History of Social Justice Movements & Protest Music | Comprehensive Unit

Studying the protest music of the past or present can be a powerful and engaging teaching tool for students, whether the goal is to better understand a historical time period, analyze the power of lyrics and poetry, understand forces of social change, or respond to current issues. This resource includes an editable Curriculum Map, multiple Google Slides presentations on The History of Protest Music and Social Justice Movements, and student assignments. 

Essential Questions (or Guiding Questions) that facilitate this unit include:

• What is protest music?
• In what way(s) does music hold the power to influence social change? 
• What is the historical context in which protest songs are written and performed?
• What impact does protest music have on social movements? 
• What makes a protest song (or music) effective?

The curriculum covers a range of topics, including the history of protest music across eras, genres, and the ways in which music has been used to express and advocate for social justice issues. The curriculum is organized thematically, with each unit focusing on a specific topic and including a variety of multimedia resources, including video and audio recordings. The resource is designed for high school students and includes worksheets, handouts, and student assignments that can be used to guide classroom instruction or independent study. It includes a range of assessment tools, including individual and small group assignments, and creative larger projects to ensure that students are engaged and learning.

What's included?

• 0 - History of Protest Music & Social Justice Movements - Unit Map & Overview
• 0.1 - History of Protest Music & Social Justice Movements - PLAYLIST
• 1 - Introduction to the History of Protest Music & Social Justice Movements
• 1.1 - Introduction to the History of Protest Music & Social Justice Movements - ASSIGNMENT
• 2 - The Labor Movement
• 2.1 - The Labor Movement - Song Analysis - ASSIGNMENT
• 3 - The Civil Rights Movement
• 3.1 - The Civil Rights Movement - ASSIGNMENT
• 3.2 - Netflix's Remastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke
• 4 - The Anti-War Movement
• 4.1 - The Anti-War Movement - ASSIGNMENT
• 5 - Political Leaders & Policy
• 5.1 - Childish Gambino's This Is America Music Video Analysis & Viewing Guide - ASSIGNMENT
• 5.2 - Political Leaders & Policy - ASSIGNMENT
• 6 - The Women's Rights Movement
• 6.1 - The Women's Rights Movement - ASSIGNMENT
• 7 - The #BlackLivesMatter Movement
• 7.1 - The #BlackLivesMatter Movement - ASSIGNMENT
• 8 - Thematic Playlist Assignment - ASSIGNMENT

Whether you're a social studies teacher looking to incorporate music into your curriculum, or a music teacher looking to explore the cultural and historical contexts of protest music, this curriculum has everything you need to bring the rich history of social justice music to life in your classroom.

SIMILAR RESOURCES

History of ROCK & ROLL Music - Curriculum Map, Handouts, Worksheets, etc.

PBS's Soundbreaking - Ep. 1: The Art of Recording Movie Guide | Guided Questions

PBS's Soundbreaking - Ep. 2: Painting with Sound Movie Guide | Guided Questions

BandLab | Digital Audio Workstation (DAW), 10-Week Project Outline & Assignments

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