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 performed with my brother for a Cesar Chavez Day fundraising concert.

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!