Overview
Looking to engage your students with the current music coming out of their headphones? This collection of lessons features contemporary Pop music as an entry point into a wide variety of topics. Use Beyoncé to introduce the United Nations and the transatlantic slave trade, or introduce traditional Latin rhythms through Luis Fonsi’s and Daddy Yankee’s hit “Despacito.” Discuss the origins of the #MeToo movement with Kesha, and review major events in 2017 with P!nk. Teach Greek mythology with Coldplay and the Chainsmokers, and explore issues of identity, peer pressure, stardom, and memory with Alessia Cara, Tori Kelly and The Black Eyed Pea’s Taboo, and Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa.
Lessons
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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?
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Rhythm as a Representation of People and Place
How does “the beat” of popular music reflect the histories of multiethnic populations and places?
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The Latin Rhythms of “Despacito”
What Latin American genres inspired Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s hit song “Despacito”?
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Private: “Praying” and the #MeToo Movement
In what ways might Kesha’s legal battle and her song “Praying” reflect larger issues present in the #MeToo movement?
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Who is “Us” in P!nk’s “What About Us”?
Who is the ‘us’ in P!nk’s song “What About Us?”
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Heroes and Mortals in “Something Just Like This”
Who are the gods and superheroes referenced in “Something Just Like This,” and what are the connections between them?
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“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?
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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?
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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?
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“See You Again”: How We Mourn with Music
How does music help us remember people we are close to, or those we have lost?