“Señora Santana”
Grades 9-12
The Great Depression in the United States, from 1929 to 1939, was both a time of unprecedented difficulties and unexpected opportunities. At its height, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that approximately 15.5 million individuals were unemployed. After taking office in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR) worked with his cabinet and advisors to implement a number of programs to provide relief to the communities suffering from joblessness, hunger, homelessness, and poor health.
One such initiative was the establishment of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). This large government-funded employment program was designed to provide for millions of unemployed Americans. Civilians were employed to complete a variety of public work projects, such as building roads and bridges. The WPA also hired thousands of writers, photographers, and artists to capture personal narratives, cultural traditions, and music from communities across the nation. One such site of exploration was the Ybor City neighborhood in Tampa, Florida.
This lesson explores the significance of children’s music through the 1939 recording of the folk song “Señora Santana” sung by Adelpha Pollato. Students will have the opportunity to 1) learn about the historical context of the WPA recordings process, 2) listen to and analyze the lyrics of “Señora Santana,” and 3) participate in creative activities connected to children’s songs as expressions of memory and identity.
Teacher's Guide and Related Standards
Students will explore issues of migration, memory, and the preservation of music through Cuban folk songs.
- How can movement and migration impact how individuals and communities remember, create, and share their cultural expressions?
- ow is music part of a shared culture or identity among a group of people?
- How can children’s songs offer unique perspectives about the culture and heritage of the people performing them?
Mixtape Episode
- What factors prompted families to leave their homes in Cuba and move to Florida?
- Why is it important to document children’s music from different cultures represented in our local communities?
- What can we learn from listening to historical recordings of immigrant communities?
- How can the methods used to document and record a tradition impact the ways that future audiences engage with it?
Primary Source Audio
Throughout this episode, students will hear excerpts of a recording of the song “Señora Santana.” As a part of engaging with the episode, we encourage students to listen to and analyze the recording as a primary source that holds important information about this tradition.
To promote active listening, use this graphic organizer which provides three areas for students to record their observations. Have students answer the questions provided in their organizer.
- The Spotlight: Here, students will write down what they identify as “main elements” of the recording, focusing on the voice(s). Who is singing? What are the lyrics about? What does the melody sound like? What is the tempo?
- The Set and Outer Stage: In this area, students will record any accompanying sounds, like instrumentation. Is there any body percussion (like hand clapping), or are there other audible sounds?
- The Audience: In this area, students can begin reflecting on and hypothesizing about the song and recording. Who recorded this song? Why? Where was it recorded? Who would be most likely to perform this song? Do you like what you hear? Can you hear any evidence of the machinery that was used to record the music? Can you hear any clues about audience members or the space?
Student Remix
One Song, Many Stories
Students will compare “Señora Santana” to a related song, “Lo lo lo lo tata” or “Lullaby of the Coyote.”
This is Us
Students will write a short song expressing their feelings about experiences in their school, town, or city.
What makes a home?
Students will explore traditions and cultures tied to concepts of “home.”
