Date: Week 3/Wednesday
Period/Class Title: US History
Name: Alicia Vosberg
# of students: 30
OBJECTIVE:
Students will illustrate the role, significance, and history of protest songs from the African American Civil Rights Movement
MATERIALS:
Compilation cd's: Sing for Freedom, Voices of the Civil Rights Movement, and Freedom is a Constant Struggle: Songs of the Mississippi Civil Rights movement; Last Poets cd's: Last Poets and This is Madness; cd player, laptop, internet connection, overhead projector, transparencies with song lyrics, 30 handouts with song lyrics, website resources, and other pertinent information
NOTES:
Remember to preface with a discussion about the political and historical use of controversial language by such groups as the Last Poets so as not to offend any students and to help them understand ideas of language as a tool of oppression versus language as a tool of empowerment
STEPS:
Anticipatory set: 5 minutes - Students will verbally answer the question: "What is the link between the Civil Rights Movement and Hip Hop music today?" in order to assess their prior knowledge about current political trends in hip hop.
1. 15 minutes - As a class, students will listen to several protest songs used during the early years of the African American Civil Rights movement (from compilation cd's) while teacher simultaneously displays on the overhead projector lyrics to each song as it is playing.
2. 10 minutes - students will analyze the lyrics from the early years as a group, with the teacher guiding the discussion to focus on point historical connections and how these protest songs were utilized to obtain social justice
3. 15minutes - As a class students will listen to several songs from the Last Poets as the teacher uses the Hip Hop Circuit website to display lyrics, photos, and other information at http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/LAST-POETS/last_poets0.html
4. 15 minutes - students will analyze the Last Poets songs and lyrics as a group, comparing and contrasting both musical and lyrical style with the previous group of protest songs
FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITY:
homework: Students will utilize the Hip Hop Circuit website as a tool and guide to find lyrics that reveal the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. Students will go to http://online.sfsu.edu/~jcooks/hiphopcircuit/frontup.html and then to Students section to access lyrics pages. Students must print out lyrics to at least one song (CANNOT be from the Last Poets!) and bring it to class tomorrow. If they can find the music to accompany the lyrics they will get extra credit, although this is not required.
ASSESSMENT/EVALUATION:
The anticipatory set will divulge to the teacher how much students know about the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement as portrayed in popular culture. Students will be evaluated on group participation.
LITERACY ASPECT:
Students will utilize listening, reading, and critical thinking skills as they listen to music and evaluate lyrics in order to determine the role, historical relevance, and significance of protest music.
REFLECTION/RESPONSE:
Follow up activity may not be successful if students do not take the time to find an example of song lyrics that reveal the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement. Teacher should have some back up copies of lyrics to share as an example if this happens.