Post Three

Annotated Descriptions 

Hamilton: Broadway Cast Recording
Miranda, Lin-Manuel. (2016). Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton. Retrieved from https://genius.com/albums/Original-broadway-cast-of-hamilton/Hamilton-original-broadway-cast-recording. 

This site houses the complete cast recording, complete with accompanying lyrics. This resource is invaluable, as the sheer speed of the words in Hamilton makes it difficult to understand some sections the first time. The ability to follow the lyrics along with listening is useful in understanding who is speaking/singing, and catching the clever word play. Upon comparing several songs through StoryToolz, Hamilton as a whole earns a readability grade somewhere between 12.9-15.9. Due to the difficult level of these songs, I would suggest listening to only select songs from Hamilton, and listening in class, so unfamiliar vocabulary can be examined as a class. The story can be used to ask many questions, which can be explored below. 

Hamilton, Visualized
By Theme: Lin-Manuel Miranda's Hamilton, Visualized. (2015, October 27). Retrieved from https://visualhamiltonmusical.wordpress.com/by-theme/. 

This powerful teaching resource creates visual charts of the major themes within Hamilton, both by contextual motifs and recurring lyrics. 

The site is full of charts, as seen above, which diagram the presence of a particular phrase throughout the numerous songs within the musical. These could be used to examine presence of ideas or repeated thoughts, and spark class discussion about why each character uses the line. It can also lead to the examination of how common threads are woven together in musicals. The site provides insight and guides for educators on the re-occurrence of phrases. According to StoryToolz, this text scores at an average grade level of 14.9. Hamilton is full of long sentences, as well as an extensive vocabulary. Due to the difficulty of this article, I would not encourage its use as a student resource; instead, it should be used by an educator to prepare, or for in-class instruction. However, when summarized and used as a resource for the graphics, this site is powerful in visualizing the repetition and messages of Hamilton. This site also provided me with the idea of having students create their own diagrams, and make their own connections. This task can be extended into leitmotifs, as well as repetition of melody. I would ask my students to speculate into the importance of a phrase being repeated, or why leitmotifs get reused by new characters throughout the story. 

Teaching and Learning With Hamilton

Katherine Schulten, Sarah Gross and Michael Gonchar. (2016, March 24). The Ten-Dollar Founding Father Without a Father: Teaching and Learning With 'Hamilton'. Retrieved from https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/03/24/the-ten-dollar-founding-father-without-a-father-teaching-and-learning-with-hamilton/.

This site provides a complete timeline on the history of Hamilton: An American Musical, and includes numerous activities for use in the high school classroom. Lin-Manuel Miranda's perspective on embellishing history is explored thoroughly within this text. This site also thoroughly explores the issues of immigration addressed in the musical, as well as through the musical--which hires actors and actresses on talent, rather than physical appearance, or nationality. The authors suggest that the word choice used throughout Hamilton serves as a springboard for teaching vocabulary, rhyming schemes, alliteration and other rhetorical devices. Finally, this site explores Miranda's choice to implement hip-hop in his musical, and why this artistic decision is significant and symbolic in the life of Alexander Hamilton. This text earns an average readability score of 12.9, according to StoryToolz. I would consider recommending this text for juniors and seniors, as I think it is accessible with an understanding of the music and storyline of Hamilton--much of the challenge stems from vocabulary pulled from the musical. I would use this resource with my class to broach topics of immigration and inclusion within the show. I would ask my students how they feel about historical characters being portrayed as different ethnicities, and whether this impacts their view of history. I would also ask my students whether they think it truly matters what the actors look like; if it changes the course of events in their minds. 

Lin-Manuel Miranda Interview

J. (2016, September 26). HAMILTON Interview with Lin-Manuel Miranda. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewlEIOPBcC0.

In this video, reporter Jake Hamilton interviews Hamilton's creator and original star, Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the video, it becomes evident how unlikely Hamilton's success was, as it defied the entire concept of Broadway. Miranda explains some of the history behind his musical and the way he connected with Alexander Hamilton. Miranda also shares his humility and how he knows that while his work is currently popular, times change and Alexander Hamilton will one day, slip back into the background of history. The authenticity of this interview proves the integrity of the musical, as Miranda stresses the importance of a story forming emotional connections. I typed several clips of the video's dialogue into StoryToolz, and the video earns the 'readability' grade level of 10.9. I think the video is very accessible for a wide variety of grades. Students can easily learn from much of the information Miranda shares, even if they do not understand some of the historical references. I would use this 'text' to encourage my students to consider the way people, music and events fall from favor. I would ask them, "Do you think Alexander Hamilton's significance today is long lasting? Will he slip into the past again, as Miranda suggests? What about Hamilton? Will we forget the musical, too? Will the music style fall from favor?"

Alternate/Additional Texts 

1. Yorktown: This is a video of the original Broadway cast (featuring Lin-Manuel Miranda as Hamilton) performing Yorktown at the Tony Awards. It orients students to the magic of the live stage, and provides final insight into how the Revolutionary War reached its conclusion in the Battle of Yorktown. 

2. Alexander Hamilton (Prologue): This is a video recording of the cast of Hamilton performing the Prologue title live. 

3. Lin-Manuel Miranda Interview: This link leads to a powerful interview with Hamilton's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, as he shares about the beauty of hip hop and the danger of power. 

4. Alexander Hamilton, a biography by Ron Chernow, is the inspiration behind the Broadway musical and is a resource worth exploring. It could be introduced to students who are interested in a more in-depth historical lesson on the life of Hamilton.

5. Using Hamilton in the Classroom This site provides valuable insight into how to incorporate Hamilton into the classroom, particularly through the lens of ELA. The site outlines key themes within the musical, focusing on themes, irony, character development, repetition, simile, tension and climax. 

6. Hamilton Teaching Resources This site provides an exhaustive list of links to Hamilton clips, history of the making, interviews with Lin-Manuel Miranda, context, and classroom extension activities. 

7. Disney's Newsies: Video recording of a musical; Soundtrack. The story is rich in the history of the press and child labor laws. 

8. Wicked: Broadway musical; Soundtrack; Book. The story includes themes of diversity, empowerment and the danger of a single story. 

9. Les Miserables: Broadway musical; film adaptation; book; Soundtrack. The story examines issues of human rights, power, the ability to change and love.

Use of Texts 

These texts can all be connected to create a unit on Hamilton. After orienting the class to the music, the additional resources can be used to explore the meanings, intricacies, musicality, symbolism and ultimate message of the musical. The additional resources can be used to extend activities and witness the beauty of Hamilton being performed, as well as provide alternate focus texts to center a unit around, such as Newsies, Wicked or Les Miserables. 

7/19/2018