Overview
The lessons in this collection encourage the development of social and emotional skills, including self-awareness and self-reflection, healthy decision making, self-care, navigating intense emotions, and cultivating good citizenship. By listening to the work of artists such as Beyoncé, Alessia Cara, the Grateful Dead, Charlie Puth and Whiz Khalifa, Tori Kelly, Chance the Rapper, Alan Jackson, and the Black Eyed Peas, students are inspired to discuss the role of community in personal development, the value of community service, the pitfalls of fame, how to navigate issues of identity, disability, new experiences, peer pressure, leadership, teamwork, grief, addiction, mourning, and coping with loss.
Lessons
lesson:
“Here”: Managing Peer Pressure and Anxiety
In what ways does Alessia Cara’s “Here” defy popular music conventions, and what does the song say about peer pressure in youth culture?
lesson:
Fame and Judgement in “Funny”
How might Tori Kelly’s song “Funny” speak to the potential pitfalls of “superstardom,” and how does it relate to past songs written about the subject?
lesson:
Everyday Heroes: Beyoncé and United Nations World Humanitarian Day
How might Beyoncé's song “I Was Here” inspire people to serve their community and make a positive impact on the world?
lesson:
Negotiating Native Identity through Art, Poetry and Music
How have Native American musicians, poets, and visual artists negotiated their identity, and what role does physical space play in these negotiations?
lesson:
“See You Again”: How We Mourn with Music
How does music help us remember people we are close to, or those we have lost?
lesson:
Celebrating Community with Art and Poetry (Elementary School Version)
What different types of communities exist, and how do the people in our communities impact us?
lesson:
The Leadership Skills of a Music Producer
How do successful music producers practice positive leadership skills?
lesson:
9/11: Country Music Responds
How did Country musicians’ responses to the September 11th terrorist attacks speak to the feelings of some Americans after the tragedy?
lesson:
Muddy Waters, the New Kid in Town
How did Muddy Waters’ music change after he moved to Chicago, and what does that say about the relationship between place and self-expression?
lesson:
The Teamwork Behind the Beatles (Elementary Version)
How did the input of manager Brian Epstein and record producer George Martin help The Beatles develop and refine skills that aided the band in presenting their music and personalities to a mass audience?
lesson:
Jerry Garcia, Addiction, and Intervention
How can you help someone struggling with addiction?
lesson:
Feeling the Vibrations
How did the Grateful Dead make their concerts more accessible to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) community?
lesson:
Art, Music, and the AIDS Epidemic
How did the LGTBQ+ community creatively respond to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s and 1990s, and protest government inaction in addressing the epidemic?