Putting History to Song

2008-04-20T18:43:00.001-07:00

Billy Joel was quoted as saying “The World's always been kinda messed up, it was messed up before I was born, it was messed up during the time that I lived and it will probably be messed up after I'm gone. That doesn't mean you don't try the best that you can and make this a better world.”

Billy Joel (reportedly) wrote this song because he overheard a child say that he felt sorry for "older people" like Billy Joel because no "history" happened in their lifetime, that NOW (or the time the song was written) was going to be the world's most historical time period. The comment got to Billy Joel so much that he sat down and wrote this to prove that his lifetime has been FULL of history.

We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel

2008-04-20T18:08:00.000-07:00

Unit Plan: FireStarter

Unit Author
First and Last Name	A. Elizabeth Snider
Author’s E-mail Address	esnider@tampabay.rr.com

Unit Overview
Unit Plan Title		Fire Starter
Curriculum-Framing Questions
	Essential Question	How was history made in your lifetime?
	Unit Questions	What impact did our generation have on world history?
	Content Questions	Who are these people? What are these events? Why are these things significant to history?
Unit Summary
We will break down and define the people, places and events listed in the lyrics of Billy Joel’s song “We didn’t Start the Fire”.

Subject Area(s) (List all subjects that apply)

Social Studies with Language Arts infused, Music & Technology

Targeted State Frameworks/Content Standards/Benchmarks

Social Studies: SS.A.1.3.1 The student extends and refines understanding that historical events are subject to different interpretations (for example, patterns, chronology, sequencing including cause and effect and the identification of historical periods). GLE #2. The student understands chronology (for example, knows how to construct and label a timeline of events).

SS.A.2.3.2: The student knows how major historical developments have had an impact on the development of civilizations. GLE #1. The student knows ways major historical developments have influenced selected groups over time (for example, the rise and spread of the Muslim religion).

Language Arts: Standard 2: The student constructs meaning from a wide range of texts. LA.A.2.3.1: The student determines the main idea or essential message in a text and identifies relevant details and facts and patterns of organization. GLE #4. analyzes ways writers organize and present ideas (for example, through chronology, comparison-contrast, and cause-effect).

Student Objectives/Learning Outcomes

Students will identify & explain people/places/events listed within the song, with 80% accuracy.

Students will create & present a Power Point Presentation based on the lyrics of the song that depicts historical relevance within their lifetime.

Students will create a newsletter demonstrating comprehension of historical relevance of the lyrics of the song We Didn’t Start the Fire by Billy Joel.

Procedures

Students will watch a power point that introduces the song/topic of the lesson, then will attempt to recognize the lyrics as they are sung. Students will research and determine relevance of the people/places/events listed in the lyrics.

Approximate Time Needed

This unit plan will consist of 3 50 minute lessons and 2 15-20 minute mini lessons, per lesson, over a 6 week period.

Prerequisite Skills

Students will have some prior knowledge working with Microsoft Office applications: Power Point, Publisher, and Internet resourcing.

Printed Materials	Students may use their textbooks, encyclopedias, archived newspapers, archived magazines.
Supplies	CD of song (several copies), paper, pens, blank CD, CD players (w/ & w/out headphones), computers with Microsoft office software and required technology.
Internet Resources	http://home.uchicago.edu/%7Eyli5/Flash/Fire.html www.loc.gov, Google search engine, and You Tube presentation of 1989 music video for “We Didn’t Start the Fire” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKu2QaytmrM
Others	We will take a field trip to the school library to research the lyrics. We will take a virtual field trip to the Library of Congress to research the lyrics.

Accommodations for Differentiated Instruction
	Resource Student	Students will work in small groups and will be pre-assigned sections of the song (period of the timeline) to research. Printed lyrics will be available to all the students. CD players with headphones will be available for the students to refer back to the song as often as necessary. Students may consult with teachers, the school librarian and/or teaching assistants.
	Non-Native English Speaker	Students will work in small groups and will be pre-assigned sections of the song (period of the timeline) to research. Printed lyrics will be available to all the students. CD players with headphones will be available for the students to refer back to the song as often as necessary. Students may consult with teachers, the school librarian and/or teaching assistants. Students may use translation software such as www.babelfish.com to translate information. Students may use textbooks, encyclopedias and archived news articles printed in their native language(s).
	Gifted Student	Students will be asked to give more specific/expanded explanation of people/places/events listed in the lyrics. As enrichment, students will be asked to create a list of lyrics for new verses to the song listing people/places/events relevant to history from 1989 to present.

Student Assessment

Students will complete a list of lyrics from the song We Didn’t Start the Fire (1989) by Billy Joel. Students will place the people/places/events performed onto a timeline and will divide the timeline among the groups of students (3-4 students per group). Students will create additional verses to the song expanding the list of historical events from 1990 to present day. Students will create a power point presentation, demonstrating their version of We Didn’t Start the Fire (modern day verses). Students will present final work in the form of a blog or slideshow accessed via the internet, complete with the URL address.

Students will create a newsletter, web-page or brochure offering explanations of the list of lyrics for their assigned portion of the timeline. Newsletters should include pictures, internet links and quotes relating to the subject. Sources should be cited.

Students will be assessed on creativity, semantics, organization and neatness. Students will be given written quizzes at the end of each week. They will be permitted to complete the quizzes within their groups. Students are encouraged to share their works in progress with the other groups (in printed or electronic form). Quiz scores will count toward participation grades. Rubric assessments of in class participation, power points, and newsletter/brochure will be utilized.

Mrs. Snider's Class

Putting History to Song

Unit Plan: FireStarter