September 13, 2002

SING YOUR MIND
Learning About the History and Power of Protest Songs

Grades:  6-8, 9-12

Subjects:  Fine Arts, Language Arts, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"Giving Peace a Chance, Again, By NEIL STRAUSS", September 13, 2002

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students explore the power of musical protest. Students learn about the events and issues behind historical protest songs, then write their own songs of protest.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:   45 Minutes - 1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Respond to lyrics from the song "The Bell"; discuss their views about a possible war with Iraq.
  2. Learn about musician's responses to September 11, 2001 and the possibility of a United States war with Iraq by reading and discussing the article "Giving Peace a Chance, Again."
  3. In pairs, research an event or issue that inspired a specific protest song; listen to the song; write a final verse to the song.
  4. Write a protest song; record songs on a class album.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. Warm-Up/DO-NOW: At the start of class, the teacher plays a recording of "The Bell," and students respond to the following question (written on the board prior to class): To what do you think the lyrics of this song refer? Which person represents your views: the man at the desk or the child? After giving students a few minutes to write, have some students share their responses with the class, focusing on the following questions: Do you think that the United States should go to war with Iraq? Do you think Iraq poses a threat to the United States? If so, how? What might be the negative and positive effects of a war? Do you think that war is ever the solution to a problem? If so, in which cases might this be?
  2. As a class, read and discuss "Giving Peace a Chance, Again," focusing on the following questions:
    1. What were songwriters' immediate responses to the events of September 11, 2001?
    2. Why does Damon Krukowski think songwriters have been "strangely quiet" regarding the possibility of a war with Iraq?
    3. What is "The Bell" about? Who is the "man at his desk"?
    4. What personal background affects Stephan Smith's feelings on a war with Iraq?
    5. What other actions of protest against a war with Iraq have musicians undergone?
    6. How does Dean Ween feel about the current political climate?
  3. Divide students into pairs and have each pair choose a protest song from a pre-generated list (the list should include only those songs that are available in class, either from the library, a recording that the teacher has brought, or the Internet). In generating a list of songs, the teacher should keep in mind that a protest song is written in response to a particular event or injustice enacted by a specific group or government. Songs of social action, while often political in nature, are not "protest" songs, per se.) Pairs research their song's background on the Internet to learn about the event(s) and issue the song addresses. Students learn the following information about the event or issue addressed in the song:
    • What prior events or ways of thinking led to this event or brought this issue up?
    • What were/are the different responses to this event or issue?
    • Did protestors to this event or way of thinking change the way people thought or acted? Did their protests change government or corporate policies?
    • Students then listen to the song together, focusing on the following aspects of the lyrics and music:
    • What is the songwriter's opinion about this event or issue? How do you know?
    • What type of language (metaphor, simile, other descriptive language) is used in the song to convey the feelings and opinions of the songwriter?
    • How does this song make you feel about this event or issue? Do you agree with the position taken in the song?
    • How does the melody and/or rhythm contribute to the feeling of the song?
    • What role does the title play in expressing the position of the songwriter?
    Using all of their knowledge about the event or issue addressed in the song, pairs write a "final verse" to this song in keeping with the lyrical and musical style of the original. The new verse should express how this even or issue is perceived today, the impact that protestors had on the outcome of this event, or students' own views about it. In a later class, pairs can perform the song with their additional verse for the class.
  4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: At home, students write their own protest song based on a current event or issue. The song should use some of the techniques of other protest songs, such as metaphor, allusion, and rhythm, to invoke the desired feeling in the listener. Students may record their songs on a class compilation album to share with the rest of the school.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated on completion of journal, participation in class discussions, participation in partner research and listening exercise, participation in partner songwriting and performance, and recording of original protest song.

VOCABULARY:
magnitude, psychedelic, initiatives, innovative, ominous, grim reaper, lure, ambivalence, saber, solidarity

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Create an advertisement for your school newspaper expressing your position on a current political issue, such as the War on Terrorism, the impending war on Iraq, or the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict.
  2. Political subversion in the arts is an old tradition. Read a classic novel with political and social implications, such as "Gulliver's Travels," "Animal Farm," or "The Wizard of Oz." Write an essay explaining the political and social issues addressed in the story and how the author felt about these issues.
  3. Create a work of visual art that expresses your opinion on a current events issue. You might choose the same issue about which you wrote your song and include a picture of your artwork in the class album, or you might choose a different issue.
  4. Record a radio show, in the style of Casey Casem's "American Top 40" or VH1's "Behind the Music," focusing on songs of political protest and social action. Before each song, give a brief explanation of the circumstances under which it was written.

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
American History- Research the history of the United States Sedition Act in all of its incarnations. Write an essay focusing on how this Act has affected American history. Then consider the implications of this law today. Do you think this law could be brought back in today's political climate? What effect would a reenactment of this law have on the United States? How has the United States government changed since the initial enactment of this law?

Civics- Research the issue of freedom of speech in music lyrics. Write an essay exploring the government's role in lyric regulation, addressing issues such as parental advisory warnings and radio bans. Then give your opinion about what musicians should or should not be allowed to say in their lyrics.

Journalism- Conduct interviews with family and friends who lived through the 1960s in the United States. Ask them about protests they attended are heard about in the news, issues of the day, and other experiences they had that were part of these turbulent times. Then compare these experiences with those of your friends and classmates living through a new time or political unrest. Write a feature article for your school paper on this topic.

Media Studies- Make a music video for your protest song, or an existing protest song that does not have a video. Explore the use of metaphorical images, juxtaposition of contradictory ideas or images, video clips of historical events, and other music video techniques to produce a video that captures the feeling and idea behind the song.

Copyright 2002
The New York Times Company

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