ReadOasis Step 2 Mr. Jones stood in front of his English class. The students looked sleepy and bored, so Mr. Jones decided to open with an interesting story. He told the students a famous joke, and here is what happened… The Joke. Two older couples ate dinner together. After... Read more
The Motown Sound (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 The Motown Museum (Wikipedia) Soul music combines rhythm and blues and gospel. Like the blues, soul arose out of the black experience in America, and soul musicians took these styles out of the black church and into the world and the streets. They confidently and proudly... Read more
W.C. Handy: Father of the Blues (Step 3)
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ReadOasis Step 3 "Then I saw the beauty of primitive music." W.C. Handy, Father of the Blues W.C. Handy at Age 19 W.C. Handy grew up in a small town in Alabama in the southern part of the US. His father was the pastor of a church, and Handy... Read more
A Traditional Children's Song ReadOasis Step 1 This old man, he played one, He played knick knack with his thumb, With a *knick, knack, paddy whack, Give the dog a bone; This old man came rolling home. This old man, he played two, He played knick knack with my... Read more
By Robert Louis StevensonReadOasis Step 5 Berit Watki Winter in Merstham (Creative Commons) Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;Blinks but an hour or two; and then,A blood-red orange, sets again.Before the stars have left the skies,At morning in the dark I rise;And shivering in my nakedness,By... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) was a Japanese artist, painter, and maker of prints, called UKIYO-E. During his life, he was the leading expert on Chinese painting in Japan. His most famous work is The Great Wave off Kanagawa, created in the 1820s. The Great Wave comes from... Read more
One day, Johnny Cash took the stage. He smiled wide. His black clothes shined. He said, "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash." He picked up his guitar. He began to sing. His voice was deep, like a river's flow. The song was about a man. The man was in prison. The... Read more
Stevie, The Musical Wonder
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ReadOasis Step 3 The announcer opens the envelope. He looks down at the card, then smiles. "And the winner is, Stevie Wonder!" The crowd cheers and cheers. Their happiness fills the room. It was the 1989 Academy Awards. Stevie Wonder just won "Best Original Song." The song was "I... Read more
The Death of Bach and His Music
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ReadOasis Step 2 Johann looked at the piece of music. But he just saw clouds of dark marks on a page. He couldn't see the notes. He needed help. So, he asked a famous doctor to fix his eyes. The doctor's name was John Taylor. But Johann did not... Read more
The Queen of Glamour Rock
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ReadOasis Step 4 Freddy ran onto the stage pumping his fists. And the crowd of 72,000 fans roared. Bouncing over to the piano, he sat down. And for just a moment, everyone hushed. Then Freddy's fingers danced on the keys, playing well-known chords. Cheers erupted over the audience. As... Read more
In 1907, Rudyard Kipling received the Nobel Prize for Literature. He was the first English-language writer to receive the prize. Kipling was a innovator in the art of short stories. His children’s books, like Jungle Book, are classics of children's literature. Kipling also wrote poetry. One of his famous poems... Read more
Master of Words: Bob Dylan (Part 1)
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ReadOasis Step 2 It was January 1961. In the cold north of Minnesota, a young man of 19 years packed his bags. He was going to New York City. By car, the trip would take over 18 hours. And he was travelling by his thumb. In other words, he... Read more
ReadOasis Step 3 A man sits at night in his room alone. He is deeply saddened by the death of his lover. Her name was Lenore. Deep in despair, he begins to hear a tapping at the window. He looks up and opens it. And there stands a large... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2(Part 1) El Expolio by El Greco El Greco wanted to be a great artist. (His name means “the Greek.”) Like many Greek artists of his time, El Greco moved to Venice, Italy. Venice was alive with cultural change, achievement, and art during a period of time... Read more
By Robert Louis StevensonReadOasis Step 3 Photo by NASA The lights from the parlour and kitchen shone outThrough the blinds and the windows and bars;And high overhead and all moving about,There were thousands of millions of stars.There ne’er were such thousands of leaves on a tree,Nor of people in... Read more
ReadOasis Step 2 (Part 1) An old man is walking along a rocky river bed. He is a traveller, but he is carrying only a few things. He can hear the songs of birds and the breath of the wind. The sound of the River Fuji is clear in... Read more
By Sara TeasdaleReadOasis Step 2 I wish for such a lot of thingsThat never will come true--And yet I want them all so muchI think they might, don't you? I want a little kitty-catThat's soft and tame and sweet,And every day I watch and hopeI'll find one in the... Read more
Nature Boy — a Jazz Classic
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ReadOasis Step 2 Eden felt the sunlight warm his face. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air. He stood up, walked forward, and looked down the hill. He took another deep breath and enjoyed the sight -- green trees, grand homes, and the city... Read more
The Greatest Band of All Time
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ReadOasis Step 3 February 9, 1964. "Hurry up!" shouted Mary as she turned on the TV. "It started already!" Just in time, Mary watched Ed Sullivan say, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles!" The audience roared as the Beatles launched into their song "All My Loving." It was their first... Read more
Beyond the Freezing Point (Ayako Miura)
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ReadOasis Step 3(Part 1) It was much later that I finally learned what a dark age it was. It’s after you know the light that you recognize darkness. You cannot know darkness when you’re in the middle of it. Ayako Miura (1922-1999) Up to the end of World War... Read more