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Les Paul Study Units: Wisconsin’s Pioneer of �Rock-n-Roll

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.

Educator Information - This PowerPoint is the first lesson from Unit Two – On the Road from the Les Paul Study Unit. 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 Two : On the Road

Resources

Unit Template
PowerPoint
Student Study Sheet
Scrapbook Page
Article Excerpts
Prezi Link
Supplemental resource list

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Essential Question

How are people influenced in their work and play?

Standards

I can sing/play independent instrumental parts while other students play contrasting parts. (B6)
I can identify the sounds of a variety of instruments, as well as male and female adult voices. (F6)

On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1

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

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Scrapbook – How do the clues fit the pictures?

On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1

Milwaukee

Chicago

Nashville

St. Louis

Memphis

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/ .)

1. Transmitter - a device that sends out radio or television signals.

2. Rhubarb Red - Stage name for Lester Polsfuss.

3. Crystal Radio - simple radio receiver.

4. Amplify - an act of making louder.

5. Cowboy Music - a style of music that often contains lyrics relating to the lives of cowboys and ranchers of the south and west. (Picture of Pie Plant Pete and Bashful Joe)

6. Scalawags - Country group that Les Paul performed with.

Extension Activities/Resources -

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Scrapbook – How do the clues fit the pictures?

On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1

Milwaukee

Chicago

Nashville

St. Louis

Memphis

Transmitter

Amplify

Scalawags

Cowboy Music

Crystal Radio

Rhubarb Red

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/ .)

1. Transmitter - a device that sends out radio or television signals.

2. Rhubarb Red - Stage name for Lester Polsfuss.

3. Crystal Radio - simple radio receiver.

4. Amplify - an act of making louder.

5. Cowboy Music - a style of music that often contains lyrics relating to the lives of cowboys and ranchers of the south and west. (Picture of Pie Plant Pete and Bashful Joe)

6. Scalawags - Country group that Les Paul performed with.

Extension Activities/Resources -

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On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1

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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 as a musician, inventor, or sound pioneer? Complete after reading the article.

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

K

W

L

On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1

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Vocabulary (Quizlet)

Underline one word you know. Circle one word you do not know. Amplify Antenna Crystal Radio Electronics Scalawags Transmitter	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.

On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1

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On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1

Tiger Rag by The Mill Brothers (1931 Billboard hit)	Tiger Rag by Les Paul and Mary Ford (1952 Billboard hit)

How are the versions different or the same? How would you change the song?

Script – You will be listening to two versions of Tiger Rag, one by the Mill Brothers, the other by Les Paul and Mary Ford. Listen to the first version and be ready to sing the second version. After we listen we’ll discuss some differences and similarities between the two songs.

Teacher Notes - Click on Tiger Rag (Audio only) by The Mill Brothers (PowerPoint page) for the listening excerpt. Have students follow rhythmic movements, clap/move to the beat.

Click on Tiger Rag by Les Paul and Mary Ford (PowerPoint page) for the listening excerpt. Have students sing along with the lyrics, clap/move to the beat.

After the listening, have students write or draw about what they heard for each version. You may need to play a short excerpt of each to give students time to write/draw.

Question - How are the versions different or the same? How would you change the song? (Have a few students share their ideas.)

Extension Activities/Resources -

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Inventor and Sound Pioneer –

Les Paul, teen radio entertainer and 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?

On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1

Script - We are going to read a section of this article, with four 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 transmitter.

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

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

Group 4 - You will read section 4. A clue in your reading involves the word Scalawags.

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, teen radio entertainer and inventor

(Original- http://www.lespaulfoundation.org/blog/les-paul-teen-radio-entertainer-and-inventor/ ) (The lesson packet has the classroom version, parceled out for a jigsaw reading activity.)

Extension Activities/Resources -

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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 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

On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1

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Listen to and sing Tiger Rag

by Les Paul and Mary Ford (1952).

Lyrics:

Part 1- Hold that tiger [7x] ; Where's that tiger? [7x]

Part 2- Grrrowl

Part 3- Here kitty, kitty, kitty, kitty

On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1

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Essential Question

How are people influenced in their work and play?

Standards

I can sing/play independent instrumental parts while other students play contrasting parts. (B6)
I can identify the sounds of a variety of instruments, as well as male and female adult voices. (F6)

On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1

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

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Next Lesson Clue –

Broadcast

How is this clue connected to Les Paul?

On the Road

Les Paul

Musician, Inventor, Sound Pioneer

On the Road

1