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VH1
Legends: Aretha Franklin
Lessons for Middle-Level and High School General Music Classes
Cross Curricular Applications to History/Social Studies Curriculum
Covering the Civil Rights Movement
A Voice for the Times
Lesson 4 of 4
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Objectives
Students will:
- Students will identify popular music as a reflection of the culture
- Students will consider the effectiveness of music to communicate ideas
- Students will identify some songs made popular by Aretha Franklin
and make connections with events of the Civil Rights Movement in the
1960s
National Standards for Music Education
9--Understanding music in relation to history and culture
Materials
- VHS VCR Player
- Television
- VH1 Cable in the Classroom program VH1 Legends: Aretha Franklin
- Web-based lesson materials
- Paper and pencil
Procedures
1. Tell students they are going to view a videotape on the musical career
of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul. Briefly inform them that Franklin
was born in 1946 in Memphis, Tennessee and raised in Detroit by her
father, the Rev. C. L. Franklin of the New Bethel Baptist Church. During
her formative years, segregation was prevalent in the United States
with separate public schools for blacks and whites and, in the South,
restaurants, restrooms and water fountains labeled for “Whites
Only” or “Colored.” It was during the Civil Rights Movement
of the 1960s that Aretha Franklin rose to popularity as a rhythm and
blues, or soul, singer of immense following among all races.
2. Ask students to define the Civil Rights movement in the United States.
(Accept reasonable answers, but bring out the African American struggle
for personal liberties guaranteed to U.S. citizens by the 13th and 14th
Amendments. African Americans joined in nonviolent protest across the
country often led by leaders in the African American church.)
3. Have students take out a piece of paper and pencil. As students view
the video, have them write down mention in the program of the segregation,
discrimination, the Civil Rights movement, and ways that Aretha Franklin
and her musical talents gave voice to the African American experience.
4. Show program
5. Lead students in a discussion of some of Aretha Franklin’s experiences
of segregation, discrimination and the Civil Rights movement. Scenes
from the video include:
- exclusion from restaurants and hotels while traveling with her father’s
revival meetings--Aretha is quoted as saying “We never went hungry
except when we were on the road.”
- Martin Luther King, Jr., a family friend, visited the home frequently
- singing “Precious Lord, Take My Hand,” at King’s funeral
- the legendary falling out between Ted White, her first husband, and
Atlantic Records
- producer Jerry Wexler as Aretha recorded “I Never Loved a Man”
with studio musicians who were not African American but where playing
R&B music.
- Aretha’s trademark song “Respect,” quickly became a
clarion call expressing in which African Americans identified with
5. Ask students what positive roles they think African American musicians
played in the Civil Rights movement.
6. Ask students to name songs popular during this time that mirrored
what was going on in the culture. ( “We Shall Overcome,” James
Brown’s “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud,”
“Respect,” Dion’s “Abraham, Martin, and John,”
etc....)
7. Discuss with students why they think “Respect” was a song
that reflected the goals of the Civil Rights movement. You could also
open the idea to them that “Respect” gave a voice to the women’s
rights movement of the same era. While during this time female vocalists
often sang songs of heartbreak, the female singing “Respect”
was not heartbroken, she was speaking out for what she desired and deserved.
8. Discuss with students how Aretha Franklin responded to the assassination
of Martin Luther King in April, 1968 by singing at his funeral. (Later,
she also wrote and performed the song “Think”--a song that
discourages violent behavior and actions in favor of giving serious
thought to the consequences of one’s actions to society.)
9. Place students in groups of two or three. Ask them to imagine that
Aretha Franklin will be performing a concert celebrating Martin Luther
King Jr.’s birthday in your community. Have students write a short
report that includes:
- deciding what overall message will Aretha’s songs and presence
convey
- selecting four songs from her repertoire she will perform
- writing Aretha’s opening remarks for the concert and a short
verbal introduction for each of the songs
- choosing a musical group from your school to perform at the concert
and decide what musical selection will be performed (It doesn’t
have to be part of Franklin’s repertoire.)
10. In another class period, have students share their reports in the
class.
Extension:
Assign students to identify and interview musicians in the community,
reporting to the class their findings regarding the various musical
roles each fulfills within the community.
VH1, in partnership with Cable in the Classroom, collaborated
with
MENC: The National Association for Music Education to develop this
series of lessons.
National
Standards for Music Education
- Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
- Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied
repertoire of music.
- Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
- Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
- Reading and notating music.
- Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
- Evaluating music and music performances.
- Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and
disciplines outside the arts.
- Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
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