“Blinded by the Light:” Teaching Students the Value of Evaluating Sources

Bill Connolly and Lara Hill - Summer 2001

Rancocas Valley Regional High School, Mount Holly, NJ

Classes: English – Sophomore - Seniors

If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about this mini-unit, please contact us via email at lhillclasses@prodigy.net. If you choose to use this lesson plan, please email us with your plan and suggestions / additions… it is okay to “steal” for teaching purposes, but just let us know the goodies you have added to this.

Objectives:

Students will be able to:

· Understand the qualities that make up a valid source

· Understand that just because a source is available does not mean it is viable

· Critically evaluate various internet sites for content, bias, relevance, credibility and currency

· Work together cooperatively with peers

· Make connections between various ideas

· Apply ideas from class to create a rubric

Materials:

· Copy of song “Blinded by the Light” by Manfred Mann Earth Band or Bruce Springsteen

· Cue cards with hints – color-coded, see below

· Transparency of handout with guesses from the Internet and the lyrics.

· Computer Lab with at least 1 computer for each 2-3 students and Internet access

· Web Site - http://www.geocities.com/lhillclasses/evalwebmain.htm

· Copies of the Guidelines sheet for Creating An Evaluation Sheet

· Data gathering sheet for analysis of web sites

· Books with new covers (see #1 under “Investigative Activity”)

· Posters from various colleges

Procedures:

“Is THAT what he said?” Set Activity

1. Use chorus from “Blinded by the Light” and ask students to figure out words. Do not give them a copy of the lyrics.

2. Give cue cards with different hints to students. Use different colors for the different hints (have duplicates of hints, the duplicates should have the same color).

3. Share ideas in small groups with the same colors. Students should come to a consensus about what the actual words are for the chorus.

4. Large Group Discussion: share ideas from each small group – do not share hints yet.

5. Share examples from Internet and actual lyrics.

6. Independent: Freewrite – Do you think that the hint affected your choice of words? Why or why not?

7. Large Group Discussion: share hints from each small group and what their words were on the Board (have one member from each group write on the Board).

8. Independent: Freewrite or Discussion – Do you still feel the same way about the hint after seeing the other possibilities?

9. Large Group Discussion: What does the fact of these differences tell us about looking for information? Make connections with personal experience. What implications will this have for us? What could influence their search for “the” college?

10. This is another activity to make sure the students understand that our preconceived notions and ideas can affect our beliefs. Have posters from different colleges and ask the students to give their impressions of how the advertisers are trying to “seduce” the college students. For example, at Ursinus, it seemed for a few years all of the ads featured one really attractive blonde girl.

11. Large group discussion: Do the posters show attractive people? What are they doing? Laughing? Playing sports? Are there attention-grabbing headlines about job placements, successful alumni, etc? Then there are outside forces that would influence our decision to seek information or perhaps even whether they would visit these colleges: parents’ alma maters, where friends have gone, where our boyfriend, girlfriend or best friend is going. So the point is that in our lives, our search for information can be affected by outside forces such as the “marketing strategies” of the sources themselves.

Investigative Activity

1. Set activity: “Create” book or magazine titles with plain book covers (a la David Letterman). For example, let’s say we tell students that we’re doing a research project on “how to find the best college for you.” The teacher could cover a dictionary and a real skinny book with similar titles. Also, have different book covers with college selection guides by “experts,” but they could represent a range of expertise. For example, a book by recent college graduates, a book by the president of Harvard, and a book by Carrot Top or ‘Nsync. There could be The Idiot’s Guide to Picking A College and The College Board Guide to Colleges and Yo, Yo… Pickin’ a Phat School! These titles could be created to hint at the issues you want the students to come up with. Ask students to choose which books they would choose and why.

2. Large group discussion: share ideas.

3. Break students into 3 different groups.

4. Explain to them that they will be investigating a web source to see if it would be a good source for a research paper? Why or why not? Be specific. You have 10 minutes to investigate your site. Use the Data Gathering sheet.

5. Do not tell them what the group’s focus is – have them go to their links page for their group. The links should have questionable, bogus, and good sites.

6. The members in the group should evenly divide the links up.

7. Students should work individually at separate computers if lab environment or work together in pairs.

8. In small group, share findings. Students should come to a consensus of the top 5 issues in their group.

9. Share issues in large group and list on board.

10. Back in small groups, students should determine which of the 3 categories (Creator, Content, or Currency) their issues would fall under. Take 1 minute to discuss. Be prepared to share.

11. Share in large group which category your group fits in. Click on the picture of the man with the binoculars on the main page. This will take the students to the page with the categories listed and the titles for the web sites. Add the proper category title on the board to the lists of the evaluative issues that each of the 3 groups determined.

3 Groups:

· Creator - Who = Authority, Bias, Purpose, Contact Information

· Content - What = Accuracy, “Intended audience,” Support of Claims, Proper Citation, Spelling / Grammar issues

· Currency - When = dates, updates, “behind the technological times”

12. Students should copy down the 3 categories and the 5 issues that should be evaluated for each source.

13. Tell the purpose of the project. Students will create an evaluation sheet using the required information for homework. See student handout below. The teacher will determine the 3 best sheets and the class will vote on 1.

Assessments / Evaluations

Informal Evaluations (discussions, group work, etc.)
Evaluative Sheet - Homework

Possible Hints for “Blinded by the Light”

“This song was written during the ‘No Nukes’ period of US history and it is against nuclear war.”
“This song was written about a person who looked up at the sun too long.”
“This song is about a guy who saw a girl that was really gorgeous.”
“This song is about a girl who saw a guy who was really gorgeous.”
“This song is about a person who only cares about money.”
“This song is about teenage runaways.”
“This song takes a comical look at fame.”
“This song does not have any clear meaning. Just guess.”
“This song does not have any clear meaning, but it has something to do with teenagers and things that teenagers generally like to do.”

“This song was written about a person who looked up at the sun too long.”

“This song was written during the ‘No Nukes’ period of US history and it is against nuclear war.”

“This song is about a guy who saw a girl that was really gorgeous.”

“This song is about a girl who saw a guy who was really gorgeous.”

“This song is about a person who only cares about money.”

“This song is about teenage runaways.”

“This song takes a comical look at fame.”

“This song does not have any clear meaning, but it has something to do with teenagers and things that teenagers generally like to do.”

“This song does not have any clear meaning. Just guess.”

The Blinded Archive Findings

Random, reader-contributed responses to the question:
What lyric directly follows the words "Blinded by the light...?"

· Dressed up like a dude, another runner in the night.

· Sucked up by the juice you know the runner in the night

· Dressed up like a Deuce, a ruler of the night.

· Revved up like a deuce, another rover in the night.

· Dressed up like a duke, another rumor in the night.

· Racked up like a deuce in a momentary flight.

· Rabbit in a lot of juice, like a donut in the night

· Messed up like a demon that was roaming in the night

· Dressed up like a dude, you know, the roamer in the night.

· Racked up like a moose, that's been run over in the night.

· Cut loose like a goose, another roamer in the night

· Caught by a ratchet with a rumor in the night

· Wrecked up like a goose, in the middle of the night

· Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night

Actual lyrics

Bruce Springsteen – 1973 - “Cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night”

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band - 1976 - “Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night”

Manfred Mann’s Earth Band - 1977 - “Wrapped up like a deuce, another runner in the night

www.kissthisguy.com

Guidelines for Creating Evaluation Sheet

Here it is… you have a chance to run the show. Well, um, sort of. Actually your task is to create a worksheet that we will use in class. It’s all up to you! Well, actually the class and me. I will pick the best 3 evaluation sheets and then the class will vote on the one they want to use.

Using the information the class determined regarding the three evaluative categories (creator, content, and currency), create a sheet that we can use to evaluate our sources for the research aspect of the Senior Project.

The evaluation sheet must incorporate the following:

It must only be only one-side of an 8’5 x 11 sheet of paper.
It must use the 3 categories with each of the 5 details chosen by the category’s small group as agreed to by the class. Fill in the table below from your notes to help you plan.

Creator	Content	Currency
1.	1.	1.
2.	2.	2.
3.	3.	3.
4.	4.	4.
5.	5.	5.

It can be a (Yes, No, Maybe) checklist, ranking, grid, table, etc. for the 5 details under each of the 3 categories.
It must be rather quick to fill out.
It must be easy to use.
It must have a small box for the ranking of the source by the writer. You determine how the ranking should be.
It must include fields for the writer’s name, block, citation of the source, and location where the source is from (RV library, Mount Holly library, Internet, etc.).
It must include a section (about the length of a paragraph) where the rationale for the use of the source is written by the evaluator. The evaluator would also include a reference to the ranking of the source.

This assignment is due ________________ and is worth ____________ points.
Blinded by the Light -- The Real Way

Many thanks to Christopher Crow for the research on this page.

+++++++

Blinded by the Light

This song was written and first recorded by Bruce Springsteen. Manfred Mann's Earth Band did a very successful cover of it that went to Number 1 in the States, (giving Bruce Springsteen his first ever No 1). The song also appeared on The Roaring Silence (August 1976), and a live version on Live in Budapest (February 1984). The version on Roaring Silence also appears on the collection album, 20 Years of Manfred Mann's Earthband 1971-1991 (released paradoxically in 1990!).

Bruce Springsteen wrote some interesting lyrics in his day. In particular, Blinded by the Light, Spirits in the Night, and For You, all covered by MMEB, have excited considerable concern as to what on earth Springsteen was trying to say (Problem #1), and what it meant (Problem #2).

I can't give you the answers to those questions: copyright restrictions prevent me from publishing all but small excerpts of the lyrics, and I'm as confused as you about whether these songs were written like Kubla Kahn (Samuel Taylor Coleridge) or if they have some real meaning.

NEW!

Apparently the copyright restrictions aren't as restrictive as I thought: the lyrics server has 3 different versions of Blinded by the light. Just to make things even more confusing, I've added my own version, checked with all the available ones. Whilst I wouldn't say mine is perfect, I at least punctuate 'Manfred Mann's Earth Band' right :-).

A calliope, by the way, is an old musical instrument: look it up, your dictionary might even have a picture!

Steven Kelly (kelly@jyu.fi)

===========VERSION 1==================

Blinded By The Light

"Blinded by the Light"      by Manfred Mann

 from The Roaring Silence       (c) 1976

lyrics by Bruce Springstein

Chorus: Blinded by the light

        revved up like a deuce

        Another runner in the night (Repeat 2 – fading)

Madman drummers bummers,

Indians in the summer,

With a teenager diplomat

And the dumps with the mumps

As the adolescent pumps his way into his hat

With a boulder my shoulder,

feeling kinda older,

I tripped the merry-go-round

With this very unpleasin', sneezin' and wheezin,

the calliope crashed to the ground (pickup)

the calliope crashed to the ground

(chorus)

Some silicon sister with a manager mister

told me I go what it takes.

I'll run you on sonny to something strong

play the song with the funky break

And go-cart Mozart was checkin' out the

weather charts see if it was safe outside

And little ealy birdir gave my arms a  curly-whirly

and asked me if i needed a ride

(pickup)

asked me if i needed a ride

(chorus)

Bridge: She got down but she never got tired

        She's gonna make it to the night

        She's gonna make it through the night

(break with soul-stirring solo)

Oh momma that's where the fun is

But momma that's where the fun is

Momma always told me not to look

in the eye's on the sun

But momma that's where the fun is

(chop sticks variation)

So brimestone-baritone, anti-cyclone Rolling Stone

Preacher from the East,

says dethrone the dictaphone, hit it in it's funny bone that’s what they expect at least

It's a new grown chaperon standing in the corner

watching the young girls dance

and some  fresh sown moonstone messing with his frozen zone,

only reminding him of romance

(pickup)

and the calliope crashed to the ground

(Chorus)

(Chorus and First Verse)

Now Scott with the sling-shot finially found a tender spot

and throws his lover in the sand

and some blood-shot forget-me-not

said daddy's waX X X ?buck-shot? turn up the band

(repeat Verse 2 "Silicon sister with a manager....")

(bridge)

===============VERSION 2===============

Artist: Manfred Mann's Earth Band

1977 Warner Bros. Records

Produced by Manfred Mann's Earth Band

Personnel:

Chris Hamlet Thompson: Vocals/guitar

Dave Flett: Lead guitar

Colin Pattenden: Bass

Chris Slade: Drums/percussion/backing vocals

Manfred Mann: Keyboards/vocals

----------------------------------------------

Blinded by the Light

(Bruce Springsteen)

Madman drummer bummers

Indians in the summer

With a teenage diplomat

In the dumps with the mumps

As the adolescent pumps

His way into his hat

With a boulder on my shoulder

Feeling kinda older

I tripped a merry-go-round

With the very unpleasing

Sneezing and wheezing

The calliope crashed to the ground

CHORUS

Blinded by the light

Wrapped up like a deuce

Another runner in the night

Blinded by the light

She got down but she never got tight

She's gonna make it through the night

Some silicone sister

With her manager mister

Told me I've got what it takes

She said, I'll turn you on sonny to something strong

Play the song with the funky break

And go-kart Mozart

Was checking out the weather chart

To see if it was safe outside

And little Early Pearly

Came by in her curly-wurly

And asked me if I needed a ride

CHORUS

Mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun

'Cause mama, that's where the fun is

Some brimstone baritone

Anticyclone rolling stone

Preacher from the east

Says dethrone the dictaphone

Hit it in the funnybone

That's where they expect it least

And some new mown chaperone

Was standing in the corner

Watching the young girls dance

And some fresh-sown moonstone

Was playing with his frozen zone

Reminding him of romance

The calliope crashed to the ground

CHORUS

===============VERSION 3=============

Greetings From Asbury Park N.J.

By Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen * - acoustic guitar, electric guitar, conga, harmonica, bass on "Blinded By The Light", bass and piano on "Spirit in the Night"

Vincent Loper "Lopez" * - drums

Clarence Clemmons * - sax

Gary Tallent - bass

David Sancious - piano, organ

Harold Wheeler - piano on "Blinded By The Light", "Spirit In The Night"

Richard Davis - upright bass on "The Angel"

* background vocals and handclaps

All selections written and arranged by Bruce Springsteen (1973)

Blinded by the Light

Madman drummers bummers and Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat

In the dumps with the mumps as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat

With a boulder on my shoulder feelin' kinda older I tripped the merry-go-round

With this very unpleasing sneezing and wheezing the calliope crashed to the ground

Some all-hot half-shot was headin' for the hot spot snappin' his fingers clappin' his hands

And some fleshpot mascot was tied into a lover's knot with a whatnot in her hand

And now young Scott with a slingshot finally found a tender spot and throws his lover in the sand

And some bloodshot forget-me-not whispers daddy's within earshot save the buckshot turn up the band

And she was blinded by the light. Cut loose like a deuce

Another runner in the night. Blinded by the light

She got down but she never got tight, but she'll make it alright

Some brimstone baritone anticyclone rolling stone preacher from the east

He says: "Dethrone the dictaphone, hit it in its funny bone, that's where they expect it least"

And some new-mown chaperone was standin' in the corner all alone watchin' the young girls dance

And some fresh-sown moonstone was messin' with his frozen zone to remind him of the feeling of romance

Yeah he was blinded by the light. Cut loose like a deuce

Another runner in the night. Blinded by the light

He got down but she never got tight, but he's gonna make it tonight

Some silicone sister with her manager's mister told me I got what it takes

She said I'll turn you on sonny to something strong if you play that song with the funky break

And go-cart Mozart was checkin' out the weather chart to see if it was safe to go outside

And little Early-Pearly came in by her curly-wurly and asked me if I needed a ride

Oh, some hazard from Harvard was skunked on beer playin' backyard bombardier

Yes and Scotland Yard was trying hard, they sent some dude with a calling card, he

said, do what you like, but don't do it here

Well I jumped up, turned around, spit in the air, fell on the ground, asked which was the way back home

He said take a right at the light, keep going straight until night, and then boy you're on your own

And now in Zanzibar a shootin' star was ridin' in a side car hummin' a lunar tune

Yes, and the avatar said blow the bar but first remove the cookie jar,

we're gonna teach those boys to laugh too soon

And some kidnapped handicap was complaining that he caught the clap from some

mousetrap he bought last night

Well I unsnapped his skull cap and between his ears I saw a gap but he'd figured he'd be all right

He was just blinded by the light. Cut loose like a deuce

Another runner in the night. Blinded by the light

Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun

Oh but mama that's where the fun is