December 13, 2002

2002: THE YEAR IN REVIEW
Looking Back at the Events and Trends That Shaped the Past Year

Grades:  6-8, 9-12

Subjects:  Language Arts, Social Studies

Related New York Times Article
"2002: The Year That Pop Lost Popularity, By NEIL STRAUSS", December 27, 2002

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students research and create a book highlighting significant events and trends throughout the world in the year 2002. Then, through creative writing, they respond to the events or trends themselves and how they affected our world.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:   45 minutes - 1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Consider the popularity of various musical genres in their community; discuss the reasons for the relative popularity of different genres.
  2. Learn about the number one Billboard hits of 2002 by reading and discussing the article "2002: The Year That Pop Lost Popularity."
  3. Research various events and trends in the arts, mass media, sports, fashion, science, business, and international politics over the past year; create a book featuring the year's most significant events and trends in these area.
  4. Write a creative piece to include in a class book.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. WARM-UP/DO NOW: Students respond to the following prompt, written on the board prior to class: "List the following musical genres in order of their popularity where you live: rap, R & B, pop, classical, country, rock, independent. Why did you list them in this order?" After students generate lists, conduct a class poll of the results. If the responses differ, ask students why this may be. Then, engage students in a short discussion about why they chose to rank the genres as they did. Did they consider the music tastes of all people who live in their community, the most popular among their peers, information from the media, etc.?
  2. As a class, read the article "2002: The Year That Pop Lost Popularity," focusing on the following questions:
    1. How did the country's musical taste change this year from recent years?
    2. Which two genres dominated the charts?
    3. According to the article, why is country music "more consonant with the national mood"?
    4. Which artist spent the longest at No. 1 on the charts?
    5. How many soundtracks reached No. 1 on the charts?
    6. According to various citations in the article, what role did the Internet play in the music industry this year?
    7. Are the "genre" categories listed in the article real genres? Why do you think the author used these genre titles?
  3. Divide students into seven groups, and assign one of the following categories to each: the arts (dance, literature, visual art, etc.), mass media (television, film, Internet), sports, fashion, science, business, and international politics. In their groups, students determine, through their own observations and in-class research, what they think were the most important events or trends in their category throughout the world over the past year. Depending on class time, you may wish to ask students to narrow their selection to three to five events or trends. Groups should use the following questions as research guidelines:Using the information from their research, students compile a book section, including pictures and short written explanations of the significance of each event or trend, timelines indicating the causes and effects of these events or trends, and quotes about each event or trend. In a later class, groups combine each of their sections into one book focusing on the important events and trends of the past year.
  4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: At home, each student writes a creative response (such as a poem, a song, a short story, or non-fiction essay), which integrates the events or trends from their group's book and explains how these events or trends were significant to the year 2002. Student writing may be added to the class book, for classroom or school library display.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated on participation in Warm-Up, participation in class discussion, completion of group book section, and completion of creative writing piece.

VOCABULARY:
spectrum, genre, consonant, streamlining, icons, aesthetic, climactic, rendition, formulaic, sabbatical, nimble, introspective, jingoism

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Watch, listen to, or read one of the year's most popular movies, albums, or books. Then write a review of it, focusing on why you think this work was so popular this year. Model your assessment after "the edge" section in the article from class, in which the author considers world events, social trends, and the quality of the product in his assessment of the success of the work.
  2. Poll peers and create a list of the top ten albums, songs, and artists of the year. Create a poster with your results, comparing them side by side with the information from the article based on Billboard's No. 1 albums. Write a short analysis accounting for any differences between your poll results and the Billboard results.
  3. Learn more about one of the personalities from the article, such as Eminem, Santana, or Celine Dion. Write an article about this person, focusing both of his or her public and private lives. How did he or she get his or her "break"? How is his or her public personality different from his or her private personality? For what quirks is he or she known?
  4. In November, 2002, Richard Goldstein published an article in The Village Voice, "The Eminem Consensus: Why We Voted for Slim Shady" (http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0246/goldstein.php), which analyzes the rap star's popularity in the context of current U.S. politics. Read the article and respond in the form of an editorial. Do you agree or disagree with the writer?

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Economics- The article cites many promotions and marketing tactics that increased album sales. Interview managers of local record stores, as well as album-buying peers, to learn how these various tactics seem to affect sales. Are people more likely to buy an album with a free DVD, bonus CD, or other promotion? Do early leaks of songs on the Internet deter people from buying the album? Write a report on your findings.

Fine Arts- Cover a song from one of this year's top albums in a different genre (e.g., remake an Eminem song in a country style, or a Shania Twain song as a rap). Record your song or perform it live for your class.

Global History- Learn about how the New Year is celebrated around the world and in different cultures. Consider not only how the evening of December 31 is commemorated elsewhere, but also the meaning of "New Year" on other calendars (Losar-the Tibetan New Year, Rosh Hashanah-the Jewish New Year, and Al Hijra-the Islamic New Year are some examples). Conduct an International New Year's Party in class, having different groups learn about and prepare a five minute presentation/party for their respective New Year's.

Media Studies- Watch "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" or "8 Mile." Then write a review of the film, focusing on the role of the soundtrack. How does the music affect the tone of the film? How would the film be different without the soundtrack? Is the soundtrack "good" because of how it interacts with the film, or just because there are "good" songs on it?

Science- Research a topic in science that has received much focus throughout the past year, such as cloning, animal research, or stem-cell research. It may be helpful to look through the new York Times "Science Times" section from the past year for information on your topic. Then write an article summarizing the events and debates in this area over the past year.

Copyright 2002
The New York Times Company

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