5 3 4 legends of the blues TG

5.3.4

Legends of the
Blues
SUMMARY

This book explores the history of
blues music by discussing the careers of
famous musicians such as Ma Rainey, Bessie
Smith, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin.

LESSON VOCABULARY

appreciate
choir
religious
teenager

barber
released
slavery

INTRODUCE THE BOOK
INTRODUCE THE TITLE AND AUTHOR

Discuss with
students the title and the author of Legends
of the Blues. Make sure students understand
that here the word legends refers to famous
people. Ask students to tell you what they
think the blues are. Ask students if they can

think of how this book might relate to a social
studies topic.

BUILD BACKGROUND Play the music of one or
more of the artists mentioned in the book.
Ask if students are familiar with this music.
Then have students share any knowledge they
might have about blues music or any of the
musicians mentioned in the book.
PREVIEW/USE TEXT FEATURES

Point out the
Biography logo on the cover and the headings
throughout the book that tell whom each
section will be about. Have students note that
the book first gives a little background on the
origin of the blues before going on to give the
biographies of blues musicians.

MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS
GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

READ THE BOOK
SET PURPOSE

Have students set a purpose
for reading Legends of the Blues. Students’
interest in music and history should guide this
purpose. Suggest that students think about
how different musicians learn from each other

and how historical events can affect musical
styles.

STRATEGY SUPPORT: GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

Discuss how different types of graphic
organizers are used. Focus on the kinds of
organizers with which you know students are
familiar, including a variety of compare-andcontrast charts. Then have students look at
the chart on page 25. Let students know they
will be filling in the chart after they read the
book. Then tell students that as they read,
they should think about what other kinds of
graphic organizers could be used to track the
information in this book and why. (for example,
concept webs, time lines, cause-and-effect
charts) Revisit the discussion after students
have finished reading.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
PAGES 8–9

Why do you think the author
chose to show pictures of old phonographs?
(Responses will vary.)

PAGE 9

What is the main idea of the first paragraph? (Rainey’s music often dealt with problems facing African Americans.)
PAGES 10–13

Do you think a time line would
be a good graphic to show the information
on these pages? Why or why not? (Possible
response: Yes; it could show the order of what
happened in Bessie’s life.)

PAGE 23

What are some roots of the blues?
(African culture and American slavery)

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REVISIT THE BOOK
READER RESPONSE

1. Main Idea: The Great Depression hurt
Bessie Smith’s career. Details: People
wanted upbeat music instead of blues;
people had less money to spend on
concerts and records.
2. Ma Rainey: first female artist to sing the

blues. Bessie Smith: sold 700,000 copies
of one record in six months. Ray Charles:
learned to play instruments even though he
was blind. Aretha Franklin: first female artist
inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
3. increase in value; possible sentence: The
stock should appreciate in value once the
company is sold.
4. Responses will vary.
EXTEND UNDERSTANDING

Ask students to think
about the photos they saw in Legends of the
Blues. Ask: What information do they give
you that you could not have gotten from the
text alone?

RESPONSE OPTIONS
ART

Provide students with a variety of blues
music to listen to. Encourage students to draw
or paint pictures inspired by listening to the
blues.

SOCIAL STUDIES
CONNECTION
Ask students to find out
more about other famous
blues musicians and to write

a brief biography of one of them. Post
the biographies on the bulletin board.

Skill Work
TEACH/REVIEW VOCABULARY
Copy the vocabulary words onto index cards.
Have students randomly draw cards and use
the words in sentences that relate to music.
For example: My barber plays country music
while cutting my hair.
Help students understand that the
word released can have more than one
meaning. In this book, it means “to be
published or sold.” The other meaning is
“set free.”

TARGET SKILL AND STRATEGY
MAIN IDEA AND DETAILS

Remind students
that the main idea is the most important
idea about a topic. Supporting details are
small pieces of information that tell more
about the main idea. To practice finding the
main idea, read pages 6–7 aloud and have
students identify the topic. (Ma Rainey)
Then ask them to decide what important
idea about the topic all the sentences in the
section contribute to. (Possible response:
Ma Rainey was an important and influential

blues singer.) Tell students to use this
method as they look for the main idea and
supporting details in other sections of this
book.
GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS Tell students to
choose one of the biographies in Legends
of the Blues and write down its main ideas
and supporting details using a graphic
organizer. Tell students to reread each
biography before deciding what the most
important idea or ideas are. After reading,
have students compare the information in
their charts.

ADDITIONAL SKILL INSTRUCTION

AUTHOR’S PURPOSE Remind students that an
author can have several purposes for
writing—for example, to inform, to persuade,
to entertain, or to express feelings. Ask:
What do you think is the author’s purpose
for writing Legends of the Blues?

Legends of the Blues

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Legends of the Blues

Name

Main Idea and Details
• The main idea is the most important idea about a paragraph, passage, or article.
• Supporting details are small pieces of information that tell more about the main idea.

Directions Read the following passage. Complete the diagram by writing the main idea
of the passage. Then list supporting details that tell more about the main idea.

R

ay had a difficult childhood. He
grew up during the worst of the Great
Depression; his family had very little
money. At the age of six, Ray began losing
his sight and became completely blind by
age seven. On top of this, Ray, like Bessie

Smith, had to deal with the early deaths
of his parents. Ray’s father died when
Ray was only ten. His mother died when
he was just fifteen. Somehow, Ray found
a way to overcome these hardships and
developed into a great blues artist.

Main Idea

© Pearson Education 5

Supporting Details

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Legends of the Blues

Name

Vocabulary
Directions Unscramble the vocabulary words and then use each one in a sentence.

Check the Words You Know
appreciate
released
teenager

barber
religious

choir
slavery

1. oicrh

2. reeentga

3. abrbre

4. dreeslea

© Pearson Education 5

5. teappaicer

6. sigoiulre

7. vsaleyr

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