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Lesson Plan Ten: Spotlight on Barbara Dane
11th & 12th Grade
2 class periods and 1 homework assignment
Standards Compliance
Introduction.
CA Standard: Reading
2.1- Analyze both the
features and the rhetorical
devices of different types of
public documents (e.g.,
policy statements,
speeches, debates,
platforms) and the way in
which authors use those
features and devices.
When asked to identify a few leading figures who have fought
for social change, most people name men. But there have also
been many women in the forefront of change, including
“entertainers” who have used their music to challenge, organize
and inspire. By examining the life of female singer and activist
Barbara Dane, students will be asked to consider which is more
important: your beliefs or money and success.
CA Standard: Reading
2.6- Critique the power,
validity, and truthfulness
of arguments set forth in
public documents; their
appeal to both friendly and
hostile audiences; and the
extent to which the
arguments anticipate and
address reader concerns
and counterclaims (e.g.,
appeal to reason, to
authority, to pathos and
emotion).
CA Standard: Reading
3.2- Analyze the way in
which the theme or
meaning of a selection
represents a view or
comment on life, using
textual evidence to support
the claim.
CA Standard: Writing 2.3Write reflective
compositions that draw
comparisons between
specific incidents and
broader themes that
illustrate the writer's
important beliefs or
generalizations about life.
Objective.
Students will investigate the impact of activist-artists by
focusing on specific moments in the life of singer Barbara Dane.
They will consider why this woman chose to take actions that
challenged the status quo and at the same time threatened her
career as a musician. They will also consider the impact of
these actions and write a personalized essay on the subject.
Tools Required: Computer, Internet access, printer.
Historical Vocabulary.
Barbara Dane (born May 12, 1927) is an American folk, blues,
and jazz singer from Detroit. After high school, she often sang
at demonstrations for racial equality and economic justice. She
did sit-ins with bands around town and won the interest of
music promoters. She was offered a tour, but turned it down in
favor of singing at factory gates and in union halls. She moved
to Los Angeles, where she worked with Lenny Bruce and sang
regularly at the “Ash Grove,” and then moved to San Francisco,
where she opened her own club, “Sugar Hill: Home of the
Blues.” She continued to sing with every important blues and
jazz musician of the day, while producing 50 LPs of world
music on her own label, Paredon. She stepped up her work for
peace and justice as the struggle for civil rights spread and the
Vietnam War escalated. She continued singing at peace
demonstrations around the world and is still alive at the time of
publishing (adapted from Barbara Dane’s website).
http://www.barbaradane.net/biography.html
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Barbara Dane: Day One.
Introductory Activity
5-10 minutes
Pose the following questions to your students: “Do you think that women are as important as
men in making a difference in society? Why or why not?” Have students write a response for
five minutes. After students finish, ask them if they can identify reasons why women’s role in
society is often seen as supportive and men’s as assertive. How much of this is connected to
women being mothers? Are men naturally more aggressive? Ask them to name five men and
five women who have fought for social and economic justice. Is it easier to think of men or
women? As the students are brainstorming answers, record their responses on a blackboard
or large piece of chart paper, and then discuss their responses.
Mini Lesson
10 minutes
Ask the students if there are things in life that they think are more important than being
successful and making lots of money. Is being successful more important than being happy?
Can you be happy if you are not successful? What are some things that they would NOT do
for money? Lead a short discussion.
After listening to student responses, introduce them to Barbara Dane. Explain that this
singer put her personal beliefs ahead of trying to build her career. She used her voice to sing
about what she cared about, and not what she thought would sell the most records.
Barbara is now over eighty years old. Do you think she looks back on her life and thinks this
was a wise choice or not?
Explain that they are about to listen to an MP4 file of Barbara Dane talking about her life.
Tell them to bear in mind that in the 1950s and 1960s, great American musicians considered
Barbara to be one of the best singers around.
Individual Research
30 minutes
Now have the students download the MP4 file at:
http://www.theharrybridgesproject.org/lesson10.html
Have them watch the footage and/or listen to the voices.
Print and hand out Student Worksheet: Women as Activists (page 3) for students to use in
their Individual Research, instructing them to consider the questions using the indicated
websites and to make notes that they will use in their homework assignment.
Conclusion
5 minutes
Have the students come back together as a group. Remind them that in the 1950s and
1960s, great American musicians considered Barbara to be one of the best singers, yet she
never became really famous. Ask them why they think this occurred. Ask them if they can
think of any singers or entertainers today who have risked their careers by standing up for
something that they believe in. (Consider Dave Chappelle.)
Explain to students that they will have the opportunity tonight to write their own opinion
about whether Barbara Dane was right or wrong to put her ideals first. Print and hand out
Student Homework: Barbara Dane (page 4).
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Name: ____________________________________
Date: _____________________________________
Student Worksheet:
Research on Barbara Dane
For each question, find an answer by visiting the recommended websites; or
better yet, find your own websites and share them. Write 3-4 sentences
answering each question based off what you read on those sites.
 Research and make notes about Barbara Dane’s career as a singer.
A Life of the Blues
Barbara Dane Biography
Barbara Dane Performance
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 Research and make notes about Barbara Dane’s record label, Paredon Records.
Paredon Records
RateMusic "Paredon Records"
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 Research and make notes about Barbara Dane’s life as an activist and how it affected her
career.
Barbara Dane Biography
Songs of Protest: The Vietnam Songbook
Barbara Dane: Still Singing, Still Resisting
White Blues Singer (Search for “Ebony Barbara Dane.” The top result should be “Ebony Nov
1959.” Click on it, and read pages 149-154.)
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If you have time, check out other pages on these sites or find your own sites as well.
If you discover websites that helped in your research, send them to us at
ianruskin@theharrybridgesproject.org and say “Lesson Plan Sites” in the subject line.
Also let us know if any of the sites that we have supplied have shut down. Include your
name and your school’s name and we will add your information to the Education Project!
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Name: ____________________________________
Date: _____________________________________
Student Homework: Opinion on Barbara Dane
Write a 250 word essay about Barbara Dane’s career, considering
whether you think that she was right or wrong to get involved in
so many political and social actions. Give specific examples of
actions in her life, and compare and contrast what she gained
with what she lost through her actions. If you can think of any
entertainers today who have also risked their careers for what
they believe in, make a short comparison to Barbara Dane. Write
a conclusion with your opinion of Barbara Dane – is she someone
that you admire or not?
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Barbara Dane: Day Two.
Introductory Activity
5 minutes
Explain that today the students are going to share their essays with each other in
small groups, and then discuss with the class what they have learned from their
research and writing. Ask them whether it was easy or difficult to write the essay,
and what helped or hindered them.
Group Activity
20 minutes
Have the students break up into groups of 4 or 5 and read their essays to each
other. Choose a student in each group to act as a recorder who will make notes
about the similarities and differences of the opinions in the essays. Then have each
recorder read the most important notes to the class.
Teacher Led Discussion
15-20 minutes
Record their notes on a blackboard or large piece of chart paper in two columns –
Reasons Barbara Dane was right and Reasons Barbara Dane was wrong.
Lead a discussion about what they have learned, using some of the following
questions.
 What surprised you the most about your research?
 Why was Barbara Dane right or wrong to be so involved in politics and social
causes?
 Was it right that she went to places like Cuba and North Vietnam?
 What do you think of her son living his life in Cuba?
 Could you imagine living in a country like Cuba?
 Do you think that Barbara Dane is a powerful woman? Why or why not?
 Did you find any other useful websites?
Conclusion
5 minutes
Ask students to draw a picture of something that is more important to them than
money. Ask them to think of Barbara Dane in the future if they are ever asked to
choose between this thing/person/cause that is important to them and monetary
success.
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TEACHER’S RUBRIC FOR HOMEWORK
Score
1
2
3
4
Development
Organization
of Position
Use of
Language
Sentence
Structure
Grammar
and Word
Usage
Grammar
No plausible
and word
position is
usage are so
taken on the
poor that
Disorganized; Contains
Severely
topic; severely
they interfere
little or no
fundamental flawed
lacking in
with
focus;
vocabulary
sentence
examples,
meaning;
incoherent
mistakes
structure
reasons
very poor
and/or
mechanics
evidence
(like
punctuation)
Grammar
Position on
Poorly
Poor use of
and word
topic is
organized;
language;
usage
unclear or
Frequent
lacks focus; indicates very
mistakes are
extremely
problems
problems
limited
frequent and
limited;
with sentence
with
vocabulary
interfere with
inappropriate
structure
coherence or and poor
meaning;
examples or
flow of ideas word choice
poor
reasons
mechanics
Position on
Displays
topic
developing
Some
demonstrates Limited in
use of
Contains
problems
critical
organization language;
many
with sentence
thinking skill and focus;
contains
mistakes in
structure;
applied
demonstrates indications of
grammar
lacks a
inconsistently; lapses in
weak
word usage
variety of
inadequate
coherence or vocabulary
and
sentence
examples,
flow of ideas and poor
mechanics
structures
reasons or
word
evidence
selection
Position on
Generally
topic
organized
Displays
Good
demonstrates
Contains few
and focused; adequate use sentence
competent
mistakes in
demonstrates of language; structure;
critical
grammar,
some
vocabulary
demonstrates
thinking skill;
word usage
coherence
used is
some variety
example,
and
and attention generally
of sentence
reasons and
mechanics
to the flow of appropriate structure
evidence are
ideas
good
Adapted from the SAT Writing Rubric
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This Lesson Plan was developed by Ian Ruskin, Director, The Harry Bridges Project,
and Education Consultants Kara Hunter and Karen Mowrer.
Made possible with the generous support of
and many other organizations and individuals.
Thank You!