Guide Entry to 26.02.05
This unit will explore how history and culture are reflected in musical production, specifically Puerto Rico’s history and culture through some of the archipelago's musical genres. To structure this unit we will be anchoring the flow of lessons on the 2026 Superbowl half-time show. These genres explained in this unit—reggaetón, salsa, bomba and plena—have roots in Puerto Rico but connect to Africa, the Caribbean, the US and Central and South America. All the music genres presented in this performance have transnational journeys that come from colonization, migration, commerce and technology.
This unit is written at a seventh-grade level but includes the background knowledge necessary to scaffold up to higher grdes as needed. The overall goal of the unit is for students to develop cultural and historical awareness. Specifically, how does colonization impact communities? How does art reflect history and culture? This not only highlights the transcultural connections that Bad Bunny’s art reflects but also speaks to an interdependence among nations that affects the population, culture and way of life in these places and regions The art analyzed in this unit will focus on how artists resist colonization while inciting pride and joy in the community.
(Developed for Social Studies, grade 7; recommended for Social Studies, Music, and Spanish, grades 7-12)
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