Protest Songs of the Vietnam Era

Learning Resource Type

Learning Activity

Subject Area

Arts Education
Social Studies

Grade(s)

6

Overview

In this activity, students will study the music of the 1960s to identify social, economic, and political conditions that affected the citizens of the United States during the Vietnam War. Students will ;explain how a piece of music can affect the social, cultural, or historical background of an era.&

This activity was created as a result of the Arts COS Resource Development Summit

Phase

During/Explore/Explain
Arts Education (2017) Grade(s): 6 - Music

AE17.MU.6.10

Identify how cultural and historical contexts inform performances.

UP:AE17.MU.6.10

Vocabulary

Rhythm
Melody
  • Pitch set: La- centered diatonic (minor)
  • Clef reading (diatonic)
  • Octave
  • Unison/ harmony
Harmony
  • Polyphonic
  • 2-part songs
  • 3-part songs
  • Descant
  • Bass clef
  • Accompaniment
Form
  • AB form
  • ABA form
  • Form
  • Canon
  • Composer
  • Composite forms
Expression
  • Tone Quality
  • Articulation
Other
  • Age-appropriate audience and performer etiquette
  • Age-appropriate pitch matching (G3-G5)
  • Historical periods

Essential Questions

EU: Analyzing creators' context and how they manipulate elements of music provides insight into their intent and informs performance.
EQ: How does understanding the structure and context of musical works inform performance?

Skills Examples

Performing
  • Play melodies on the recorder within an octave range, using a pleasing tone quality, both independently and collaboratively.
  • Demonstrate proper posture, hand position and embouchure for playing the recorder.
  • Demonstrate proper pitch control of notes in the lower register of the soprano recorder.
  • Play two-part and three-part recorder arrangements.
  • Perform a varied repertoire of music representing diverse cultures with appropriate dynamics and tempo.
  • Play a variety of classroom instruments, independently or collaboratively, with increasingly complex rhythms and melodic phrases.
  • Demonstrate a characteristic sound while singing unison or two-part songs.
  • Sing descants to produce harmony.
Creating
  • Demonstrate rhythmic augmentation and diminution in a familiar tune.
  • Improvise, compose and arrange music.
Reading/ Writing
  • Read, write, perform, and compose rhythm patterns and simple melodies in 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and 6/8.
Responding/ Evaluating
  • Identify members of the recorder family, including soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.
  • Identify the difference between duple and simple meter.
  • Identify irregular meters such as, 7/8 and 5/4.
  • Respond appropriately to the cues of a conductor.
  • Attend live performances and demonstrate appropriate audience etiquette.
  • Describe the characteristics used by the composer in a selected musical example to create a mood or effect.
  • Recognize I, IV, and V chords in the context of a piece of music.
  • Identify composite forms, such as, opera, oratorio, and musical theatre.
  • Identify polyphonic texture.

Anchor Standards

Anchor Standard 4: Select, analyze, and interpret artistic work for presentation.

Learning Objectives

  • The students will identify the impact of protest songs during the Vietnam Era.
  • The students will explain how the social, cultural, or historical background of the piece of music informs the performance of the piece. 

Activity Details

1. Show students the clip Anthem of the Counter-Culture from Ken Burns and Lynn Novick's The Vietnam War to introduce how music from the time period affected the culture of the 1960s.

2. Play Creedence Clearwater Revival's song Fortunate Son for the class. After listening to the song, lead the class in a discussion about what type of person the song is about and what group of people would have most likely identified with this song in the late 60s. Explain to the class that the song was originally written about how the sons of some politicians seemed to receive an exemption in a military draft and have the class discuss their opinions. 

3. Have the students use the digital resource to analyze the lyrics more closely and answer the following questions: 

  • When reading the lyrics of the song, do you see comparisons between the socioeconomic divisions of the 1960s and the socioeconomic divisions of today?
  • What would a "fortunate son" look like today?
  • Who do you imagine might write a song with connotations like these today?
  • Why is music such a powerful form of protest?

Assessment Strategies

Students will be assessed based on their answers to the following questions: 

  • When reading the lyrics of the song, do you see comparisons between the socioeconomic divisions of the 1960s and the socioeconomic divisions of today?
  • What would a "fortunate son" look like today?
  • Who do you imagine might write a song with connotations like these today?
  • Why is music such a powerful form of protest?

Background / Preparation

The teacher should be familiar with the Vietnam Era.

The teacher should make sure students have access to a computer and test the internet connection before the lesson to make sure students will be able to access the digital resource. 

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