Lesson Plan
Elvis Presley: An American Myth
Book: Black Elvis Author: Geoffrey Becker Grade Level: 9-12 Lesson Type: Cultural History
Concept: Race, History and Myth in Geoffrey Becker’s Black Elvis Primary Subject Area: English Secondary Subject Areas: Cultural History Common Core Standards Addressed: Reading Standards for Literature, 9-12
Grades 9-‐10 Key Ideas and Details 2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze in detail its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text.
Grades 11-‐12
3. Analyze how complex characters (e.g. those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. Craft and Structure 5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it (e.g. parallel plots), and manipulate time (e.g. pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise.
3. Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g. where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).
5. Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g. the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.
Language Standards, 9-‐12 Grades 9-‐10
Grades 11-‐12
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use 6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-‐specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
6. 6. Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-‐specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Elvis Presley: An American Myth: Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan
Elvis Presley: An American Myth
Book: Black Elvis Author: Geoffrey Becker Grade Level: 9-12 Lesson Type: Cultural History
Overview:
Materials:
The class will explore race, history and myth through 1950s American Music to 1) provide historical context for the origins of American Blues and Rock & Roll Music and 2) investigate how Geoffrey Becker draws upon these cultural entities, particularly myths surrounding Elvis Presley and Robert Johnson, to comment on race and culture in his short story “Black Elvis.”
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Copies of Black Elvis Computer or Stereo Whiteboard/Chalkboard Notebook Paper
Objectives:
Other Resources:
Students will be able to: • Discuss the prevalence of cultural myths in American culture and understand how myths operate in contemporary American society. • Link myths to broader discussions on “race”, “religion” and “authenticity” in American culture • Define the concept of irony • Craft theories on how Geoffrey Becker draws upon American cultural myth to create new meaning in his story “Black Elvis.”
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Key Vocabulary Terms General Discussion/Comprehension Questions Text References
Warm-Up Activity: For this warm-up activity, begin by asking your students what comes to their mind when they hear the name “Elvis Presley”. If students are hesitant to answer, ask more specific questions (What does Elvis look like? Where does Elvis live? What songs did Elvis sing?) Go to the chalkboard/whiteboard and list the answers your students give. Explore your students’ responses, whether they are factually correct or not. How do your students know the answers they give? Where are they drawing their answers from? Responses are meant to capture the general cultural attitudes and legacy of Elvis Presley, and by doing so, demonstrate the power popular cultural figures have on the imaginations of American citizens. To transition, ask your students this question: Who is the Elvis Presley of today? This should spark some interest (rigorous debate) and students should, at this point, be talking comfortably with one another.
Elvis Presley: An American Myth: Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan
Elvis Presley: An American Myth
Book: Black Elvis Author: Geoffrey Becker Grade Level: 9-12 Lesson Type: Cultural History
Short Lecture & Partner Activities: You can order this section however you’d like; starting with the short lecture first, or instead, splitting your students off into groups of two to begin. Short Lecture Give a short historical lecture on the lives, myths and significance of 1) Elvis Presley and 2) Robert Johnson. At the top of each section play students a sample of each musical artists work, in order for students to gain a better understanding of the music that abounds in this story. When discussing Elvis, play students That’s All Right (Mama) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWgprZu4Hk4). Then, drawing upon this TIME magazine article (http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,337778,00.html), explain Elvis Presley’s cultural significance to American music and American culture at large, not only as one of the first international superstars, but specifically as a cultural bridge between white and black America, “bringing black music to white Americans.” Make sure to underscore Elvis’s subversive attributes. When discussing Robert Johnson, first play students Crossroads (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8gUpvllN5Q). Then, drawing upon this NPR article (http://www.npr.org/2011/05/07/136063911/robert-johnson-at-100still-dispelling-myths) discuss the ever-present myth surrounding Robert Johnson’s life, comparing the myth to the man. Ask your students why do they think this myth around Robert Johnson still exists. Why is this myth hard to stifle, and how it has affected Robert Johnson’s legacy? Are such myths helpful to the culture? Partner Activity Have your students split off into groups of twos to work on the provided worksheet. Give your students enough time to (10-20 minutes) to read the passages provided on the worksheet and give thoughtful responses. The point of the worksheet is to help students engage personally with not only how Elvis Presley and Rock & Roll Music fit into the context of American culture, but also how historical myth continues to inform how we live today. The students should develop their own opinions about how cultural myths operate in our society and what that says about American culture. Using examples from the text, students will also develop ideas on how race and myth are thematically linked, both within and outside the context of the story.
Elvis Presley: An American Myth: Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan
Elvis Presley: An American Myth
Book: Black Elvis Author: Geoffrey Becker Grade Level: 9-12 Lesson Type: Cultural History
To make sure that the students are engaged with this information, bring the pairs back together as a class and ask the following questions: •
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Geoffrey Becker’s book ‘Black Elvis’ was published in 2009. Why do you think he chose to write about Elvis and Elvis impersonators? Why do you think the author chose to write about music impersonators who are racially different than the figures they are impersonating? How do the stories we tell ourselves, like the stories we tell about Elvis Presley and Robert Johnson, shape our everyday reality?
Discussion Wrap-Up: This is where the students have the opportunity to express their own opinions about this story and try to draw connections that, perhaps, were not covered in the previous discussions. For example, after asking students to recap their opinions about race and myth and how, perhaps, Becker is asking us to compare the two, ask your students how spirituality is involved with myth. Not only is Black Elvis mistaken by the boys in the beginning of the story as both a Christian and a Muslim, a kind of shire is drawn in his image. What do your students make of this? To conclude the discussion you can ask the following question: Is there a dark side to sustaining these cultural myths?
Elvis Presley: An American Myth: Lesson Plan
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Lesson Plan
Elvis Presley: An American Myth
Book: Black Elvis Author: Geoffrey Becker Grade Level: 9-12 Lesson Type: Cultural History
Writing Activities/Evaluations: Analytical: Building off of the previous discussion on cultural history and cultural myths, find one moment in Geoffrey Becker’s story “Black Elvis” where you find Becker drawing upon cultural myth to generate original meaning. Cite that moment, and then make an argument for why Becker makes this choice (i.e. what affect does choosing to feature a Korean Robert Johnson as the story’s primary characters have on the characters and the story overall?). How does the historical context of the cultural products and myths alter/impact their reading of the text? Student responses should fall between 500-700 words.
Creative: In Geoffrey Becker’s short story “Black Elvis,” the author frequently repurposes popular cultural themes/images/figures to create something significant and new. The story’s protagonist, a black Elvis impersonator, is but one example. Write a scene (3-5 paragraphs) in which you repurpose a popular cultural figure or idea to create something significant and new. It is not enough to simply drop a pop culture object into a scene. The creative aspect of this writing assignment should challenge you to not only recontextualize pop culture objects, but purposefully reappropriate pop culture objects to comment upon the pop culture object/text itself.
Elvis Presley: An American Myth: Lesson Plan
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Discussion & Comprehension Questions
Elvis Presley: An American Myth
Book: Black Elvis Author: Geoffrey Becker Grade Level: 9-12 Lesson Type: Cultural History
Questions for Discussion: •
Citing from the text, discuss how myth and race are linked in “Black Elvis.”
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Whom/What did the boys at the beginning of the story mistake Black Elvis for? Why might the boys have mistaken Black Elvis for these figures? How does the boys’ mistaken identity relate to Black Elvis?
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Cite one example from the text where Becker draws upon the Elvis Presley myth.
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At the end of the story, what are the young boys drawing? What do you think motivates their behavior?
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Explain the concept of irony using an example from the text.
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What caused Juanita’s death?
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What song does Black Elvis sing to mourn the death of Juanita? Why does Black Elvis choose this song? What might be the song’s significance?
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On page 5 Black Elvis and a young woman discuss the origins of song lyrics. Black Elvis correctly tells her Elvis Presley wrote a lyric that the Beatles then used in a later song. To this the young woman responded, “You mean, they stole it?” What, in your opinion, is the difference between impersonating art and stealing it?
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In the concluding words of “Black Elvis” – the Elvis impersonator – mutters the phrase, “Believe in me, stupid woman.” Give an explanation as to why Black Elvis says this, and how this phrase relates to the overall story.
Elvis Presley: An American Myth: Discussion & Comprehension Questions
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Key Vocabulary
Elvis Presley: An American Myth
Book: Black Elvis Author: Geoffrey Becker Grade Level: 9-12 Lesson Type: Cultural History
Word:
Definition:
Hypocrite:
A person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess; especially a person whose actions belie stated beliefs.
Pompadour:
Opiate:
A style of hairdressing in which the hair is combed into a high mound in front (see Elvis Presely). Any psychoactive drug deemed to have an addictive potential similar to that of morphine or cocaine OR something that soothes or dulls the senses or causes drowsiness or inaction.
Blues:
Melancholic music of black American folk origin, typically in a twelve-bar sequence. It developed in the rural southern US toward the end of the 19th century, finding a wider audience in the 1940s as blacks migrated to the cities. This urban blues gave rise to rhythm and blues and rock and roll.
Rock & Roll:
A style of popular music that derives in part from blues and folk music and is marked by a heavily accented beat and a simple, repetitive phrase structure.
Graceland:
Graceland is a large mansion with a white-columned portico in 13.8-acre (5.6 ha) estate in Memphis, Tennessee that was home to Elvis Presley.
Amazing Grace:
Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725– 1807), a participant in the slave trade before finding religion, published in 1779.
Stone Mountain:
World's largest exposed granite monolith with relief carving of Confederate notables including Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis.
Sun Studio:
Sun Studio is a recording studio opened by rock pioneer Sam Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. Notable rock-and-roll, country music, and rockabilly artists, including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis recorded there throughout the mid to late 1950s.
Elvis Presley: An American Myth: Key Vocabulary
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Key Vocabulary
Elvis Presley: An American Myth
Book: Black Elvis Author: Geoffrey Becker Grade Level: 9-12 Lesson Type: Cultural History
Irony:
A figure of speech in which the intended meaning is the opposite of that expressed by the words used; usually taking the form of sarcasm or ridicule in which laudatory expressions are used to imply condemnation or contempt.
Pastiche:
Pastiche is a literary piece that imitates another famous literary work of another writer. Unlike parody, its purpose is not to mock but to honor the literary piece it imitates.
The Sun Sessions:
The Sun Sessions is a compilation of Elvis Presley recordings at Sun Studios, Memphis Tennessee, in 1954 and 1955. Bridging black and white music, country and blues, many believe this debut album by Elvis to be the first rock & roll record ever recorded.
Elvis Presley: An American Myth: Key Vocabulary
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Text References
Elvis Presley: An American Myth
Book: Black Elvis Author: Geoffrey Becker Grade Level: 9-12 Lesson Type: Cultural History
Examples of Textual References: •
“Martin, 1924 00-28 Herringbone. I wish I could tell you I found it in an attic or something, but it’s not that good a story. I paid a whole lot for it. But it’s got a nice sound, and it fits with the whole Robert Johnson act, you know?” He adjusted his tie. “I’ve learned that it’s not enough to just be good at what you do, you have to have a marketing angle, too.” (9).
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“For a moment, he imagined a big stage—an opera house—with hundreds of Elvises of all shapes and colors pushing and shoving each other to get to the front. The thought made him shiver. “Don’t matter. I’m an original.” (10).
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“Black Elvis drank some more beer and listened carefully as Robert Johnson began to play the Delta blues. He was good, this boy. Probably spent years listening to the original recordings, working them out note for note. Either that, or he had a book. Some of those books had it like that, exact translations. But that wasn’t important. What was important was on the inside. You had to feel the music. That just didn’t seem likely with a Chinese man, even one that came from Memphis.” (6).
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“He laughed. “Graceland! Well of course I’ve been to Graceland. Everyone in Memphis has been to Graceland.” “What’s it like?” He gave a silver ring on his middle finger a half turn. “Tacky. In some ways, it feels like holy ground, but at the same time, you also feel like you’re at an amusement park. The Jungle Room is pretty cool, I guess.”(9).
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“Believe in me,” he said. “Stupid woman.” (12).
Elvis Presley: An American Myth: Text References
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Class Handout: Black Elvis Name:
First, read the following passage from “Black Elvis”
“I’ll bet they don’t have no black Elvises.” “Are you kidding? Black, Chinese, Irish, Jewish, you name it. You think fat white men in hairpieces have the market cornered on Elvis impersonation? I know a place where they have a dwarf who sings ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic’ every evening at ten while two strippers give each other a bath, right on stage.” “For a moment, he imagined a big stage—an opera house—with hundreds of Elvises of all shapes and colors pushing and shoving each other to get to the front. The thought made him shiver. “Don’t matter. I’m an original.” (10). In the box bellow, discuss (briefly) the economics of Elvis impersonators in Memphis. In other words, why do so many people in Memphis make their living by impersonating Elvis Presley? What relation does race (Black, Chinese, Irish, Jewish, etc.) play in the success or failure of an Elvis impersonator? Considering the preponderance of impersonators what, perhaps, does Elvis Presley, as an icon, symbolize?
Next, in the box bellow, consider the following questions: What does it mean to be an original Elvis impersonator? Does such a statement contradict itself? Can one be an original impersonator? Is this simply cultural theft? You can use examples from your personal experience, if you wish, to answer this question.
Elvis Presley: An American Myth: Class Handout
Supplementary Materials Chart Category of Resource
Description of Resource
Web page
TIME Magazine Article
Picture
Picture of Young Elvis Picture of “Fat Elvis”
Picture
Music
Song: Hound Dog
Music
Song: That’s All Right (Mama)
Web Page
Graceland Website
Website
NPR Article
Music
Song: Crossroads
Potential Educational Uses of Resource Short biography of Elvis. Will help you succinctly place Elvis in the larger historical and cultural context of his time.
Listening to this song will help students get a sense of who Elvis was and why he was so wildly popular Listening to this song will help students get a sense of who Elvis was and why he was so wildly popular Surfing this website will provide students an added resource to fuel their Elvis knowledge. Short biography of Robert Johnson. Will help you succinctly place Robert Johnson in the larger historical and cultural context of his time. This will help students get to know Robert Johnson
Link to Resource http://content.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,337778,00.html
http://s2.hubimg.com/u/5330421_f520.jpg http://www.antisteez.com/wp-‐content/uploads/2009/10/fat-‐ elvis.jpg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFtAOltn7iw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWgprZu4Hk4
http://www.graceland.com/ http://www.npr.org/2011/05/07/136063911/robert-‐johnson-‐at-‐ 100-‐still-‐dispelling-‐myths
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8gUpvllN5Q
