Protest Songs Webquest

is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. Among social movements that have an associated body of songs are the abolition movement, women's suffrage, the labor movement, the human rights movement, civil rights, the anti-war movement and 1960s counterculture, the feminist movement, the sexual revolution, the gay rights movement, environmentalism etc."

"We shall overcome... We shall overcome... We shall overcome someday... Oh, deep in my heart I do believe that we shall overcome someday..."

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal.

I have a dream today!"

Even today, some basic human rights are being violated throughout the world. What was the situation in the United States 50 years ago? You and your partners are invited to search for information about the late 1950s and the 1960s:

What events were important in the fight against segregation in the U.S.? Who were the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement? What other events at the time stirred reactions of strong disagreement, controversy, and protest throughout the country? What role was played by singers and protest songs in those movements? You will be asked to process and transform the information you find, and, by playing roles, you will be asked to use your imagination and be creative! Have fun!

Your task is to create a with your team that will inform , present and future generations about the people and events of importance in the struggle for Civil Rights, as well as other social events like the anti-war movement. Working in a team and playing roles, you will research several websites to collect information on those people and events and you will select and analyse some of the most significant protest songs of the time. By doing this Webquest you will acquire a lot more knowledge about this period of the U.S. history: the struggle, the hope, the courage of so many people that fought for freedom and for basic human rights. This is still an issue of great importance to all of us, as citizens of the world.

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Divide into groups of five.

In your GROUP , choose one of these roles:

 

Read the contents that refer to your role. Follow the instructions and steps indicated.

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Conduct an internet search for your role using the Resources provided.

You are an African - American who witnessed some of the most important moments in the fight against segregation in the fifties and sixties in the U.S. and was actively involved in that fight. Your task is to search for and organize information about the following subjects:  

Segregation on buses Segregation in restaurants

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"Whites only" rules at public facilities

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The right to vote

Follow these steps: 1. Divide tasks among the members of the group: 2. Conduct an Internet search for your role using the Resources provided. 3. Find out: o

what segregation on buses consisted of

o

who Rosa Parks was

o

how she showed her opposition to segregation on buses

o

what role she played in the bus boycott

o

who organized the boycott

o

what the consequences of the boycott were

o

which fields segregation was felt in

o

why so many blacks were disenfranchised

4. Organize that information and write: o

a short biography of Rosa Parks, explaining why she was arrested

o

a leaflet for a campaign to end segregation on buses to be delivered to the population of Montgomery

o

a list of the most important achievements in the fight for Civil Rights

5. Get a title for your part of the exhibit

6. Get from the Internet or other sources photos, images and real documents of the time to illustrate your texts 7. Organize the final product

You are an American student who witnessed some of the most important moments in the fight against segregation and in the anti-war movement in the fifties, sixties and early seventies in the U.S. Your task is to search for and organize information about the following subjects:



Segregation in education Sit-ins

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Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka

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Little Rock High School, Arkansas

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Follow these steps: 1. Divide tasks among the members of the group: 2. Conduct an Internet search for your role using the Resources provided online on Miss Angel’s Website. 3. Find out: o

what segregation in education consisted of

o

what the purpose of sit-ins was

o

how the fight against segregation in schools began

o

what the consequences of the legal action Brown v. Board of Education were

o

what happened at Little Rock High School, Arkansas

4. Organize that information and write: o

a report on the Brown v. Board of Education case

o

a list of the most important achievements in the fight for equality in education

5. Get a title for your part of the exhibit 6. Get from the Internet or other sources photos, images and real documents of the time to illustrate

your texts 7. Organize the final product

You are a pacifist and you were actively involved in the anti-Vietnam War movement in the sixties and early seventies in the U.S. Your task is to search for and organize information about the following subjects:  

American involvement in the Vietnam War anti-war movement

Follow these steps: 1. Divide tasks among the members of the group: 2. Conduct an Internet search for your role using the Resources provided online on Miss Angel’s website.. 3. Find out: o

how the Americans got involved in the Vietnam War

o

what the anti-war movement consisted of

o

what happened at Kent State University on May, 4, 1970

4. Organize that information and write: o

a report on the involvement (engagement ) of the U.S in the Vietnam War

o

a list of the major events and the evolution of the war

o

a pamphlet to be distributed at a university protest against the events of May 4, 1970

5. Get a title for your part of the exhibit 6. Get from the Internet or other sources photos, images and real documents of the time to illustrate your texts 7. Organize the final product

You are an American singer who performed at many concerts and was actively involved in the fight against segregation and in the anti-war movement in the sixties and early seventies in the U.S. You were invited to collaborate with a music magazine and tell about your experience in that field and write about the protest songs of the time. Your task is to search for and organize information about the following subjects:

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the role protest songs played in the fight for civil rights and in the anti-war movement well known protest singers/groups

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protest songs

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Follow these steps: 1. Divide tasks among the members of the group: 2. Conduct an Internet search for your role using the Resources provided online on Miss Angel’s Website. 3. Find out: o

what role protest songs played in the fight for Civil Rights

o

which groups or singers were actively involved in that fight

o

what some of the most significant protest songs of the time were

o

what people were protesting against

4. Organize that information and select: o

a collection of protest songs

5. then write: o

the biographies of two protest singers

o

a list of the different messages the songs conveyed

o

a description of the atmosphere in a concert where protest songs were sung

6. a suggestion: o

if a member of your group can play the guitar, it would be a good idea to rehearse one of

the songs and play it during your presentation o

if you prefer, you may compose your own

7. Get a title for your part of the exhibit 8. Get from the Internet or other sources photos, images and real documents of the time to illustrate your texts 9. Organize the final product

You are an American journalist who witnessed some of the most important events of the Civil Rights Movement in the fifties and sixties in the U.S. Your task is to search for and organize information about the following subjects:  

Civil Rights Leaders President John Kennedy and the Civil Rights Act

Follow these steps: 1. Divide tasks among the members of the group: 2. Conduct an Internet search for your role using the Resources provided online on Miss Angel’s website. 3. Find out: o

who the most important Civil Rights leaders were

o

what the most important facts about them were

o

what role John F. Kennedy played in the Civil Rights Act

o

what the most important facts about John F. Kennedy were

o

what happened in 1963, in Washington

o

4. Organize that information and write: o

a news article for your newspaper on the day John Kennedy was assassinated

o

a short biography of John Kennedy to go with the article

o

a report on the peaceful march on Washington, D.C.

o

a news article for your newspaper on the day Martin Luther King was assassinated

o

a short biography of Martin Luther King to go with the article

5. Get a title for your part of the exhibit 6. Get from the Internet or other sources photos, images and real documents of the time to illustrate your texts 7. Organize the final product