1. Students responded in their notebooks to the following question:
What methods do we use to change what we believe is unjust in our world? Think big, small, corporate, individual. Consider, for instance, how people have changed society’s views on race. What have they done as individuals to make those changes?
2. List, Group, Label. Students then paired up with their partners to write all the different methods on different sticky notes. Then we grouped up with our section of the room to put the sticky notes into groups, which we labeled. Students shared these groups on the board. We then discussed what they could do as teenagers to make change. The point here is that we can send messages in many ways: with our clothes, our words, our money, our time. That leads us to the goal for class today: analyzing non-written messages in the world around us.
3. Activism at the Grammys. Students received Grammys and Black Lives Matter, a classwork assignment. Then we watched a few videos to go along with the handout:
- Prince says that Black Lives Matter.
- Beck wins Album of the Year and encourages Kanye to come up and speak, though Kanye stops himself. We discussed what message Kanye was sending about society, and what message Beck was sending about race.
- Pharrell invokes “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” in his recontextualization of “Happy”
- Beyoncé sings Martin Luther King, Jr.’s favorite gospel, “Take My Hand, Precious Lord”:
- John Legend and Common sing “Glory,” written for the film Selma
Extra information:
- Here are the list of nominees and winners.
- Here is an article on CNN that talks about some of our issues.
- Here is Mahalia Jackson, one of King’s favorite singers, whose character is featured in Selma, singing the song:
4. Students received homework to help them begin brainstorming what topic to write their speech on. Complete both sides: Activist Speech Brainstorming.
HW: Finish Activist Speech Brainstorming (W22)
Absentees: Download and complete Grammys and Black Lives Matter by viewing the links in #3. Turn it in when you return. Then, download Activist Speech Brainstorming and complete.
ALEXA GARVOILLE 