Civil Rights Movement - Inspired Elementary Music Lesson

 

 

The Civil Rights Movement is an important and potentially empowering topic to embrace with a bilingual group of elementary school musicians.  Here is a lesson that can be taught any time of year but is a favorite of mine to teach the first week back from Winter Break.  This lesson does not require a musical background to share with a class.

Elementary Music Lesson Plan - 45-60 minutes

 

Materials:

1. (Optional) ukulele or other instrument to accompany songs 
   
2. Copy of Change Sings book
3. Bluetooth speaker and/or projector
4. If no projector: lyrics poster of "Sing About Martin" and "Nosotros venceremos"

Class Greeting 

A class greeting with an instrument helps establish music time.  Sing "Time for music" with a doorbell "ding-dong sol mi" melody. Sing it again, this time clap the syllabic rhythm of your words.  Ask students to be your echo and do it once or twice more.

Change Sings

 

Introduce Change Sings as a story about a group of kids just like them that has to do with music.  Whether you share the physical book (which is also available in Spanish, see image above) or use a read aloud video, take the time to talk about what is happening in each of the beautiful illustrations in the story, especially the Dr. King mural, the image of the kids playing for the elder (you can bring joy to people you love just by sharing music!), and the illustration of the whole band to discuss the musical instruments.

Sing About Martin

 

"Sing About Martin" is an echo song that is easy to learn and then incorporate sign language elements into.  You can sing the song a capella to teach it or use a video.  Once students have a hang of the melody / lyrics, you can take some time to teach the accompanying sign language signs.  Starting on the second day you go over this song, you can begin inviting students to be the first echo of each phrase while performing the gestures for the rest of the class to follow / echo.

 

We Shall Overcome

"We Shall Overcome" is a song I learned in Kindergarten before I had a grasp of the English Language.  But I can recall feeling like I understood Dr. King's dream and the song became one of my all-time favorites ever since, and this was long before I heard about a version in Spanish or the song's connection to the Civil Rights Movement.  Below is a Spanish / English sing along version I recorded with my brother Vid.

Students love singing this song, and K-2nd love singing this song while waving colorful scarves.  I usually teach "We Shall Overcome" in January and introduce "Nosotros Venceremos" in March.

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Did you try some or all of this lesson plan?  Let us know how it went!

3rd-5th Grade Bilingual Music Lesson Plan

 

I love having the opportunity to work with bilingual students. The lesson plan below contains activities and songs that are ideal for a bilingual group of young musicians grades 3-5.

3rd-5th Grade Bilingual Music Lesson Plan - 45-60 minutes

 

Materials:

1. Optional (ukulele or other instrument to accompany songs)
   
2. Optional (a vihuela or guitar)
3. Copy of Finding the Music book
4. Bluetooth speaker and/or projector
5. If no projector: lyrics poster of "Cielito Lindo."
   

Class Greeting 

A class greeting with an instrument helps establish music time.  Sing "Time for music" with a doorbell "ding-dong sol mi" melody. Now use the same melody to have them echo a greeting in Spanish such as "bue-nos di-as."  Ask what language that is, then show a map like the one below with countries that speak Spanish. 

 

Allow students to share if their family has ever lived or lives in one of these places.  Explain that when Spain colonized these lands, there were already rich musical traditions in all these places, and new types of music formed when the Spanish brought their guitars and the Spanish language.  One of these musics born from this combination is Mariachi music, which was born in Mexico but is popular in all these countries and many others around the world (there's even Mariachi bands in Japan!)

 

Play the following short video introducing mariachi music and instruments.  The video includes a quiz which students will want to take. 

 

 

 

Ask them to say the names of the instruments in English and Spanish.  Have any of you ever seen a mariachi perform?  Let's take turns sharing if we have.  Hopefully from this discussion it is mentioned that mariachis play an important part in all the important life events of people who love this music: births, birthdays, mother's day, graduations, weddings, even funerals.

Finding the Music: Share the book Finding the Music with the class and try to use big motions and add "sound effects" as you read to keep students' attention.  This book is in both languages, so you may choose to read it in either language.

 

Sing along song: "Cielito lindo" is mentioned in the story, so students will be interested in learning to sing it and share it with their family members who might know it.  Ask students to help you translate the lyrics and go over pronounciation to make sure everyone is comfortable singing.  You can also opt to only teach the chorus and have students accompany you with percussion / body percussion (pat, clap clap) during the verses to reinforce the waltz rhythm.

If there is extra time, you can share your favorite mariachi song and ask if students can identify the instruments and steady beat.  Here is one example:

 

 Goodbye Song: Go over the instruments of Mariachi music and the song once more before dismissing students.  Remind them to ask their family members if they know "Cielito lindo."

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Did you try some or all of this lesson plan?  Let us know how it went!