Blended

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Blended addresses the controversial issue of racial profiling. What do you understand the term “racial profiling” to mean, in your own words? What news stories, events in history, and/or images do you associate with this term? What movements for racial and social justice can you connect to this topic?

Teaching Suggestion: There is no shortage of news events that call attention to the responsibility of law enforcement for equality of justice under the law, but middle grade students may have difficulty putting into words what they have gleaned from media and/or history lessons. Consider referencing one or more of these links to create a description together for the term “racial profiling” and to discuss some of the general potential ramifications on family and community; connect class discussion to the novel’s theme of The Persistence of Racism.

• This ACLU Foundation website page explores the definition of, rationale behind, and problems with racial profiling, and this page discusses racial justice.
• This New York Times site features articles on topics, places, and events impacted by the arrest and death of George Floyd and how the reactions to that event reflect conflicts associated with racism, law enforcement, and racial profiling.

2. The novel uses the metaphor of music to suggest that harmony between people is as possible as the harmony between black and white keys on a piano. Do you think that is an effective metaphor? Why might the author have chosen the general topic of music as a vehicle for that metaphor?

Teaching Suggestion: Depending on student responses, suggest to students that music can be seen as a universal language that we understand and accept implicitly through its emotional effect on us, even if we are unfamiliar with the composer, the notes, or the instruments involved. A writer who uses a metaphor comparing music to other kinds of harmonies might be seeking the same kind of acceptance for the message therein.

• Amanda Gorman’s inspirational poem “The Hill We Climb” calls for harmony and equality; connect a discussion of the ideas in the poem to the novel’s content. (Students might also listen for the “harmonies” of rhyme, slanted rhyme, alliteration, and parallelism in Gorman’s oration of her poem, and point out additional metaphors for racial harmony. The text of the poem appears beneath the video.)

Short Activity

A turning point in Izzy’s growth comes when she discovers her step-mother’s boogie-woogie sheet music and compares it to the structured, complex movements of the classical piece chosen for her upcoming recital. Using scholarly sources online, research the boogie-woogie music that emerged in America during the early decades of the 20th century. What is its history, and how can you describe or characterize its sound and style? Next, investigate the piece Izzy plays, “Bumble Boogie.” Who wrote it, and what classical piece inspired it? How might “Bumble Boogie” represent a piece of music that is “blended”? Compile your bulleted notes and complete your mini-research project with images and audio clips.

Teaching Suggestion: The idea of blended music genres that transcend race might be difficult for students to grasp. Using white rappers or Black country artists—or the blues music roots of white rock n’ roll icons the Rolling Stones—introduce the idea of music that crosses boundaries, and connect students’ research findings to the novel’s theme of The Power of Music.

• The Jazz History Tree website provides a fascinating look at the evolution of boogie-woogie music among Black and white composers, along with information about many other subgenres of jazz.
• Pianist Magazine, in a 2020 article “The Roots of Boogie-Woogie,” explores the way that boogie-woogie music, unlike soul or rock, brought Black and white musicians, composers, and audiences together.
• This article in UDiscoverMusic.com reveals the Rolling Stones’ early roots in and ongoing homage to the blues through both original songwriting and covers of others’ songs.