If Beale Street Could Talk Lesson Plan

Beale Street Albums

Kind of Activity:

Long-term Project

Objective:

Students will create a soundtrack for the novel, combining words, images, and music into an album

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1.B

Structure:

Music is an integral part of Baldwin's If Beale Street Could Talk. In this assignment, students will be creating their own soundtrack to the novel in small groups and designing an album.

While reading, instruct the students to take note of when Baldwin references music and what the scene is. Below are some examples that occur throughout the book (not only on the first day of reading):

· At church, Tish mentions that "Uncloudy Day" makes her...