Protest Songs (Research Project w/ Outline and Rubric) Student Presentations

Analyzing popular media and examining a song for its message is the purpose of this research project. Everyone loves music - which is why every one of your students will love this project. Students are asked to choose one song about social issues/injustice, a political issue, or an historical event (from any decade or genre). They will analyze their selection and create a visual presentation - such as a poster, Slideshow, video, etc. to present the analysis to the class.

Links are provided to help students choose a song, and then 3-5 days of research time will be necessary. The project can be done in pairs or students can work alone. I use Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival to model the project (that example is available separately or in the bundle for this project). My example follows the outline that students are given in these handouts, and you'll always get better results from students if you show them the sort of work you expect.

The handouts include a 7 slide outline for students requiring: Title Page, Historical Context, Lyrics Analysis, Message, Bias, Conclusion, and Sources. They will need another 3-5 days to put their slideshows together. I let students include and play 2 minutes of their song during their presentation - clean versions only. Profanity in the lyrics does not exclude a song from being chosen...but students must clean up the lyrics before they present and they may not be able to play the song for us if a clean version does not exist. The rubric provided here is easy for students to follow - clearly explaining what information must go on each slide, and it makes grading a breeze for you as well.

This project can be used as a summative assessment for a Speaking/Listening Presentation - you will hit so many standards...research, analyzing figurative meanings, making connections to real events, people, and history, theme, author's viewpoint/bias...but most of all, students love it! Students often pick songs they are already fans of and the research is not a chore - high engagement from start to finish.