I like to bring small parts of my interests and my history into my classes, to add a personal connection to the material being taught. It often sparks students' interest, even and especially if it's something they hadn't heard of previously. Being that I teach at a Binational Center, and being a gringa in Saint Joseph of the Fields, I often take opportunities to share a bit of U.S. culture that I'm proud of. The Broadway musical Hamilton is one example.
I remember my first year in Brazil, hearing a report on my NPR app discussing a new musical about Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant and patriot in the American Revolution, the first Secretary of the Treasury, killed in a duel by frenemy Aaron Burr. Set to hip-hop, it tells the stories of the people, reflects the United States today in images of its history, and celebrates inclusivity and the passion of the American spirit. I knew instantly that I would be a fan, although I didn't actually sit down to find and listen to the music until well after it had already exploded in popularity. I still haven't had the chance (or the money) to see it, but the soundtrack has accompanied me on many car trips, bus rides, and late-night artmaking, and has renewed my interest for this previously-forgotten figure in U.S. history.
So how does it find its way into my classes? I teach English as a foreign language, not history or music. And yet there are some ways it has made a relevant appearance.
Some units I teach focus on lessons from the past or important (sometimes forgotten) historical moments. Sometimes as a warm-up introduction, I'll play the performance video from the 2016 Tony Awards, with a little background info and comprehension questions--mainly having students notice some key lines. Then we'll get a discussion going about historic moments that give meaning to and reflect present struggles and themes. Or I'll make sentences using the bit of the story they saw to give context for a grammar lesson.
Some lessons include a text about rap music, and I'll sometimes bring in "My Shot" from the Hamilton Mixtape as a warm-up introduction, or perhaps a wrap-up to the discussion. This version by Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz, and Nate Ruess, gives a moving picture of marginalized Americans. I'll put key words and rhymes on index cards out in the middle for everyone to see and grab when they hear them. There are so many powerful key lyrics that I decided to color code my index cards so students can move from one verse to another easily, knowing where to be looking. There's a lot of content in the song, but I believe it's empowering for students to have the experience of recognizing some of the most important words. Even if someone else grabs a lyric first, students can confirm what they think they heard. I'll often wrap this song up with a discussion of some particularly powerful lines.
Also from the Hamilton Mixtape is Immigrants: (We Get the Job Done), which might enhance a text, discussion, or debate on immigration, a controversial issue here as well. I'll only use this one with a very mature class, though.
Target language can be found in so many forms of media, and songs are a great way to reinforce it. I've taken out key verbs from "The Schuyler Sisters" and made them into a multiple choice activity, focusing on the difference between simple present, present continuous, and present perfect. I use it as a review quiz when teaching the present tenses together, and let the students check their answers by listening. If they want to listen again, I'll show them a music video done by a talented group of young people so they can see it in action and double-check the lyrics.
Similarly, I've also taken out all the articles (a/an/the) from the introductory song, "Alexander Hamilton," and added blanks before all the relevant nouns. Students guess if the noun, from context and the rules they know, requires a/an/the or Ø (for no article), and then listen to check.
One of my favorite Hamilclass moments was starting class with one the rap battles portraying intense political arguments in Cabinet meetings, using it as a lead in to a discussion about topics of student interest, which would eventually connect to a writing assignment. This one I would also make sure to do only with mature classes, or maybe turn off the sound at certain parts to bleep out a few choice words (I think I offered a disclaimer/advisory statement last time). I also gave a very brief explanation of the people (George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton) and the issues before showing a music video of the song.
My favorite animatic video of "Cabinet Battle #1" with sound has been taken off You Tube for copyright reasons, but if I do this again, I can play the actual song alongside the soundless version. There are other versions with students and amateurs performing the same song, some even with cleaned up lyrics for school settings. I still like the animatic best because it shows the characters and the heat of the discussion in a playful way, and the art is great. (There's also a video of the original Broadway actors talk-acting through the song in the White House, which is a very close second!)
My students liked the idea of political discussions taking the form of well-articulated rap battles (even if they didn't follow all the nuances of this particular one). After watching the music video, I taught the expressions "rile someone up," or "make ones blood boil," and asked them to discuss what issues (in school, in São José dos Campos, or in the world) rile them up or make their blood boil. Students are rarely given the opportunity to talk all they want about topics of their own interest, and so I gave them all the time they needed before opening up the book. Then I used the lesson to teach how to write a letter to the editor, reminding them that sharing their opinions in well-chosen words--whether on Twitter or in an email--can, albeit slowly, bring about change. It's not often that I see students put so much passion into a writing assignment, and I have to say, I was impressed with the way this one came out.
Hamilton was just the spark, reminding students that they have a voice. What has been that spark for you? Share your favorite cultural inspirations or memorable moments, Hamilton or other.
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