Unit Lesson

In order to implement the use of music into my English classroom, I would develop a unit on music and poetry. Teaching pop music/ culture would be taught in a unit intertwined with poetry. I think it would be easier to justify the use of music in my classroom if it is taught with the state’s standards on poetry. Students can learn about figurative language, structure of poems in relation to lyrics of a song, theme and idea development in writing, descriptive writing, and the comparison of Standard English to other dialects. These lessons will be used to help students to develop the skills they will need for their major end of the unit project.

The end of the unit project will consist of an activity that looks at the social and political aspects of Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life” in comparison to the hard knock life that is described in Disney’s Annie. This idea was developed after reading an article, http://popmatters.com/chapter/04Autumn/coberlake.html that I found in a Google search on hip-hop. Lake argues that Jay-Z is possibly making a mockery of orphan Annie with his authentic depiction of the real hard knock life.

Lesson 1: Using Music to teach Poetry Structure

For lesson 1 of the unit, students will focus on understanding that poetry and music are closely connected in ways they are structured. Students will compare/contrast the poem, “I, Too Sing America” by Langston Hughes in relation to the lyrics of 50 Cent’s “I get Money”. A copy of the poem and a copy of lyrics of the sing can be juxtaposed and projected on the big screen for students to view. Students’ attention should be directed at getting the students to identify beginning and stopping points in the poem (stanzas and lines). Students should number all stanzas and lines in each text and hence understand that poetry and music have a very similar layout in their physical appearance. Both pieces of work are literature and differ in the way they are recited.
Poem can be retrieved at: http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/langston_hughes/poems/16945
Lyrics can be retrieved at: http://lyrics.rapbasement.com/?id=1521&sec=listing


Lesson 2: Using Poetry and Music to Study Figurative Language

Lesson 2 of the unit will consist of a focus on figurative language, which can include any poem of lyrics that are examples of this type of writing. For this lesson, the focus will be on similes and metaphors. The teacher will begin the lesson by asking if there is anyone who knows the meaning of the words simile and metaphor. The teacher will allow students to answer and then provide students with a definition of each. The teacher will display the poem, “Willow and the Ginkgo” on the overhead projector and read the poem aloud to students. Students will identify similes and metaphors and the objects they are comparing in the poem. Students will use the list of compiled similes and metaphors as a future reference for these types of figurative language.
“Willow and the Ginkgo” poem can be found at http://www.xs4all.nl/~kwanten/merriam.htm.


Lesson 3: Using Poetry/ Music to understand Theme Development, Idea Development, and Perspective Development

Lesson 3 will emphasize the importance of understanding that poems and songs are composed of a main idea or theme that the writer/singer wants to conveyed in their message. The poem, “I, Too Sing American and 50 Cent’s “I get Money” can be reused in this lesson as a model for the activity. The teacher should also select lyrics of 5 new songs and 5 new poems for students to use in their self-facilitated activity. Teacher should assign songs/poems to pairs of students. (Note: You may choose more songs and poems if your class size is bigger.) Each group of students will analyze their poem to and jot down the main idea/theme/perspectives of their poem. Students will be asked to choose the role of the inner voice and one student will choose the role of the outer voice. The student that is the outer voice will recite the words of the text, and the student that is the inner voice will express what the character is thinking and not saying. Inner voice student should focus on conveying the main idea, theme, and perspective of the writer. Students can perform this activity in class in the reader’s theater area for their peers.

End of Unit Group Project: Jay-Z’s and Annie’s Hard Knock Life

Day 1: Provide students with background information about the movie. Students should view Disney’s Annie in class and be asked to take notes. Notes should include likes, dislikes, questions, criticism, objective and subjective perspectives etc.

Day 2: Students should view Jay-Z’s video, “Hard Knock Life” twice during the class. The first viewing should consist of students only listening to the music and viewing the video. The second viewing should consist of students taking critical notes and observations on the video/song.

Days 3, 4, and 5, 6, 7: Teacher and students will discuss the social and political aspects of both texts. Teacher can encourage student thinking with the following questions: What message are the two texts conveying to the audience? Are the texts contradictory to one another? What social and political messages are prevalent in these texts? How does this information configure into a definition of the hard knock life? Students should be assigned to groups of 4 in which they work together to complete their final assignment. Students will create a song/poem (500 words in length) to respond to Jay-Z’s and Annie’s position on the hard knock life. Students will be expected to incorporate all of the previously learned skills earlier in the unit into their writing (skills from lessons 1-3). Students will also be to use some type of creativity visual or sync a beat with poem/song to present in addition to their writing. Possible ideas: create a video, record their response in the form of a song, or produce a piece of art to represent their response.

2008 BET Awards Review

The 2008 BET Awards show was an exhilarating show that featured several famous R&B and hip-hop artists. The show consisted of the newest trends including platinum chains, stylish clothes, crazy awards, and unforgettable thank you speeches.

The show’s opening performance was graced with R&B star Usher’s latest hit, “Love in the Club”. There was much hype about this well awaited performance, but there was some displeasure with the lack of enthusiasm that was delivered in this opening act. After all, viewers finally figured out the Usher lip sung his way through the performance. Wow, so much for this big event that showed that Usher may have to take the veteran seat due to his newer and stronger competitors.

Alicia Keys proved that she had a stronger more authentic performance with the execution of her beloved song “Teenage Love Affair”. Keys entertained the audience and viewers with a rather unusual performance that is not usually given by her. A key managed not to get glued at the piano and was able to show off her new choreographed dance moves. Along with incorporating dance moves, Keys added the performances of female artists En Vogue, TLC, and SWV to her act. With this performance, Keys proved that not only that she is a beautiful songstress, but a versatile one too. Later in the show, Keys took home the award for best female R&B artist which included thought provoking words for the beginning of her acceptance speech. The speech began by Keys saying “yall, everybody wants to be like us”. Is Keys statement relevant or is it somewhat self consumed? Would this explain why hip-hop and the once forbidden R&B music is consumed more and more abundantly by mainstream audiences?

Comedians DL Hughley and Niecy Nash entertained the audience with their spontaneous comical outbursts. Hughley served as the show’s host who made jokes about politics and artists. Nash shocked the audience when she came out on stage with her pretend adopted white kids to promote that black entertainers participate in adopting children. Nash rationale behind adoption was that Angelina Jolie and others were adopting black youth so why should black entertainers not adopt white youth. The message was conveyed in a comical and awkward manner, but contained an authentic message about an issue that is lurking in the black community. So, what does hip-hop culture/music and adoption have to do with one another? Well, if this music is consumed and enjoyed by so many why are more artists and entertainers doing a better job of discussing the problematic issues at hand. R&B and hip-hop are consumed by enough Blacks and other ethnic groups of people for the topic not to cause looks of awe when mentioned. Although Nash was amusingly promoting that black entertainers adopt white children, she wanted black entertainers to take the issue seriously. The black community is wealthy enough to take care of their community and should not wait on the initiative of white entertainers to address the issue. Look people, it’s time to use our gifts to invest back into the community and not in the rim shop.

On a softer note, Ne-Yo gave an outstanding performance with his new hit song, “Closer”, that is on his newest album “Year of the Gentleman”. On this new album, Ne-Yo veers off into a land that adds variety to his songwriting and performances while presenting him at his best with his new gentleman only appearance. Performance of the song “Closer” during the BET Awards show exemplified the fluidity in Ne-Yo’s new music style. The master of songwriting himself has bridged R&B and European pop together for a hit and new money maker. The concept that Ne-Yo has adopted for his new album shows how music evolves from other types of music. It represents the fluidity in music listeners and their identities. So often, people assume that certain people listen to certain kinds of music, and if they don’t consume a particular type they seem to be misplaced. Good job Ne-Yo, its official good music is good music and everyone has the right to choose what they want to listen to on their iPod.

The BET Awards show was an unforgettable night for any and all consumers of R&B and hip-hop music. All participants in the audience including the sophisticated Deborah Lee, owner of BET, had to sway her head and tap her feet to the rhythm of the ballads and even Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop”. The music consumption took its entertainers to a place of relaxation and reminded us all of what it felt like to be in love with good music.

American Idol

Honestly, I don’t have any personal connection or feelings about American Idol. I remember being a viewer of the show when it first began, but gradually started to lose interest in it. The last guy I remember watching win on the show was the old guy or maybe not, but the one with the gray in his hair. Now, I don’t have a clue which season this guy won but it was when I realized I had enough. After the old guy, Taylor Hicks, the show seemed to be a joke. I thought this guy was like the age 40 or maybe he was 35 since that is the average age of American Idol viewers. I think my initial thoughts were that this guy is too old to win and then I began to lose interest. The aspect of the show the show led me to think about how pop culture is different among age groups.

Music that may be pop culture for my peers and me is not pop culture in general. Many of the songs that contestants sing are songs that were popular during the eras of the 35 year-old viewers who watch American Idol. With the assistance of American Idol these songs are being popularized again and therefore target older audiences and led to my disgust with the show after Taylor Hicks.

During my short lived indulgence of the show, I noticed how the judges would mold the contestants into what they thought made an American idol. Contestants would be ridiculed if they didn’t have a certain appearance or didn’t sing a song a certain way. The contestants would alter hairstyles, change style of clothing and melodies of songs to satisfy Simon, Paula, Randy, and America. What is the cost to be an American idol? How much of the contestants’ identities are negotiable? By the time the contestants finish conforming to the expectations of the judges, t there is not much authenticity left in what Americans viewers consume from the show. Runner-up Clay Aiken recently stuck it to American Idol when he grew out his locks. It seems as if this is his way of saying I am breaking my ties with you. I don’t need to be accepted by you. Frenchie Davis can back during the season of Antonella Barbra to challenge what Idol had decided as her fate when it was discovered she posed in nude pictures. Davis demanded that Idol punish Barbra in the same way they had punished her for nude pictures. Although Davis went back to stick it to American Idol, they did not comply with her demands but were made aware of the injustices they were doing to contestants. Finally, Jennifer Hudson stuck it to Simon when proved she was not out her league with her brand new Oscar award.

It seemed to me that the American Idol’s judges are the ones who need to be taught appropriate etiquette. The show is like watching a comedy show with some of the idiotic performances performed by the judges themselves. There is Paula who continues to show up to work drunk. Somebody needs to call Alcoholic Anonymous so she can give the rehab thing a try again. Paula might also want to reread the Idol’s work handbook about ethics in the workplace. Paula, it is unethical to date people who you work with- a conflict of interest. I wish Randy Jackson would stop using the word “YO” because it makes him sound stupid. Who told him that word makes him cool? He should really update his slang vocabulary. Lastly, there is Simon who must suffer from low-self esteem because he hardly ever has a positive word to say to the contestants. I can’t believe these are the people who are influencing and shaping pop culture/music and forming American identities. Viewers of American Idol should be hesitant and critical about whom they allow in their home to shape the American image.

How would American Idol be used as a lesson in the classroom? I would allow students to create their own version of American Idol with using their ideas about pop culture. They would choose a target audience and the kind of ideas they want to represent American culture. One group of students would be assigned to be judges and participants on the show that reflect what pop culture/music means to them. Another group would be assigned to roles of journalists and critics who would discuss the good vs. bad components of their idea of American Idol. The objective of this activity would be to encourage students to think about the ideas they consume from television and what it means for the identities they are forming for themselves.

Hip-Hop

After reading the provided articles on hip-hop, I realized how far hip-hop music/culture has expanded all over the world. I was aware that mainstream society was embarking on this forbidden journey, but somehow missed the memo that it had become so popularized outside of its traditional audiences. I think it’s awesome that people’s tastes for music are becoming more fluid and not fixed on one specific genre of music.

I was really intrigued by the flocabulary.com website. I thought it was awesome how these graduate students took hip-hop music and connected it to the subject areas taught in school. Students can learn social studies, literature and study for the SAT using the flocabulary music and other teaching resources. This idea will connect with students who don’t learn using the traditional methods of teaching. It allows teachers to be responsive to students from culturally diverse backgrounds while also providing a stress free environment for them. In order to incorporate this form of teaching in the classroom, teachers will need the support of their school administrators. Will administrators be accepting of hip-hop music entering the classroom and doing the teaching? Will they understand that hip-hop (many students’ identities) is the missing component needed to improve student learning? Embracing students’ differences and lives outside of school will change how students view academic institutions and hence motivate them to become lifelong learners.

I would like to bring music in my classroom to teach various concepts of literacy. Since the elements of poetry are listed as a part of the state’ standards, lyrics of music could be used to analyze these components. Students can learn about figurative language, structure of poems in relation to lyrics of a song, theme and idea development in writing, descriptive writing, or the comparison of Standard English and other dialects.

I was reading the article, http://popmatters.com/chapter/04Autumn/coberlake.html that I found in a Google search on hip-hop. This article prompted me to think about the song “Hard Knock Life” by Jay-Z that is discussed in great detail in the article. I think Lake’s discussion on Annie and Jay-Z would make a great lesson for teaching students about hip-hop culture/music. In this article, Lake argues that Jay-Z may be making a mockery of orphan Annie with his authentic depiction of the real hard knock life. I would have my students to view the movie Annie and listen and view Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life for critique. What message are the two texts conveying to the audience? Are the texts contradictory to one another? What social and political messages are prevalent in these texts? How does this information configure into a definition of the hard knock life? Students can construct their answers in an essay or song using any prior texts or personal knowledge.

I am truly excited about incorporating music into my teaching and bringing students’ personal worlds into the classroom. I feel like by inserting personal components of students’ lives into learning it will make learning relevant and beneficial to students. It is essential that teachers don’t forget their audience and the meaningful aspects to their lives. After all, what good is teaching and learning in vain?