JACKSON HEIGHTS

Lesson 4

Teaching Artist: Evan Harris

This is the fourth lesson from the New York Stories Course. Students will visit Jackson Heights, Queens to discover its immense diversity and significant Indian community. Then students will learn about rhythmic patterns inspired by the Indian musical concept known as the ‘Tala’, and draw comparisons between patterns we see and feel with those we can hear.

SUMMARY

OBJECTIVE

  • Students will be able to summarize important information about the multiculturalism of Jackson Heights and its Indian community.

  • Students will be able to follow rhythmic patterns using body percussion.

MATERIALS

EXPLORE

  1. Invite students to share the languages their families speak, and create a list as they share. Explain that when people who are from different backgrounds or countries become part of the same community, we describe this as “multicultural” or “diverse.” 

  2. Distribute the New York Stories Travel Diary. Allow students a moment to personalize the diary. Tell students they will use the diary as they travel through New York, drawing and recording important facts about another culture. In this lesson, they will learn about New York City’s most diverse neighborhood, where at least 106 languages are spoken.

  3. The students’ next stop is Jackson Heights where they will learn about the prolific Indian community who lives there, and their music. Play the first part of the video New York Stories: Jackson Heights [0:00 - 5:24]. Allow time for students to record facts in their diary through words or drawings. Ask the students to identify the similarities and differences between The Bansuri seen in this episode, and The Dizi from the New York Stories: Manhattan’s Chinatown episode.

LEARN

  1. Prompt students to look for patterns around the classroom. They may see patterns in the tiles, windows, their shirt or shoelaces, or the lines of their notebooks. Ask students to brainstorm our five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste and touch. Then ask: If we can see patterns, do you think we can find patterns with any of our other senses? Play the second part of the video New York Stories: Jackson Heights [5:24 - 8:23].

  2. Practice the body percussion game presented in the second part of the video New York Stories: Jackson Heights [5:24 - 8:23]. Divide the class into groups of 3-4 students and ask each group to create a body percussion movement for each number from one to three. For example:

1 → snap

2 → clap

3 → tap foot

As students count aloud from one to four: “1, 2, 3, 1, 2, 3,” etc., they will perform the corresponding body percussion movement.

PERFORM+SHARE

  1. Prepare the class for an extended musical listening session, in which they respond to Zakir Hussain performing on the Tabla through drawing. Encourage students to draw patterns that they visualize. Collect pictures of students’ drawings and share them on the S’Cool Sounds Padlet. 

  2. Tell students in the next lesson they will visit Little Caribbean.