Source: EGG: the arts show: "Off the Charts"
Funding for the VITAL/Ready to Teach collection was secured through the United States Department of Education under the Ready to Teach Program.
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This video segment from Egg: The Arts Show presents a glimpse of the last island-based Gullah/Geechee community located on Sapelo Island. The original Gullah/Geechee were slaves. When slavery was abolished, the lands on the island were abandoned to the slaves. Frankie Quimby of the Georgia Sea Island Singers speaks of her pride for the island community and the importance of preserving the Gullah/Geechee culture. She also tells how the songs of the slaves also served as escape songs. For more about Sapelo Island, see “Ben Hall of Sapelo Island” and “Ronald Johnson of Sapelo Island.”
Download and ShareThe following Frame, Focus and Follow-up suggestions are best suited for elementary or middle school students using this video in an English language arts or social studies lesson. Be sure to modify the questions to meet your students' instructional needs.
What is Frame, Focus and Follow-up?
Frame (ELA) When we are persuading someone of something, we have to support our point of view with details that support our statement or belief. If I wanted to convince you to do your homework, how could I support my argument? Which supporting details might I use?
Focus (ELA) Quimby says, “If we lose it, we don’t have anything.” What does she mean by this statement? Does it persuade you to think of anything in particular? What or why not? Do you have any details that support this idea?
Follow Up (ELA) How does Quimby uphold her argument with supporting details? Discuss how you could turn Quimby’s argument and supporting details into a written text that would help persuade people. Consider various genres of writing you could incorporate (i.e., music, poem, essay, poster, and so on).
Frame (SS) Are you familiar with the expression, 'America is a melting pot'? What is meant by that expression? The United States is a country where cultures co-exist and sometimes borrow from each other. One example of this is Jazz music which borrows from African and European musical traditions. The result is that both cultures influence each other. Can you think of another example of this?
Focus (SS) What cultural influences do you see in the segment? What elements of musical cultures do you see and hear in the segment? Does the performance borrow from other cultures? What about from other musical genres?
Follow Up (SS) Think of the complexity of cultures living side by side in the southern United States before and after slavery was abolished. What parts of these cultures still survive? How do these cultures influence each other today? Think about expressions in language, attitudes and behaviors, food, and religion.
WOMAN: When slavery was abolished, they gave the lands to the blacks. And the slave owners went back wherever they came from.
QUIMBY: All of this land up and down the coast was owned by black people. If we lose it, we don’t have anything.
“Down by the Riverside,” “Wade in the Water,” “Steal away to Jesus,” “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,” all those songs were created by our ancestors as escape songs on the plantation.
THE GEORGIA SEA ISLAND SINGERS:
Swing low sweet chariot coming for to carry me home swing low sweet chariot...
QUIMBY: Through the music, we are saying, “this is us, we don’t want it to die.”
THE GEORGIA SEA ISLAND SINGERS
why don’t you swing down, sweet chariot stop and let me ride swing down, chariot, stop and let me ride rock me, lord, rock me, lord calm and easy I got a home on the other side why don’t you swing down...
QUIMBY: We want to keep the culture alive. We want the future generations to understand where they come from and how creative and intelligent our ancestors were.
THE GEORGIA SEA ISLAND SINGERS
Why don’t you swing down, sweet chariot stop and let me ride swing down, chariot, stop and let me ride rock me, lord, rock me, lord calm and easy I’ve got a home on the other side
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