Full Lesson

1. Greet students upon entry to the classroom and welcome them to Social Studies. 
2. Tell students that in a moment they will listen to a song. While they listen, close their eyes and envision what the song lyrics describe.
3. Play This Land is Your Land and provide access to "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie for lyrics.
4. Inquire if any students are familiar with this song.
5. Tell students that music can often evoke images or feelings for the listener. 
6. Provide students with a blank sheet of plain paper and ask them to draw the images the song brings to mind (Ex. redwood forest).
7. Allow students to share their images and allow students to share what they think is the meaning of this song.
8. Tell the students that some people feel this song should replace the “Star-Spangled Banner” as our national anthem. Take an informal class poll on this idea.
9. Now share with students that while this song is seen as patriotic, the song writer actually wrote it as a protest song. The ideas for the song came out of the songwriter’s experiences of traveling around America in the years of the Great Depression. He witnessed extreme poverty and desperation for some compared to security and wealth for others. The lyric, “This Land is Your Land, this land is my land,” was to point out that America belonged to all of its people, not just those in power or with wealth.
10. Another fun fact to share is that this song was sung at the 2008 inauguration of President Barack Obama.
11. Ask students if having this new knowledge about the songwriter’s message changes how they feel about this song.
12. Tell students that we are beginning a new inquiry lesson today that will cover how music has impacted protest movements in our country.
13. Display and introduce the compelling question, “Can music make the movement?”
14. Encourage students to reflect upon this question and to explain its meaning and make predictions about possible movements this might include.

• Consider playing song multiple times, as needed.
• Allow sufficient wait time for students to formulate answers.
• Consider allowing students think-pair-share time to formulate answers.
• Define a protest song, if needed.
• Consider asking student volunteers to rephrase the compelling question, if needed.

ELL

• Consider providing a translated copy of “This Land is Your Land” in students’ native language.
• Compelling question could be translated or provided as an audio file, as needed.

1. Tell students in order to answer our larger compelling question,  “Can music make the movement?,” we will break it down into 3 subtopics with 3 supporting questions.
2. Display today’s supporting question, “How is music historically rooted in the Black community?”
3. Using the image of a tree with an exposed root system as a metaphor, explain the concept of what rooted means.

1. Share The Black Church video with students.
2. Tell students as they watch, be on the lookout for examples of how the Black church played a fundamental role in the Black community.
3. After viewing the video, lead a discussion about the role of the Black church as well as its connection to protest music.

UDL

• Ask a student to rephrase the purpose for watching the video, as needed.
• Utilize closed captioning when viewing video or access the Show Transcript feature (when viewing through YouTube platform), if needed. 

ELL

• Explore subtitle options to change language when viewing video through YouTube.

1. Congratulate the young scholars on conducting today’s investigation.
2.  Revisit today’s supporting question, “How is music historically rooted in the Black community?”
3. Students will now complete a Roots of Music Quilt Square to answer today’s supporting question.
4. If time allows, students may enhance their quilt square with color or other designs.
5. Hang the squares to create a class quilt that illustrates how music is historically rooted in the Black community.

UDL

• Teacher may wish to provide some starter ideas to prompt student responses.
• Consider allowing students to utilize a speak-to-type feature to record their answers on the assessment tool.
• Teachers can elaborate on the idea of coded Underground Railroad messages found in quilts by sharing Quilt Codes of the Underground Railroad

1. Greet students upon entry to the classroom and welcome them to Social Studies. 
2. In their Social Studies notebook, ask students to write down their favorite song and list 3 reasons why they selected that song.
3. Provide time for students to share responses about their reasoning. Consider capturing answers on an anchor chart. Prompt students with possible reasons which might include:
• Song has been played at a significant event in their lives
• Song has been a part of their school or worship experience
• Song is a favorite of their parent or extended family member
• They relate to the words (lyrics)
• They relate to the music (melody, instrumentation)
• The song makes them happy
4. Tell students that music can have a powerful effect. Research shows that across cultures, music can bring about a series of emotions including joy, amusement, beauty, fear, relaxation or feeling energized.

• Consider playing an audio only clip to illustrate how music can be energizing and uplifting. Suggestions include:  Floor Performance | 2022 HBCU Culture Battle of The Bands | Alabama State University(starting at 5min mark) Vivaldi, The Four Seasons, Spring (La Primavera), 1st movement 

ELL

• Provide visual aids to illustrate emotions conjured by music.

1. Display today’s supporting question, “How did music unite and uplift the Civil Rights Movement?”

1. Ask students to share what it means to unite people.
2. Ask students to name songs that unite Americans. Possible answers include:
• “Star-Spangled Banner”
• “God Bless America”
• “This Land is Your Land”
3. Ask students to share what it means to uplift people.
4. Ask students to name songs that might uplift people. Possible answers include:
• “Ain't No Mountain High Enough” by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
• “Lose Yourself” by Eminem
• “I'm Still Standing” by Elton John
• “Survivor” by Destiny's Child
• “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys

1. Share The Civil Rights Movement video to provide a very brief explanation of the Civil Rights Movement.
2. Lead a brief discussion to define the Civil Rights Movement in order to provide context for the next activity.
3. Share MLK songs quote and ask students to interpret Dr. Martin Luther King’s view on music and the movement.

• Breakdown lesson vocabulary, as needed.
• Ask a student to rephrase the quote, as needed.

ELL

• Explore subtitle options to change language when viewing video through YouTube.
• Translate the quote to language(s) needed.

UDL

• The Songs of Freedom Analyzer may be presented as an electronic copy or hard copy depending on students’ needs and preferences.
• Teacher may wish to model how to conduct the primary source investigation with one of the three songs.
• Utilize closed captioning when viewing videos or access the Show Transcript feature (when viewing through YouTube platform), if needed. 
• Consider allowing students to utilize a speak-to-type feature to record their answers on the graphic organizer.
• Utilize a text reader function, when needed.

ELL

• Explore subtitle options to change language when viewing videos through YouTube.

1. Congratulate the young scholars on conducting today’s investigation.
2.  Revisit today’s supporting question, “How did music unite and uplift the Civil Rights Movement?”
3. Students will now use the Score the Song assessment tool to rate each song on its ability to unite and uplift the Civil Rights Movement.
4. Students should refer to their three completed Songs of Freedom Analyzer to guide their rating and nomination process.
5. Conduct a class discussion about how students evaluated each song. Prompt students to share their reasoning for which song they nominated.

Extension

• Students may explore other songs from the Civil Rights Movement to evaluate their ability to uplift and unite the movement such as:
• “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”
• “Oh Freedom”
• “We Shall Not Be Moved”

1. Greet students upon entry to the classroom and welcome them to Social Studies. 
2. Lead a brief discussion to review the elements that were present in the Civil Rights protest songs from the previous day’s lesson. Examples might include: 
• call to unite people
• uplifting lyrics or melody
• messages about the movement
• list of desired changes or outcomes
3. Provide students access to the lyrics BLACK EYED PEAS - WHERE IS THE LOVE? LYRICS and play the song 

The Black Eyed Peas - Where Is The Love? (Official Music Video).

1. As students explore the song, ask them to listen for words and phrases that illustrate the song’s message.
2. Ask students to list words/phrases that could relate to a protest movement. Themes present in the song include:
• Racism
• War
• Pollution
• Unity
• Love
3.  Ask students to make a prediction about the type of movement this song represents.
4. After discussing possible predictions, reveal to students that the songwriters were inspired by the tragic events of 9/11 in 2001 and the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003. Additionally, the songwriters reference racial injustice in the U.S. and the need for unity and religious tolerance in post-9/11 America.

• Consider playing audio only on the first occasion, then share lyrics with students for the second round.
• Teacher should model how to annotate the song lyrics, as needed. Consider a color coding system (Ex: Positive messages in green and negative messages in red).
• Display the list of topics for students to annotate.
• Provide historical context for the events of 9/11, as needed.

ELL

• Explore subtitle options to change language when viewing video through YouTube.
• Spanish translations have been provided for the song lyrics.
• Provide lesson vocabulary translated in native language of student(s).

1. Display today’s supporting question, “How does music continue to influence protest movements?”
2. Ask students to provide examples of how music might still impact movements today.
3. Lead a brief discussion about protest movements and review lesson vocabulary, as needed. Possible discussion questions include:
• Why might people protest?
• What might people protest?
• How might people protest?

1. Display the First Amendment and ask for a volunteer to read aloud.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

1. Ask students to explain the right to assemble.
2. Share The Right to Peaceably Assemble video to better explain this important freedom of expression.
3. Ask students how this right is exercised by protestors of various movements. Possible examples include: March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom, Women’s March, March for Science, or March for our Lives.
4. Help students to draw the connection between the freedom of speech in protest songs and the freedom to assemble for protest movements.
5. Possible examples include: March on Washington for Jobs & Freedom, Women’s March, March for Science, or March for our Lives.
6. Help students to draw the connection between the freedom of speech in protest songs and the freedom to assemble for protest movements.

UDL

• Ask a student to rephrase the 5 freedoms.
• Allow sufficient wait time for students to formulate a response.
• Consider allowing students think-pair-share time to formulate answers.

UDL

• The Fight the Power graphic organizer may be presented as an electronic copy or hard copy depending on students’ needs and preferences.
• Teacher may wish to model how to conduct the primary source investigation with one of the protest movements.
• Utilize closed captioning when viewing videos or access the Show Transcript feature (when viewing through YouTube platform), if needed. 
• Consider allowing students to utilize a speak-to-type feature to record their answers on the graphic organizer.
• Utilize a text reader function, when needed.

ELL

• Explore subtitle options to change language when viewing videos through YouTube.

Extension

• Students can investigate additional protest movements featured in slide deck to compare and contrast the protest movement songs.

1. Congratulate the young scholars on conducting today’s investigation.
2. Revisit today’s supporting question, “How does music continue to influence protest movements?”
3. Students will collaborate to create their own protest song.
4. Ask students to select a protest movement to be the subject of their song.
5. Encourage students to consider the following elements as they craft their song:

• Call to unite
• Uplifting message and/or melody
• Ability to establish mood and message
• Powerful words to create images for the listener
• Lyrics that state desired changes or outcomes of movement

1. Consider holding a showcase or poetry reading allowing students to share their creations.

UDL

• The Fight the Power graphic organizer may be presented as an electronic copy or hard copy depending on students’ needs and preferences.
• Teacher may wish to model how to conduct the primary source investigation with one of the protest movements.
• Utilize closed captioning when viewing videos or access the Show Transcript feature (when viewing through YouTube platform), if needed. 
• Consider allowing students to utilize a speak-to-type feature to record their answers on the graphic organizer.
• Utilize a text reader function, when needed.

ELL

• Explore subtitle options to change language when viewing videos through YouTube.

Extension

• Students can investigate additional protest movements featured in slide deck to compare and contrast the protest movement songs.

1. Congratulate the young scholars on conducting this inquiry investigation.
2. Ask students, “Can music make the movement?”
3. Lead a brief discussion about the question asking the prompting questions:

• Could the movement survive without the music?
• Did the music make the movement more successful?
• How does music impact a movement?
• To answer the compelling question, students will record an audio podcast response which will include their claim (answer to the compelling question) supported by evidence of at least 3 examples gathered from their investigations. 
• Consider utilizing the Inquiry Reflection Tool as a means of student self-reflection.

UDL

• Alternatively, students could submit written, video or illustrated responses for the summative assessment.
• Consider allowing students to utilize a speak-to-type feature to record their answers if needed.

Extension

• Students could create a multimedia presentation to answer the compelling question incorporating primary source evidence collected during their investigations