This Hip-hop and social activism unit is intended to be an interdisciplinary one which involves literature, music, research, writing and various forms of art. The historical event that will serve as the springboard for this unit is the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis Minnosota and the subsequent murder of Adam Toledo in Chicago Illinois. Students will  engage in an examination of hip hop lyrics and it’s intersection to various social justice movements in America. Students will closely look at lyrics that will assist them in critical analysis, response writing and discourse. The issues and guiding songs are Race: The bigger Picture by Lil Baby, Class: White Privilege by Macklemore, Gender: Moment 4 Life by Niki Minaj, LGBTQIA: Panini by Lil Nas X and Police Brutality: The Sound of Da Police by KRS-one. Classroom strategies and activities are provided in addition to culminating projects which  involve students as activists within their school and community at large.

This unit is designed for ninth grade students to build analysis skills around social justice issues through music. The activities and discourse that revolve around each artist is scaffolded and modified based on students interest and skill level. 

(Developed for English I, Advisory, and Extra Curricular, grade 9; recommended for Music, Social Studies, History, and Art History, grades 6-12)