Open Up - Grade 7 - ELA - Module 3 - Mid Unit 1 Assessment - Formative Library | Library

Part I 

Directions: Read the poem “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Answer the questions below.

“National Hymn [Lift Every Voice and Sing]” by James Weldon Johnson
Written for the celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, Jacksonville Florida. 1900.

1. 
Lift every voice and sing 
Till earth and heaven ring, 
Ring with the harmonies of liberty; 
Let our rejoicing rise 
High as the listening skies, 
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. 
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, 
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us. 
Facing the rising sun 
Of our new day begun, 
Let us march on till victory is won.

2. 
Stony the road we trod, 
Bitter the chastening rod 
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died; 
Yet, with a steady beat, 
Have not our weary feet 
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed! 
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered, 
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, 
Out from the gloomy past, 
Till now we stand at last, 
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

3. 
God of our weary years, 
God of our silent tears, 
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way; 
Thou who hast by thy might, 
Led us into the night, 
Keep us forever in the path we pray. 
Lest our feet stray from the places our God where we met thee, 
Lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget thee; 
Shadowed beneath thy hand, 
May we forever stand, 
True to our God, true to our Native land.

Johnson, James Weldon. “National Hymn [Lift Every Voice and Sing].” 1900. James Weldon
Johnson and Grace Nail Johnson Papers, Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Web. Public domain.

Which of the following best describes the mood or overall feeling of the first stanza? (RL.7.4)

In the second stanza, how do the phrases a way that with tears has been watered and treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered affect the meaning of the poem? (L.7.5, L.7.5a)

Reread the final lines of the second stanza and answer the question that follows:

Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last,
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

How do these ending lines build on the mood created earlier in the stanza? (RL.7.4, L.7.5a)

Read the following excerpt from “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and answer the question that follows.

Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us.

How does the repetition in these lines help convey the meaning of the lyrics? (RL.7.4)

Read the following excerpt from “Lift Every Voice and Sing” and answer the question that follows.

Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

What does the phrase for which our fathers sighed tell us about the “place” where they find themselves? (RL.7.4, L.7.5, L.7.5a)

Which of the following best describes what the poem is about? (RL.7.4, L.7.5)

Part II 

Directions: Listen to the performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” as your teacher plays the song. You will have a chance to review the questions before your teacher plays the song a second time. If time allows, your teacher may play the track a third time.

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A

How do the singers emphasize the words brought us (7) in the song? (RL.7.7)

Part B

How does this emphasis on the words brought us highlight a theme in the text? (RL.7.7)

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A
How do the singers emphasize the final four lines of the stanza? (RL.7.7)

Part B
How does the singers’ emphasis of the final four lines affect the meaning of the text? (RL.7.7)

What techniques do the singers use throughout the song? How do these techniques affect the meaning of the song? (RL.7.1, RL.7.7, L.7.6)

Source: Open Up Resouces (Download for free at openupresources.org.)

Open Up - Grade 7 - ELA - Module 3 - Mid Unit 1 Assessment

Which of the following best describes the mood or overall feeling of the first stanza? (RL.7.4)

In the second stanza, how do the phrases a way that with tears has been watered and treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered affect the meaning of the poem? (L.7.5, L.7.5a)

Reread the final lines of the second stanza and answer the question that follows:Out from the gloomy past, Till now we stand at last, Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.How do these ending lines build on the mood created earlier in the stanza? (RL.7.4, L.7.5a)

Which of the following best describes what the poem is about? (RL.7.4, L.7.5)

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.Part A How do the singers emphasize the words brought us (7) in the song? (RL.7.7)

Part B How does this emphasis on the words brought us highlight a theme in the text? (RL.7.7)

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B. Part A How do the singers emphasize the final four lines of the stanza? (RL.7.7)

Part B How does the singers’ emphasis of the final four lines affect the meaning of the text? (RL.7.7)

What techniques do the singers use throughout the song? How do these techniques affect the meaning of the song? (RL.7.1, RL.7.7, L.7.6)

Reread the final lines of the second stanza and answer the question that follows:

Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last,
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

How do these ending lines build on the mood created earlier in the stanza? (RL.7.4, L.7.5a)

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A

How do the singers emphasize the words brought us (7) in the song? (RL.7.7)

Part B

How does this emphasis on the words brought us highlight a theme in the text? (RL.7.7)

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A
How do the singers emphasize the final four lines of the stanza? (RL.7.7)

Part B
How does the singers’ emphasis of the final four lines affect the meaning of the text? (RL.7.7)