Steven
Biko & Nelson Mandela
Political Music Lesson
Plan
Music is
a powerful way to make a point. It is often easier to understand
a political
situation when it has been made into a song. Music is also proven
to be a highly effective tool for aiding retention in students, and
is a great way to incorporate something fun and interesting into
a lesson. Since national standards address Nelson Mandela and
the concept of apartheid, “Biko” by Peter Gabriel and “Freedom
Now” by
Tracy Chapman are
appropriate songs to be used as teaching tools. This is a perfect way
to bring music into the
social studies classroom.
Outcomes:
Political Systems:
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the oppressive system of
apartheid. They will also understand the significance of Mandela’s
freedom from prison.
Skills and Processes:
Students will demonstrate the ability- individually and as part of
a group- to use music to
understand a concept and to convey a concept by using music.
Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- Answer a stem question
comparing two political songs
- Explain how music is used to convey a political message
Materials:
Key
Terms for the overhead
Warm Up (5
minutes)
Why would someone write a song about someone in the news?
Direct Instruction (10
minutes)
Inform students that they will be reading a news
article with some difficult words. The terms for the
overhead will define
those words.
- Amnesty- forgiveness from
the law
- Interrogator- policemen
who asks questions of a suspect, usually intimidating
- Testimony- the story someone
gives the police or a judge
- Martyr- someone who
dies for a cause
Pre-Reading Question (5 minutes)
“Does
anyone know someone who was a victim of
police brutality?”
“Who has heard of Rodney King?”
Whole Group Activity (10 minutes)
As a class, students will read “Steven
Biko:
Martyr of the Anti-Apartheid Movement.”
Listening
Activity (5 minutes)
Pass out the lyrics
to "Biko", by Peter Gabriel.
Begin
playing the song.
Small Group
Activity (10
minutes)
Students will answer essay questions with a
partner. Teacher will put the following stem
questions on the overhead:
- Developing Interpretation
- “If you were to
tell a friend what this song is about, what would you say and why? Use
examples from the text to support your answer.”
- “Based on the words of the song, how did Gabriel feel about Biko’s
death? Give at lease
two examples to support your answer.”
Listening Activity (5 minutes)
Teacher will pass out lyrics to “Freedom
Now” and
play the song.
Individual Work (15
minutes)
Students will answer the following stem
questions alone:
- Developing Interpretation
- “Who is this song
about? Use examples from the song and/or your prior knowledge to
support your answer”
- Critical Stance
- “What words or phrases does the author use that influence the listener’s
opinion of the
subject? Use examples from the song to support your answer.”
- “Which do you think
is more effective for communicating a message about a political
figure, a song or a newspaper article? Give examples from the text and/or
your own life
to support your answer.”
Reteaching/Questions
for Discussion
“What
are the similarities between the two
songs we listened to today?”
“What are the differences?”
“Why
does Gabriel mean when
he says, ‘You can blow out a candle but you can’t blow out a fire?’"
Closure (5 minutes)
“Why did I present today’s
lesson this way?”
Homework
Write a song/poem/rap about somebody in the news today or someone we have
studied in
this class. Students will get the opportunity to present their work to the class
who will then write down their reactions.
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