited to perform at
other churches and was chosen for the People’s Chorus)
Page #10- How did Marian respond to the challenges she faced during this time
period? (she kept singing and didn’t give up-she took lessons in her
neighborhood, continued with choirs, and performed at Negro churches and
colleges)
Page #12- Why was opera considered a dream that was too far away to reach?
(because she wasn’t allowed to receive a formal music education- there were no
other African Americans that sang opera during this time)
Do you think Marian will eventually accomplish this goal of performing opera?
Why or why not? (students should support their opinion with details from the
text- possible responses: yes, because she is determined and doesn’t give up; no,
because she wasn’t allowed to go to the schools that trained for this)
Page #16-After Marian sang, Mr. Boghetti said, “I will make room for you right
away.” What can you conclude based on his reaction to Marian’s singing? (that
he was impressed and realized she had a lot of talent- he would work with her)
Page #24-How was Marian’s experience in other countries different than what
she experienced in the United States? Why was it different? (she was allowed to
perform anywhere she wanted to sing when she was outside of the US, but when
she came back to the states, she wasn’t allowed to sing in certain places because
of the color of her skin)
Page #26-Although Marian was concerned about performing at the Lincoln
Memorial, she agreed to do it. What was her main motivation for performing?
(she felt she had become a symbol to her people and wanted to make it easier for
those who would follow her)
How did the audience react to Marian’s performance? (there was a roaring
cheer, they pleaded for more and when she sang, the authors states, that a
“silence settled on the multitudes.”)
Page #28-Look closely at the illustrations. What can we infer or conclude based
on the illustration on these two pages? (that many people, no matter the color of
their skin, were impacted by Marian’s singing and wanted to hear her perform;
they also look as if they were moved by her performance)
After reading:
Comprehension focus: What does the author mean by, “at long last, she had
reached the sun and the moon.”? (she had finally accomplished her goal of
singing opera at the Metropolitan Opera)
Vocabulary review: _Review the words mentioned earlier by having the students
share a sentence with their partner using the word in the correct context-how it
was used in the story.
Written Response: Modeled_____Shared__X___Independent_____
Use details from the story to explain how Marian Anderson impacted people
during her time period and also people in future generations.
(Feel free to change the writing extension and response- this is just a sample)
Example: Marian Anderson’s distinct voice captivated audiences around the
world. As a young girl, she performed at church and was soon asked to sing at
neighboring churches after news spread of her remarkable gift. She sang at
Negro churches and colleges and even had the opportunity to sing in other
countries. Her singing left audiences weeping and silent as they hung on to every
note. They often signaled for an encore with their cheers and loud applause.
When Marian performed at the Lincoln Memorial, she stood as a symbol for her
people and future generations. She broke the color barrier and showed that you
could do anything you set your mind to. With hard work and determination,
Marian’s dreams really did come true.
To set up the writing, you could complete the chart with students using
information from text:
Impact on People During Her Time Period
Impact on Future Generations