Instructors Kimberly Chain, Logan Culver, Joel Sunnenberg Class/Grade Level 7^th – 8^th grade Subject Protest Songs                                        Length 50 minutes

 

The students will gain knowledge of protest songs from a large range of time periods. They will create their own protest song in groups.

 

Protesting, protest songs, war, genres, amendment, rights, Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam, lyrics

 

Standard 6: Listening to, analyzing, and describing music

Benchmark 1: Analyze aural examples of a varied repertoire of music, representing diverse genres and cultures, by describing the uses of elements of music and expressive devices

                                                               

Standard 8: Understanding relationship between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.

Benchmark 2: The student compares characteristics of two or more arts, within a particular historical period or style, and cites examples from various cultures.

 

Standard 9: Understanding music in relation to history and culture

Benchmark 4: Identify and explain the stylistic features of a given musical work that serve to define its aesthetic tradition and its historical or cultural context

 

·      Audio recordings of “Yankee Doodle”, “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “Fortunate Song”, “Ohio”, “Imagine”, “Born in the U.S.A.”, “God Bless the U.S.A.”, “Black Rain”, “Angry American”, “Cookie Jar”, and “The General”

·      Lyrics sheet with the lyrics from the songs above

·      CD Player

·      Timeline drawn on the black/white board with pictures of the artist/band

·      Tape

·      Dry Erase Markers/Chalk

 

Students with physical disabilities should not have much trouble with this lesson. Students with learning disabilities would be assisted during the group section of writing your own protest songs.. During the discussion time, the teacher would ask the student questions he or she knew the student could answer.

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5 min. Anticipatory Set

Introduce the title and topic of the lesson.

 

Do any of you know what our first amendment rights are? (Lead the students in naming all of the rights.)

 

(Discuss a current event in the news involving music and protesting or the rights of musicians/lyricists.)

 

(Play “Yankee Doodle”.) Did you know that “Yankee Doodle” was an early protest song? Do you know of any other protest songs?

 

Anticipated student difficulties: The students may not know any of the first amendment rights or know of any other protest songs.

           

Anticipated achievement goals: Get them interested in the topic by using their prior knowledge and asking engaging questions.

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8 min. Section #1 – Protest Songs of the 1960s

(Give the definition of protest songs while passing out the lyrics to the protest songs.) Protest songs started really becoming popular in the 1960s. Earlier well-known protest songs started in the heart of the Civil-Rights Movement. Bob Dylan wrote the song “Blowin’ in the Wind”. (Play the song and have the students follow along with the lyrics. Discuss the lyrics and their meaning. Have a student come up and put the picture of the artist on the time line.)

 

The Vietnam War was in the late 1960s. Protest songs can be for or against the war occurring. Protest songs were at their prime during this war. Why do you think this was? (Lead discussion.) The band Creedence Clearwater Revival sang the song “Fortunate Son”. (Play the song and have the students follow along with the lyrics. Discuss the lyrics and their meaning. Have a student come up and put the picture of the artist on the time line.) The Vietnam War continues into the 1970s.

 

Anticipated student difficulties: The students may not want to follow along with the lyrics or participate in the discussion.

                                   

Anticipated achievement goals: The students will be exposed to authentic protest songs of the time period and analyze the lyrics.

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8 min. Section #2 – Protest Songs of the 1970s

Protesting was still prominent during this time. (Explain the Kent State shootings.) The band Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young wrote the song “Ohio”. (Listen to the song and have the students follow along with the lyrics. Discuss the lyrics and their meaning. Have a student come up and put the picture of the artist on the time line.)

 

The war ended and the peace movement began. John Lennon wrote the song “Imagine”. (Play the song and have the students follow along with the lyrics. Discuss the lyrics and their meaning. Have a student come up and put the picture of the artist on the time line.)

 

Anticipated student difficulties: The students may not want to follow along with the lyrics or participate in the discussion.

                                   

Anticipated achievement goals: The students will be exposed to authentic protest songs of the time period and analyze the lyrics.

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12 min.Section #3 – Protest Songs of the 1980s

The 1980s was a very changing time in the history of the U.S. The Reagan administration took over and the fallout of Vietnam happened. Bruce Springsteen wrote the song “Born in the U.S.A.” (Play the song and have the students follow along with the lyrics. Discuss the lyrics and their meaning. Have a student come up and put the picture of the artist on the time line.)

 

The economy was not recovering after the veterans returned. Patriotism started really showing through. There started a movement that protested protests songs. Lee Greenwood wrote the song “God Bless the U.S.A.” With this song he wanted to show that our country and lives were still better than others had it. (Play the song and have the students follow along with the lyrics. Discuss the lyrics and their meaning. Have a student come up and put the picture of the artist on the time line.)

 

Anticipated student difficulties: The students might get bored filling out the graphic organizers.

 

Anticipated achievement goals: The students will get the information on four real tribes and have the graphic organizers to look back on. This is a visual and tactile activity.

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7 min. Section #4 – Protest Songs of the 1990s to Present-day

Protest songs started to cover more genres of music such as rap, rock, and alternative. Hurricane Katrina was the inspiration for the song “Black Rain” by Ben Harper. (Play the song and have the students follow along with the lyrics. Discuss the lyrics and their meaning.)

 

9/11 was the inspiration for Toby Keith’s “Angry American”. (Play the song and have the students follow along with the lyrics. Discuss the lyrics and their meaning. Have a student come up and put the picture of the artist on the time line.)

 

School shootings such as those at Columbine and Virginia Tech. can be represented in the song “Cookie Jar” by Jack Johnson. (Play the song and have the students follow along with the lyrics. Discuss the lyrics and their meaning. Have a student come up and put the picture of the artist on the time line.)

 

The war in Iraq has had many cycles of troops coming and going. There are differing views of people who are for or against the war. Dispatch wrote the song “The General”. (Play the song and have the students follow along with the lyrics. Discuss the lyrics and their meaning. Have a student come up and put the picture of the artist on the time line.)

 

Anticipated student difficulties: The students might get bored filling out the graphic organizers.

 

Anticipated achievement goals: The students will get the information on four real tribes and have the graphic organizers to look back on. This is a visual and tactile activity.

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7 min. Section #4 – Protest Songs of the 1990s to Present-day

(Number off the students into groups of 3-4.) Now we would like you to get into your groups and write the lyrics for your own protest song. Think of an issue that you feel strongly about. It could be big issues like war or other issues in your life such as your curfew time, what the cafeteria serves for lunch, etc. Protest songs are a good non-violent way to express your opinion on a topic. (Supervise the students in selecting their topic and writing their own lyrics.)

 

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Plans for future student learning:

The students could learn about other tribes’ music or go more in depth with one tribe. They could continue through time with different music of different cultures.

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Blowin’ In The Wind by Bob Dylan

 

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

 

Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival

 

Some folks are born made to wave the flag,
Ooh, they're red, white and blue.
And when the band plays "Hail to the chief",
Ooh, they point the cannon at you, Lord,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no senator's son, son.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no,
Some folks are born silver spoon in hand,
Lord, don't they help themselves, oh.
But when the taxman comes to the door,
Lord, the house looks like a rummage sale, yes,
It ain't me, it ain't me, I ain't no millionaire's son, no.
It ain't me, it ain't me; I ain't no fortunate one, no.

 

Born In The U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen

 

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man (chorus)
Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says "Son if it was up to me"
Went down to see my V.A. man
He said "Son, don't you understand"

 

God Bless The U.S.A. by Lee Greenwood

 

If tomorrow all the things were gone

I'd worked for all my life,
And I had to start again with just my children and my wife,
I'd thank my lucky stars to be livin' here today.
Cause the flag still stands for freedom
And they can't take that away.
And I'm proud to be an American
Where at least I know I'm free
And I won't forget the men who died
Who gave that right to me
And I gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today

Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land
God bless the USA

 

Ohio by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

 

Tin soldiers and Nixon coming,

We're finally on our own.

This summer I hear the drumming,

Four dead in Ohio.

Gotta get down to it

Soldiers are cutting us down

Should have been done long ago.

What if you knew her

And found her dead on the ground

How can you run when you know?

 

 

 

Imagine by John Lennon

 

Imagine there's no Heaven

It's easy if you try

No hell below us

Above us only sky

Imagine all the people

Living for today

Imagine there's no countries

It isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for

And no religion too

Imagine all the people

Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions

I wonder if you can

No need for greed or hunger

A brotherhood of man

Imagine all the people

Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer

But I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one

 

Black Rain by Ben Harper

 

You left them swimming for their lives

Down in new orleans

Can't afford a gallon of gasoline

With your useless degrees and contrary statistics

This government business is straight up sadistic

Now you don't fight for us

But expect us to die for you

You have no sympathy for us

But still i cry for you

Now you may kill the revolutionary

But the revolution you can never bury

 

Angry American by Toby Keith

 

American Girls and American Guys

We'll always stand up and salute

We'll always recognize

When we see Ole Glory Flying

There's a lot of men dead

So we can sleep in peace at night

When we lay down our head

My daddy served in the army

Where he lost his right eye

But he flew a flag out in our yard

Till the day that he died

He wanted my mother, my brother, my sister and me

To grow up and live happy

In the land of the free.

Now this nation that I love

Has fallen under attack

A mighty sucker punch came flying in

From somewhere in the back

Soon as we could see clearly

Through our big black eye

Man, we lit up your world

Like the 4th of July

Hey Uncle Sam

Put your name at the top of his list

And the Statue of Liberty

Started shaking her fist

And the eagle will fly

And there's gonna be hell

When you hear Mother Freedom

Start ringing her bell

And itll feel like the whole wide world is raining down on you

Ahhh Brought to you Courtesy of the Red White and Blue

 

Cookie Jar by Jack Johnson

 

I would turn on the TV but it's so embarrassing

To see all the other people I don't know what they mean

And it was magic at first when they spoke without sound

But now this world is gonna hurt you better turn that thing down

Turn it around

"It wasn't me", says the boy with the gun

"Sure I pulled the trigger but it needed to be done

Cause life's been killing me ever since it begun

You cant blame me cause I'm too young"

 

"You can't blame me sure the killer was my son

But I didn't teach him to pull the trigger of the gun

It's the killing on this TV screen

You cant blame me its those images he's seen"

Well "You can't blame me", says the media man

Well "I wasn't the one who came up with the plan

I just point my camera at what the people want to see

Man it's a two way mirror and you cant blame me"

"You can't blame me", says the singer of the song

Or the maker of the movie which he based his life on

"It's only entertainment and as anyone can see

The smoke machines and makeup and you cant fool me"

 

The General by Dispatch

 

There was a decorated general with

a heart of gold, that likened him to

all the stories he told

of past battles, won and lost, and

legends of old a seasoned veteran in

his own time

on the battlefield, he gained

respectful fame with many medals

of bravery and stripes to his name

he grew a beard as soon as he could

to cover the scars on his face

and always urged his men on

but on the eve of a great battle

with the infantry in dream

the old general tossed in his sleep

and wrestled with its meaning

he awoke from the night

just to tell what he had seen

and walked slowly out of his tent

all the men held tall with their

chests in the air, with courage in

their blood and a fire in their stare

it was a grey morning and they all

wondered how they would fare

till the old general told them to go home

I have seen the others

and I have discovered

that this fight is not worth fighting

I have seen their mothers

and I will no other

to follow me where I'm going