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Educator Information - This PowerPoint is the second lesson from Unit One - Roots and Beginnings from the Les Paul Study Units. This music unit was developed through a collaboration between the Les Paul Foundation, the Wisconsin Center of Music Education, and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

The lessons are geared for use with students in grades 4 and 5. The purpose of the units are to explore the life and achievements of a Wisconsinite who excelled as a musician, inventor, and sound pioneer, Les Paul. Les Paul’s life story offers learners an expanded view of how to develop their curiosities, nurture their creative nature, and to persevere through challenges. The lessons developed offer learners opportunities to explore, create, discuss, and share, while making connections to their own skills and knowledge about being a musician, inventor, and sound pioneer.

Standards are provided, along with essential questions, which help students deeply reflect and apply to their own lives. Additional extension activities are shared, along with blank templates for: Student Study Sheets, PowerPoint's, and Scrapbook pages. These templates allow teachers to build additional lesson activities. Suggestions for cross-curricular connections are also highlighted within the study unit and may be used in multiple increments of time and study with students in a classroom, multiple classrooms, or school building.

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Les Paul Study Units

Unit One: Roots and Beginnings

Resources

Unit Template
PowerPoint
Student Study Sheet
Scrapbook Page
Article Excerpts
Prezi Link
Supplemental Resource List

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Essential Question

Why do people create or invent things?

Standards

I can explore and demonstrate an understanding of the elements of music by reading, singing and/or playing an instrument. (MG2.P.6.i)
I can examine and evaluate musical connections, similarities, and differences. (MG4.Cn.7.i)

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The Wisconsin Standards for Music (2017) are used for the Les Paul Study Units.

Script – (Start on this slide with students. This is Unit 1, Lesson 2 for the Les Paul Study Units.)

Les Paul was known as a musician, inventor, and sound pioneer, who grew up in Waukesha, WI.

Questions – What do you remember about Les from the last lesson? (Have several students share responses.)

Why do you think people create music? (Have several students share responses.) That was our essential question last lesson, today’s will be “Why do you think people create or invent things?”

Do you create or invent things? (Have several students share responses.)

Les grew up to be a musician, inventor, and sound pioneer. Let’s look at a new set of pictures to give us a few clues about Les’ life. We’ll also listen to and then sing a piece of music that he listened to when he was not much older than you.

Extension -

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Scrapbook – How do the clues fit the pictures?

Waukesha

Script - In our scrapbook, we have several pictures and clues that help us find out about Les Paul. Let’s get started with the scrapbook.

Question - How do the clues fit the pictures? (Students may use the Student Study Sheets to see the clues and pictures.)

Teacher Notes - Choose one of the following instructional methods for this activity.

Review the images as a class, describing what is in each image and possible clue word matches. Have students guess how these words might be connected to the images. The teacher offers a clue match/sentence (see the sentences for each clue on the next slide) to six students who then read the sentence about the picture.

Have the class divided into 6 teams, each with one of the pictures. Each team reviews the image, describes it, and identifies which clue might fit the picture. The team leader shares with the teacher, who then provides the students with the clue match/sentence. The team leader shares about the picture with the whole class and sentence.

CLUE/MATCH SENTENCES- (Quizlet – Words in italics are within the online dictionary. http://quizlet.com/37282801/les-paul-roots-and-beginnings-flash-cards/ .)

Waukesha – City in Wisconsin where Les Paul was born and lived as a child and teenager.
Red Hot Red – This was Lester Polsfuss’ stage name.3.

3. Railroad tie – a metal brace that links and supports the rails on a railway track.

4. Harmonica – A small rectangular wind instrument with free reeds recessed in air slots from which tones are sounded by exhaling and inhaling. (Definitions are based from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary-http://www.merriam-webster.com/.)

5. Electric Guitar - A guitar with a built-in pickup or pickups that convert string vibrations into electrical signals for amplification. (Definitions are based from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary-http://www.merriam-webster.com/.)

6. Pie Plant Pete - Born, Claude Moye, in Shawneetown, Illinois, he was a musician and radio music star from the 1920s-40s. Pie Plant Pete was one of Les Paul’s favorite musicians growing up.

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Scrapbook – How do the clues fit the pictures?

Pie Plant Pete

Electric

Guitar

Rail

Red Hot Red

Waukesha

Harmonica

Script – Let’s find out what you figured out about the clues and the pictures. (Have student leaders from each team share what their team found out about the clue/match. Answers are below.)

Question - How do the clues fit the pictures?

CLUE/MATCH SENTENCES - (Quizlet – Words in italics are within the online dictionary. http://quizlet.com/37282801/les-paul-roots-and-beginnings-flash-cards/ .)

Waukesha – City in Wisconsin where Les Paul was born and lived as a child and teenager.
Red Hot Red – This was Lester Polsfuss’ stage name.
Railroad tie – a metal brace that links and supports the rails on a railway track.
Harmonica – A small rectangular wind instrument with free reeds recessed in air slots from which tones are sounded by exhaling and inhaling. (Definitions are based from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary-http://www.merriam-webster.com/.)
Electric Guitar - A guitar with a built-in pickup or pickups that convert string vibrations into electrical signals for amplification. (Definitions are based from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary-http://www.merriam-webster.com/.)
Pie Plant Pete - Born, Claude Moye, in Shawneetown, Illinois, he was a musician and radio music star from the 1920s-40s. Pie Plant Pete was one of Les Paul’s favorite musicians growing up.

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Roots and Beginnings

Resource: Chapters 1-3 - Les Paul, Guitar Wizard, Badger Biographies

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Read Verse 1. What kind of music is this?

Verse 1 -

I’ve been riding ‘round the ranges for now and 40 years.

My hair is white and I am debt with cares.

When my riding days will cease, I will lay me down in peace,

Over yonder, Over there.

Verse 2 - Clap to the beat.

Listen to Over Yonder, Over There,

by Pie Plant Pete. Sing Verse 3 (next slide).

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What do you know about Les Paul?	What do you want to know about Les Paul?	What have you learned about Les Paul’s start as a musician, inventor, or sound pioneer? Complete after the reading excerpt.

K - W - L - Fill in the boxes based on the information gathered so far about Les Paul .

K

W

L

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Vocabulary (Quizlet)

Underline one word you know. Circle one word you do not know. Amplify Electric Harmonica Invention Replica Venues	I know the word: _______________________________ Describe your word by drawing or writing a sentence about it. Share this work with a partner who has a different word.

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Inventor and Sound Pioneer -

Les Paul’s Inventions — Part 2 or Teen Inventor

Read the excerpt with your group.

Think, share, and write with your group for the question below.

What have you learned about Les Paul’s start as a musician, inventor, or sound pioneer?

Script - We are going to read a section of this article, with six groups each taking a different section, then a group leader sharing back the main points of their section to the whole class.

Group 1 - You will read section 1. A clue in your reading involves the word harmonica.

Group 2 - You will read section 2. A clue in your reading involves the word venues.

Group 3 - You will read section 3. A clue in your reading involves the word amplify.

Group 4 - You will read section 4. A clue in your reading involves the words electric guitar.

Group 5 - You will read section 5. A clue in your reading involves the words harmonica holder.

Group 6 - You will read section 6. A clue in your reading involves the word replica.

Your group has five minutes to read and discuss the section. I will call you back for leader sharing with the whole class.

Article - Les Paul’s Inventions — Part 2 (http://www.lespaulfoundation.org/blog/les-pauls-inventions-part-2/#more-2653) or Teen Inventor – (http://www.lespaulfoundation.org/blog/les-paul-inventor-and-performer/)

(The lesson packet has the classroom version, parceled out for a jigsaw reading activity.)

Extension Activity -

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What do you know about Les Paul?	What do you want to know about Les Paul?	What have you learned about Les Paul’s start as a musician, inventor, or sound pioneer?

K - W - L - Fill in the box based on the information gathered so far about Les Paul.

K

W

L

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Think about what this style of music is for this song?

When do you think this music was used?

Share.

Listen to Over Yonder, Over There, by Pie Plant Pete. Sing Verse 3.

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Essential Question

Why do people create or invent things?

Standards

I can explore and demonstrate an understanding of the elements of music by reading, singing and/or playing an instrument. (MG2.P.6.i)
I can examine and evaluate musical connections, similarities, and differences. (MG4.Cn.7.i)

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The Wisconsin Standards for Music (2017) are used for the Les Paul Study Units.

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Next Lesson Clue –

Pirate Radio

How is this clue connected to Les Paul?

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