CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE/NONVIOLENT PROTEST
We will be reading excerpts about civil disobedience and nonviolent protest on Monday.
Thoreau wrote the essay Civil Disobedience in response to the United States involvement in a war against
Mexico. He wrote it after spending a day in jail following his refusal to pay taxes in protest. Similarly, Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote A Letter from Birmingham Jail while imprisoned for protesting unfair treatment
of African Americans. In order to demonstrate that you understand the concepts of civil disobedience and
nonviolent protest (according to Thoreau and modeled by Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi) you must
analyze one song of protest.
Music is often used as a medium to express feelings or opinions both popular and unpopular.
Throughout history, especially during the 1960’s, music was used to protest many things. War, government,
social reform, etc… were all protested through music.
Choose a song from the following list:
 Cat’s in the cradle by Harry Chapin
 Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival
 For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield
 I’m so bored with the USA by The Clash
 Imagine by John Lennon
 Working Class Hero by John Lennon
 One Love by Bob Marley
 The Times They are a Changing by Bob Dylan
 Turn, Turn, Turn by Pete Seeger
 We are the world by Michael Jackson
 Blowin’ in the wind by Bob Dylan
 Zombie by The Cranberries
 Diamonds (Remix) by Kanye West feat. Jay-Z
 Hello Birmingthan by Ani Difranco
 Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2
 Redemption Song by Bob Marley
 Where is the love by Black Eyed Peas
Complete the Following:
WRITTEN
 Research the song and explain what the intended message was and what was being protested.
 Explain whether or not you think music is an effective form of protest.
CREATIVE
 Create a poster for the song that expresses its message.
 The poster should include a visual and text. Basic poster paper will be provided.
This assignment is worth 100 points and is considered a major grade for this quarter.
Both the written and creative parts of the assignment are due on MONDAY Jan 9th, 2012.