lesson plans
A CULTURAL fire
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CONTENT
Materials:
* Ladysmith Black
Mambazo DVD
* We Didn’t Start the
Fire track
* Audio/DVD player
* Computer, LCD
projector, internet
* paper/pencils
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Extensions:
Create a music video
of their updated
version to show
music and culture’s
collide.
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nt:
FINE ARTS
Music: Students can gain appreciation for how music
effects and is part of world culture.
1.) Students watch the DVD Ladysmith Black Mambazo “On Tip Toe”. Discuss
how this traditional Zulu music was influenced by the politics of apartheid in
South Africa.
2.) Then have students listen to “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. Explain
that this was written as a broad history lesson in the culture of America from the
40’s to the 80’s. Is there anything in the music that sounds like traveling through
time?
3.) Give students the lyrics to the Billy Joel song. In small groups, have them
research assigned segments of the piece to find out more about the history of that
section. Report back to the class.
4.) Ask students to interpret the meaning of the word “Fire”. Does it have a duel
meaning? If so, what is it? How would this song be a political statement based
on what they now know from their research.
* DVD recorder.
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Social Studies: Students can understand the
implications of culture on politics
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5.) Have students come back together and create a wordle of topics from the last
year that have affected American culture.
6.) Using the wordle, have each small group write a stanza of lyrics that would
address these items of cultural significance in a song.
7.) Combine the stanzas into an updated “We Didn’t Start the Fire” song.
Video Documentary:
Have students create a video documentary, similar to the Ladysmith DVD,
about their songwriting process and the significance of their music to the
culture of today. Give them a list of items they must address in their segments
and grade based on clarity, depth and following directions.