VH1 Music Studio Cable in the Classroom Lesson for Social Studies Grade Level: Secondary (7-12) And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip Hop - Part 2 Episode Title: "Bring the Noise" Lesson 1 - A Comparative Study of the Civil Rights Movement & the Grassroots Hip Hop Movement Note to Teachers: The multi-media resources used in conjunction with these lesson plans may include references to substance abuse, violent acts, illegal activities, and topics of a sexual and/or political nature. Some academic communities may consider the material inappropriate for educational use in the classroom, thus you are encouraged to review the resources before presenting them to your students. If necessary, consult with an administrator, send a letter/waiver to the parents/guardians, or choose the specific resources that will enhance your lesson and are acceptable for classroom use. Objectives: * Students will identify similarities between the civil rights movement and the grassroots hip hop movement in America * Students will draw upon historical knowledge of the social issues during the civil rights movement then compare and chronicle the struggles of hip hop in mainstream America in the present * Students will gain an understanding of the social impact hip hop made on American culture, which forced institutional change for the common good National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies Thematic Strands: * Culture * Time Continuity & Change * People, Places, and Environments * Individual Development and Identity * Individuals, Groups, and Institutions * Global Connections * Civic Ideals & Practices Materials: * VHS/VCR Player * Television * VH1's And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip Hop - Part 2 * Web-Based Lesson Materials * Writing Utensils (pencils/pens) * Notebooks/Paper * Internet Access * Overhead Projector, Screen, & Transparency Materials Procedures: 1. (a) On a transparency, write the focus question: "What struggles did the hip hop movement have to endure/overcome on its historical journey from mere "basement noise" to emerge as a genre of music recognized by mainstream America?" in the center. Seek prior knowledge from students through inquiry about the focus question, the topic, or even the subject of hip hop. *If you discover that many of the students are not familiar with the subject, visit the VH1 Hip Hop Internet Timeline (web address is in the Teacher's Toolbox) or show VH1's And You Don't Stop: 30 years of Hip Hop (Part 1). (b) Remind the students of the definition of a movement: a collective effort by a large number of people to try to achieve something, especially a political or social reform, such as the civil rights movement (courtesy of Encarta World English Dictionary) (c) Instruct the students to watch VH1's And You Don't Stop: 30 Years of Hip Hop (Part 2) program with a purpose, to answer the focus question and identify similarities between the civil rights movement and the hip hop movement in America (refer to the Comparison Chart handout). (d) If your students need to refresh their memory of the civil rights movement, prior to watching the VH1 program, refer to the resources listed in the Teacher's Toolbox. 2. Allot time for students to complete the Comparison Chart handout and select volunteers to share their responses with the class to prompt a whole group discussion. In addition to the information on the handout, guide the discussion to address the issues that each movement faced, the approaches used by each movement to address these issues, and the importance of utilizing your "VOICE" to represent the people in each collective group. The teacher should list the oral responses of the students on a transparency, so the students can record the information in their notebooks. The student handout and ideas generated from the discussion will be helpful for students when writing their comparative analysis at the end of this lesson. 3. (a) Assign the independent task of identifying a Campaigner for Civil Rights (1860 - 1980) with similar ideas, philosophies, or passion/determination to seek social change in America to a Campaigner for Hip Hop (1974 - 2004). Direct the students to www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/USAcivilrights.htm to read, research, and select a campaigner for civil rights. Then, ask the students to identify a campaigner for hip hop that is comparable to their civil rights campaigner. Students may refer to their notes, handout, the VH1 program, VH1 internet timeline, VH1's Hip Hop Honors website, etc. to identify a hip hop campaigner that was/is influential in the movement. (b) Students must record the similarities between the campaigners in paragraph format. The paragraph should consist of specific examples and commentary. Upon completion of this task, the teacher will assign each student a partner to swap paragraphs to read and discuss/share their perspectives with a peer. 4. After collecting this data, doing research, and exploring different perspectives, bring the students back to the original focus question. Ask them to think about the civil rights movement and the struggles those individuals had to endure/overcome before they could be recognized as citizens, with guaranteed rights and privileges, by the majority of Americans. Compare that historical journey to the struggles hip hop had to endure/overcome to be recognized and validated by mainstream America. Mention the "doors" that had to be opened for hip hop to be accepted by the record industry, MTV, and finally mainstream America. Ask the students to record their ideas, thoughts, and opinions. Then, revise and edit their original response to the focus question to provide a FINAL DRAFT response to the focus question for evaluation by the teacher. 5. For high school students, the teacher should assign a comparative analysis. The teacher can refer to the format on "How to Write a Comparative Analysis" provided by Kerry Walk for the Writing Center at Harvard University by visiting the website: www.fas.harvard.edu/~wricntr/documents/CompAnalysis.html Extensions * Students may create a parallel timeline of the civil rights movement and the hip hop movement chronicling their struggles and accomplishments throughout their journey in America's history. * Students may compare the female struggle in the male dominated hip hop industry to women's suffrage and their struggle in a male dominated workforce. This lesson plan was created by Charity Jones, Secondary Educator, at Oak Park High School, Oak Park, Michigan. Hip Hop Comparative Chart Student Name ____________________________________________________________ Directions: After watching the VH1 program, respond to the post-viewing prompt. Write a response to the focus question. Then, identify 3-4 similarities between the historical journey & struggles of the Civil Rights Movement and the Hip Hop Movement. POST VIEWING PROMPT: Identify individuals that were/are active in the Hip Hop Movement. Identify how they contributed to the mainstream acceptance of hip hop culture. ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ FOCUS QUESTION: "What struggles did the Hip Hop Movement have to endure/overcome on its historical journey from mere "basement noise" to emerge as a genre of music recognized by mainstream America?" ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Civil Rights Movement Hip Hop Movement 1. 2. 3. 4.