1 Music of the Chicano Movement: A Smithsonian Folkways Learning Pathway for students in Grades 5–8. Teacher’s Guide Lesson 5: The “Big Four”: Themes and Leaders of the Chicano Movement Lesson Overview Like many other social movements, the Chicano movement was associated with a variety of goals (some were ultimately attained, and others were not). During the 1960s and 1970s, several leaders emerged as the most prominent faces of different geographical regions and issues. César Chávez dedicated his life to improving working conditions and wages for farmworkers. He organized numerous walkouts, marches, and strikes, which drew attention these issues and, in some cases, resulted in positive changes (such as higher wages and safer working conditions). Reies López Tijerina fought to reclaim land grants that were stripped away following the Mexican-American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hildalgo in 1848 (Montoya, 2016, p. 67). José Ángel Gutiérrez used the ballot box to initiate change. He co-founded the Raza Unida Party (the People United), an independent political party intended to “challenge the Anglo establishment” (p. 149). Rodolfo “Corky” Gonzales was best known for articulating the notion of “Chicano identity” through his epic poem, Yo Soy Joaquin/I am Joaquin. These leaders gave the movement a collective “voice”: they drew attention to the social issues that many Mexican Americans faced (related to discrimination, oppression, exploitation, and marginalization). They worked with musicians to amplify this voice. This lesson will provide students with an introduction to several important goals of the Chicano movement (e.g., fair wages, safe working conditions, land reclamations, educational equity, voting rights) and the historical figures who emerged as leaders of various facets of this movement. 2 In this Guide Lesson Overview ........................................................................................................... 1 Lesson Components and Student Objectives* ........................................................... 2 Teaching Plan ................................................................................................................ 3 2014 National Music Standards Connections ............................................................. 9 Additional Reading and Resources ........................................................................... 11 Worksheets .................................................................................................................. 12 Lesson Components and Student Objectives * 1. “Our Demands”: Goals of the Chicano Movement (approx. 30 minutes) • Students will identify several themes that were emphasized during the Chicano movement and explain the reasons why they were emphasized • Students will demonstrate and explain triple subdivision 2. Leaders of the Chicano Movement (45+ minutes) • Students will identify several important people who emerged as leaders of different facets of the Chicano movement, and will describe their major contributions 3. Demonstrating Solidarity through Music (30+ minutes) • Students will demonstrate (through performance) how music is one way to express solidarity with people in our communities ______________________________________________ *Note: The learning icons used above signify the type of learning used in each Component. Keep in mind that these Components are not intended to be sequential; rather, teachers or students may choose which Components they’d like to use from each Lesson. While all learning types ( History and Culture, Music Listening, Music Making and Creation, and Creative Connections) fulfill 2014 National Music Standards, non- music teachers will be able to use History and Culture and Creative Connections Components without specific musical knowledge. 3 Teaching Plan 1. Component One: “Our Demands”: Goals of the Chicano Movement To prepare: • Preview Component 1 of the Lesson 5 Slideshow • Print the “Las condiciones” song lyrics for each student (find below) Process: Guide student learning while facilitating the student slideshow • Open the “Slideshow with notes” link on the righthand menu of the Lesson landing page, which will allow you to see more detailed teacher hints and notes as you progress through the slides. If you are able to use a different screen than the students, have them open the “Launch Slideshow” link, which will not show the notes. 1. Listening Activity (analyzing song lyrics): “Las condiciones” Students will listen to “Las condiciones,” while following along with song lyrics and thinking about this guiding question: • What were some of the Chicana/o activists’ demands during the Chicano movement? o As they listen, students can underline statements in the lyrics (textual evidence) that indicate the types of changes Mexican Americans were seeking during the Chicano movement. o Discussion points on this topic are provided within the slideshow. 2. Discussion: Unpack the following vocabulary with students (definitions are provided within the slideshow): • Discrimination • Racism • Oppression • Marginalization • Exploitation 3. Attentive and Engaged Listening: “Las condiciones” Play several short (30-45 second) excerpts from this audio track as students think about different questions and actively engage with the recording: • What do you notice about time (meter)? o Compound meter: The main beat is subdivided into groups of three • Can you clap the beat (without the recording)? • Can you clap the subdivisions (without the recording)? • Can you clap or tap the steady beat along with the recording? 4 • Can you clap or pat the subdivisions along with the recording? 4. Enactive Listening (“Las condiciones”): The main rhythmic motif from this song is notated in the slideshow (along with the steady beat and subdivisions): • Practice clapping the rhythm as a full class • Put all three parts together (1/3 of class on the beat, 1/3 of class on the rhythm, 1/3 of class on the subdivisions • Switch parts • Transfer these patterns to classroom instruments (e.g., rhythm on a drum, beat on a cowbell, subdivisions on egg shakers) 5 2. Component Two: Leaders of the Chicano Movement To prepare: • Preview Component 2 of the Lesson 5 Slideshow • Be ready to print song lyrics for students (depending on their choices) (find below) • Optional: Print a listening log worksheet for each student (find below) • Print the “Themes and Leaders of the Chicano Movement” worksheet for each student (find below) Process: Guide student learning while facilitating the student slideshow. • Open the “Slideshow with notes” link on the righthand menu of the Lesson landing page, which will allow you to see more detailed teacher hints and notes as you progress through the slides. If you are able to use a different screen than the students, have them open the “Launch Slideshow” link, which will not show the notes. • Scroll to the Component Menu slide (slide 3) and click on Component 2 1. Share Information: Using the information provided in the slideshow, provide background information about four important Chicano movement leaders: • César Chávez • Reies López Tijerina • Corky Gonzalez • José Ángel Gutiérrez 2. Self-Selected Listening Activity: In this activity, students will select one theme/leader to study in a more in-depth way (through music). A. Students will listen to a Rumel Fuentes song that corresponds to their choice, while following along with the written lyrics (find below in Worksheets section). o The audio files for this activity are directly embedded in the slideshow. ▪ Students can also access these recordings using Spotify or YouTube. o As they listen, students will underline lyrics that provide examples of oppression, discrimination, exploitation, and/or marginalization. o Optional: Students can also complete a “listening log” for their chosen song (find below in the Worksheets section). ▪ This worksheet will prompt them to reflect on musical and contextual concepts like time, pitch, instruments, structure, transmission, meaning, and use. ▪ Students can complete this part of the activity individually or in small groups during class, or as homework (This part of the activity is most appropriate for the music classroom). ▪ Find a rubric for this activity below in the Worksheets section. 6 B. Next, students will complete the “Themes/Leaders of the Chicano Movement” Worksheet” (find below in Worksheets section). o This worksheet will prompt them to summarize the main message of this song and reflect on examples of oppression, discrimination, exploitation, and/or marginalization in the song lyrics. o Find a rubric for this activity below in the Worksheets section. 7 3. Component Three: Demonstrating Solidarity through Music To prepare: • Preview Component 3 of the Lesson 5 Slideshow • Print the “Soy del pueblo” song lyrics for each student (find below) • Print the “Soy del pueblo” Musical Transcription (if you plan to perform the song with students) Process: Guide student learning while facilitating the student slideshow. • Open the “Slideshow with notes” link on the righthand menu of the Lesson landing page, which will allow you to see more detailed teacher hints and notes as you progress through the slides. If you are able to use a different screen than the students, have them open the “Launch Slideshow” link, which will not show the notes. • Scroll to the Component Menu slide (slide 3) and click on Component 3 1. Attentive Listening Activity: Play a short excerpt (30–45 seconds) from the embedded recording of “Soy