MAGIC 2002 Lesson Plan for English, Computer/Technology, and Content Areasp. 1

“MAGIC”

Music and Lyrics: Michael Goldberg

Written for: The MAGIC Foundation

Can’t believe what I see when I walk down this street

Wish I could reach into this bag and pull out some magic

Some magic, make it all go away

Put some magic on it, make it all turn O. K.

Magic, it’ll be all right

Magic . . .

Don’t need much, need just a little to spread around

Keep a little for myself to help me when I’m down

I need some magic.

I know what you’re talking about girl, can’t believe what I see when I walk around this town.

Wish I could reach into that bag of yours and pull out some magic, to help me when I’m down.

Need some magic, make it all go away

Put some magic on it, make it all turn O. K.

Magic, it’ll be all right

Magic . . .

Don’t need much, need just a little to spread around

Keep a little for myself to help me when I’m down

I need some magic.

Take the dream inside your heart

Take the wish inside your head and start

All you got to do, is show your magic.

Everybody has a dream.

They make wishes but they never start.

They just can’t seem to show . . . show their magic.

Chorus

So travel near and far.

Show everyone you meet.

Go all around the world.

Make your dreams all you want them to be.

All you got to do, all you got to do,

Is show your magic.

So . . . take the dream inside your heart.

Take the wish inside your head and start.

All you got to do is show your magic.

General Information

Song Title: “MAGIC”

Music and Lyrics: Michael Goldberg

Non-Profit Agency: The Magic Foundation

Suggested Grade Levels for the Lesson: 4, 5, 6

Subject Areas: English, Computer/Technology, Art

The following Virginia Standards of Learning may be covered by using the suggested instructional activities.

English

4.1 / The student will use effective oral communication skills in a variety of settings.
4.6 / The student will read a variety of poetry.
Describe the rhyme scheme (approximate, end, and internal).
• Identify the sensory words used and their effect on the reader.
• Write rhymed, unrhymed, and patterned poetry.
4.7 / The student will write effective narratives and explanations.
5.1 / The student will listen, draw conclusions, and share responses in
subject-related group learning activities.
5.2 / The student will use effective nonverbal communication skills
5.3 / The student will make planned oral presentations.
5.5 / The student will read a variety of literary forms, including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.
• Describe the characteristics of free verse, rhymed, and patterned poetry.
• Describe how author's choice of vocabulary and style contribute to the quality and enjoyment of selections.
5.7 / The student will write for a variety of purposes to describe, to inform, to entertain, and to explain
6.1 / The student will analyze oral participation in small-group activities..
6.2 / The student will listen critically and express opinions in oral presentations.
6.6 / The student will read and write a variety of poetry.
• Describe the visual images created by language.
• Describe how word choice, speaker, and imagery elicit a response from the reader.
6.8 / The student will use writing as a tool for learning in all subjects.
• Paraphrase what is heard or read.
• summarize what is heard or read.

Computer/Technology

C/T
5.3 / The student will process, store, retrieve, and transmit electronic information.
• Use local and wide-area networks and modem-delivered services to access information from electronic databases.
C/T
5.4 / The student will communicate through application software.
• Use local and worldwide network communication systems.
C/T
8.2 / The student will communicate through networks and telecommunication.
• Use local and worldwide network communication systems.
• Develop hypermedia "home page" documents that can be accessed by worldwide networks.
C/T
8.4 / The student will process, store, retrieve, and transmit electronic information.
• Use local and wide-area networks and modem-delivered services to access and retrieve information from electronic databases.

Lesson Topics

• Song Analysis and Interpretation

• Creation of original artwork

Descriptive Overview

Students will listen to a song, participate in a group discussion, and write a short essay describing their own magic and ways to show it to others. Groups of students will create videos depicting the ways they would show their own magic. They may upload segments of the video onto the web site.

Advantages of Medium

Students will communicate their ideas to a wide audience by constructing and posting a web page.

Lesson Specifics

Lesson Objectives/Goals: The student will:

• / listen as the song is played.
• / read the song silently and orally.
• / participate in a discussion of the literal and interpretive meaning of the song.
• / identify and interpret images in the song.
• / individually write a short essay describing their own magic and how they can show it to others.
• / work in small groups to videotape segments based on their writings (vignettes of showing their magic to others).
work collaboratively to design and post clips from students' videos and writing on the web site.

Assumed Skills or Prerequisite Skills

• / The student needs to understand that song lyrics are poems
• / The student must be able to identify figurative language.
• / The student should be familiar with group discussion processes.
• / The student should be familiar with the writing process.

Learning Environment

Standard classroom with tape recorder, video camera and computer with Internet access and software for creating webpages.

Instructional Set

The teacher should ask students to discuss the word magic and what they think it means.

Gaining Attention

Ask students if they think they have magic. Ask how they would know if they or another person had magic.

Orienting the Lesson

Tell students they will be listening to a song called “Magic”.Ask what they think the song may be about. Tell students to listen to the lyrics and music to find out what the composer means by magic.

Stimulating Recall of Prerequisites

Done according to teacher's judgment of the needs of the students.

Key Questions to use for discussion or written essays.

1. / What did you think the title meant before you listened to the song? What do you think the title means, now that you have heard the song?
2. / What message is the song giving you ?
3. / What images do the words create for you?
4. / What images does the music create for you?
5. / Why do you think the composer wrote the song?
6. / What does the speaker see when walking down the street?
7. / How does the speaker seem to feel about what he sees?
8. / Interpret the phrase "Wish I could reach into this bag and pull out some magic" Is there really a bag? Is there really magic? If not, what does the speaker mean?
9. / What does the expression "when I'm down" mean?
10. / What kind of magic do you think the girl has in her bag?
11. / Do you agree or disagree that everybody has a dream but can't seem to show their magic?
12. / How can you show your magic?

Teaching Strategies

1. / Listen to song as a whole class.
2. / Display lyrics on the overhead projector, or make copies for students.
3. / Organize students in small groups to discuss the meaning of the song. Appoint a recorder in each group to take notes and summarize the discussions. Have a student from each group read the group's summary aloud and invite comments from students.
4. / Use the writing process to help students write a song verse explaining how they would show their magic.
5. / Have students work in small groups to make a video vignette depicting their own "magic," as described in their song verse.
6. / Present videos to the class.
7. / Incorporate video clips and song verses into a webpage.
8. / Post the webpage.

Terminology/Vocabulary

I'm down / Keep a little magic for myself to help me when I'm down.
an expression indicating a feeling of sadness or depression

Practice

Students will take notes during the discussions, then use the notes as a reference during the construction of their written verse and art project.

Assessment

Method of assessment is at the discretion of the teacher. Classroom discussion; creation of the song verse and video, and web page may all be used for assessment purposes. The teacher may wish to create a rubric for evaluation of any or all components.

Enhancements

Read motivational stories about people who have made positive changes in their life and the lives of others.

Extensions

Work with students to complete any of the following activities.

1. / View web pages based on this lesson and created by other classes participating in the MAGIC 2000 Curriculum Project. Communicate comments on the web page via E-Mail.
2. / Develop a class “magic” project. Brainstorm a list of possible activities, such as writing letters to children in a hospital, visiting a senior retirement center, or participating in a clean-up of a local area. Choose one activity for all class members, or work in small groups on different activities. Develop a plan for carrying out the project. Keep notes on progress. Present a final report to the class at the end of the project. Include answers to questions such as:
• How did we show our “magic”?
• What did we learn?
• How did our presence affect others?
• How did our actions influence others?
• What improvements would we make if we did this again?
3. / Keep a file of newspaper and magazine clippings about people who do good deeds.
4. / Read about people who work to improve conditions for others. Some suggestions are: (RGL = Reading Grade Level)
• Citykids: Changes in Attitude by J. Solomon, RGL 6
• Citykids Speak on Prejudice, Citykids Editors, RGL 6
• Citykids Speak on Relationships, Citykids Editors RGL 6
• Civil Rights, The Long Struggle by eileen Lucas, RGL 5
• Helping Out by George Ancona, RGL 4
5. / Write another verse for the song, describing your own magic.

About the MAGIC Foundation

Contacts

• Michael Goldberg, MAGIC Creator,

• Brian Callahan, WHRO,

• MAGIC 2002 web site:

The following information is from the web site.

MAGIC: The integration of art, music, and Internet technologies, is an innovative art music, and technology program. It will be part of the Virginia Arts Festival 2002, May 4th at 7:00pm at Willet Hall in Portsmouth,VA.

What is MAGIC?

• / Children listen to original music, read the lyrics and create art and written explanations of their feelings. Every child’s artwork is included in the project and displayed on the Internet.
• / MAGIC is a unique way to get the message of the important organizations to the children and stresses the importance of giving and sharing and helping.

The Project

1. / Teachers in participating classrooms use the songs, within the multi-disciplinary lesson plans, in their classes.
2. / Students create art exhibits, paintings, sculpture, computer art, and dance pieces inspired by the original compositions.
3. / These exhibits are digitized, uploaded to the web site, integrated into an Internet Art Exhibit, and displayed throughout the school year and for one year after the concert.

What Participating Schools/Teachers Get

1. / Original songs delivered on CD.
2. / Lesson plans conforming to Virginia SOLs..
3. / Easy to use technology tools to build Internet Art Exhibits.
4. / A video segment on using MAGIC in the classroom, delivered via WHRO’s School Talk .

What Participating Schools Must Do

1. / Use the lesson plans between by May 1, 2002
2. / Scan and upload files to the MAGIC web site by May 1, 2002.
3. / Be highly creative.

How to Sign Up

1. / Go to and sign up yourself.
2. / Contact Brian Callahan, WHRO, at 757-889-9453 or .
3. / Contact your school division CII representative.