While my inquiry project is looking at how to incorporate
music into social studies curriculum, I wanted to pick a few different topics
of social studies and see how I could incorporate it into those different
lessons. Since I am personally more
versed on music from the 1940’s and beyond, I figured I would start by trying to
incorporate the music that I am already familiar with.
Ward, B., 2006. "People Get Ready": Music and the
Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. History Now, (8).
https://ap.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/civil-rights-movement/essays/%E2%80%9Cpeople-get-ready%E2%80%9D-music-and-civil-rights-movement-1950s
This text was written by an American Studies professor and
describes the different ways that music helped spark the civil rights movement,
as well as how some of the songs that were influential at the time they were
created. It describes both popular music
that was recorded and distributed via records and radio, as well as the songs
that were created and sung by people participating in the movement at rallies
or concerts. The article also talks about how certain songs were based off of
popular songs of the time, and this is where students would be familiar with
some of the songs that are mentioned.
This article does a great job of showing how all types of music (folk,
jazz, gospel, and R&B) impacted the civil rights movement.
Text Complexity: This
text is moderately complex because it expects the reader to know background
information about the civil rights movement, as well as referencing many artist
of the 50’s and 60’s that the students may not be familiar with and additional
research would be required of them to know who they were. If I used this in my classroom, I would expect
much of the background information of the civil rights movement to have already
been covered. Much of the information
given is fairly straightforward though and describes why certain music was
important. I think this article would be
appropriate for any high school student with minimal background knowledge in
the civil rights movement.
Task: I think that this
article would be best suited for an introduction to a project where students
picked a piece of music that was used during the civil rights movement and did
an in depth look at the piece of music.
It would give them ideas of what kind of songs were created at the time,
how they were used and why. It would be
after learning what the civil rights movement was so students could use direct
examples of instances when music would have been used. Students could do a think-pair-share after
reading the article and compare what they found interesting and see what kind
of questions the article brought up for them and their partner.
First Mondays:
Soundtrack for a Revolution. 2009. [video] Directed by D. Nelson.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SiYbO2DD8M
This video looks at
the freedom songs that were created during the civil rights movement that were
sung at meetings, protests, and on the picket lines. It describes who created them and why, but it
also gives the viewer historical context, so they know what was happening when
the song was created. The songs that are
discussed are played in their original format, but also covered by famous
artists of the 21st century.
Text Complexity: This text is only slightly complex as is
requires some background knowledge of the time, but it also provides some
information to help the viewer get a good idea of what was happening at the
time. The meaning of the songs is
provided and explained so the viewer is able to see what certain songs meant
since there is some symbolism and words that they may not have known. There are some depictions of violence, but nothing
that is graphic. This would be
appropriate for any high school student as long as they have minor background knowledge
of the civil rights movement.
Task: I would create a viewing guide that I would
give students before they watch this video.
It would include surface level questions that they would answer during
the video to make sure that they were paying attention during the film, and it
would also include deeper questions that would allow them to make inferences
about the songs, the composers, and the events surrounding the civil rights
movement. This would not only keep the
students engaged during the film, but it would give them questions to think
about afterwards, and possibly discuss in small groups or with a partner.
The Freedom Singers perform "We Shall Not Be
Moved" at the March on Washington. 2015. [video].
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duvoETGVvYU
This video gives a firsthand look at freedom singers
performing one of the most famous songs of the civil rights movement. They are performing it at the March on Washington
in August of 1963. It also shows footage
from the crowd of people who also attended the March on Washington. I think seeing the passion and feelings that
were evoked by the performers and the audience’s reaction to the performance allows
the students to see how important this was to the people fighting for their
rights. Hearing the songs and reading
about the march give the students good information, but seeing it puts the
whole movement into perspective for the students.
Text Complexity: This
text is very simple. It is a video
showing what someone would see and hear on the March on Washington. The inferences that can be made from what was
happening to these people and what they were going through make it more
complex. This video is appropriate for
any student, but again having the background knowledge and understanding of the
time would make this text more difficult to comprehend.
Task: I think I would have
students watch this clip and write a reflection piece afterwards. I would want them to place themselves at the
march and describe their feelings and try to describe that those around them
would be feeling. I also would give them
a handout that had the lyrics to the song and let them describe how they
interpreted the song. They would need to
know that there is no right or wrong answer and to answer it as personally. This would give me a look into my students
feeling about the movement and see if their schema plays a role in their
feelings.
Additional resources:
Music in the Civil Rights Movement
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/eyesontheprize-music-civil-rights-movement/
Teaching with Protest Music
https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2016/02/04/lesson-plan-teaching-with-protest-music/
Songs of The Civil Rights Movement
https://www.npr.org/2010/01/18/99315652/songs-of-the-civil-rights-movement
10 Essential Civil Rights Songs
https://www.thoughtco.com/essential-civil-rights-songs-1322740
