Teachers: Ms. Cummings and Ms. Keough Class: English Date:
Grade: 11 Room: 20 Period: 2 Unit: A Genre Study of the Blues: Capturing the Feelings of
Pain & Belonging
Lesson Number: 8
Topic: “Sonny’s Blues” and the theme of Suffering
Context: Students have read Sonny’s Blues for homework and have already discussed the word
“blue” and it’s connotations as well as studied the Blues theme of sadness. Last class, the
students looked at the conventions of Blues songs. Now, they will discuss the short story and
why it is a symbol of the Blues.
Objectives:
Short Term:
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Students will be able to identify the theme of suffering in the “Sonny’s Blues” and
associate the characters, their situations, and the overall bond between the characters to
the themes and ideas associated with the Blues genre.
Students will be able to apply the conventions of the Blues genre (pain, suffering, and
transcending above that suffering) to “Sonny’s Blues” and Reservation Blues, listing
similarities between the characters, their struggles, and their escape through music.
Long Term Objectives:
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Students will be able to identify the themes and conventions of the Blues genre and be
able to recognize this form of expression across genres such as poetry, music, short
stories, etc.
Students will be able to compare and contrast two texts, critically analyzing the
characters and the emotional bond which suffering creates between them.
Rationale:
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Administrators: The students will be critically reading lines from the text and applying
them to the themes of suffering in the Blues genre. They will discuss in groups the connections
and images (if any in that line) that relate to the Blues genre. The students will discuss how
suffering connects people because of the shared experience and how blue music in the story is
used to illustrate emotional connections and understandings. The students will then relate the
novel which we are reading, Reservation Blues, to the same theme of suffering and emotional
connections. Students will reflect in a free write in their journals about the two texts and how
music plays a part in both stories. Today’s activity will involve reading, writing, speaking, and
listening for information and understanding.
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Parents: Students will be exposed to texts which express feelings about pain and
suffering a rising above that pain. These texts will allows students to gain knowledge and
empathy for cultures and people which they may believe have nothing in common with.
The students will understand that suffering is universal, everyone experiences it, and
therefore it connects everyone. Students will understand that music and writing are
powerful tools and are a form of escape when going through troubled times and are
encouraged to use writing and music as an outlet for their emotions.
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Students: Students will see that music and writing are forms of expression that can help
people transcend against their pain: to rise above the suffering. Students will see that the Blues
theme can be found in novels and stories as well as songs. They will be able to use this
knowledge to better understand texts (such as music, novels, poetry, etc.) that they may read in
the future.
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Background Knowledge and Skills: Students have learned about the history of the
blues, its themes, and the connotations that the word Blue brings to mind. They will use this
knowledge to critically analyze Sonny’s Blues and the theme of suffering in the story.
Common Core Standards:
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Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development
over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to
produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.
Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says
explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text
leaves matters uncertain.
Summary:
Students will discuss the theme of suffering and pain in the short story. They will use what they
have learned about the Blues genre and its conventions to critically analyze the characters, the
pain, and the use of music as an escape. The students will then, in small groups of four, compare
Sonny’s Blues to Reservation Blues, using in text examples to illustrate the theme of suffering
and the need for an escape through music.
Procedure:
Anticipatory Set:
The students will be asked to share some of their reflections in their writer’s notebooks, due for
homework today. Their reflections were to draw connections with the characters, the situations,
and the importance of music to the Blues genre. Students will volunteer.
Guided Practice:
There will be a whole class discussion on the story. The students will be asked to discuss the
following questions:
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What is meant by the word "blues" in the title? What are Sonny's blues?
Sonny tells the narrator that everyone tries to find a way not to suffer, even the narrator
himself. What are the narrator's ways of coping with his pain and fear? How does this
represent the Blues genre?
What might be some reasons for why the narrator buys Sonny a drink at the end of the
story?
Is this really Sonny’s blues or is it about the narrator’s Blues?
The students will have opportunities to discuss these questions and critically read the text for
images, symbolism, and themes which represent the Blues genre.
Instruction:
I would tell the students: Okay, break into your small groups of four. As a group, you will be
given one character from the story and you will locate textual examples that support the
characters emotional suffering. Each group will share their quote and explain how this character
is suffering or deals with their suffering through music.
Independent Practice: Students will be given a sheet with the following at the top: how the
Reservation Blues and Sonny’s Blues mirror the Blues style even though Reservation Blues is
not an African American story? Can it still be considered the Blues? Why or why not? What
makes it the Blues? Can you provide a quote from the novel to support your answer?
Students will be given five to seven minutes to critically write about these questions, using the
novel and the story as support for their answers
Closure: The students will be given the last few minutes of class to share their thoughts with the
class before turning them in. Hopefully, a lively discussion follows. The students will be
reminded of their homework.
Special Notes and Reminders to Myself: N/A
Materials and Recourses Needed:
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Reservation Blues
“Sonny’s Blues”
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Extra paper and pencils
Assessment of Student Learning: Students will be assessed by their participation in group
discussion: this shows if they have done the reading or not. The students will also be assessed on
their responses to the questions at the end of class. They will be given a homework grade out of
five points and are to address all of the questions to the best of their ability.